Am I able to supervise your postgraduate studies?

To begin to answer the question above, I assume that you have read what I wrote on who should consider postgraduate studies and deem yourself to be in that category. I also assume that you have read about my research interests, and that you are indeed (al the very least) intrigued by the research questions that I am trying to answer. If so, you have probably had a look at some of my more recent publications and felt compelled to contribute to the academic literature in the niche that my publications address. If so, please read on

Positions available

I have an extremely limited number of positions available for students who want to study towards such a higher degree. In order to increase synergy between my students I only accept students in very specific research fields. Currently I will consider applications in the following fields:

• Questioned digital documents / forensic digital document examination
• Digital autopsies
• Other digital forensic fields for which corresponding disciplines exist in the world of physical forensic science.
• Network forensics (especially for software-defined networks)

Read more about my research aspirations for further guidance.

In the past, bursaries were sometimes available for successful applicants; more recently bursaries have become extremely scarce. Your best option is to apply at a funder, such as the NRF.

Applications

I consider applications for study under my guidance each year at the end of September for commencement in January of the following year. An application should consist of portfolio in which you address the following:

• Write an essay that summarises the state of the art in that branch of digital forensics (selected from the list I provided above). This should be properly referenced. (You are free to choose the citation method.) The essay should be between 2000 and 3000 words long. It should be a proper essay - not a bulleted list of points. It should tell the 'story' of the branch of digital forensics as any good story does: Where did it all start? What happened since then? How did the various events follow on one another? How did the various events impact on one another? Who were the main actors in these events? Where are we now? (Of course a story does not have to be told in such a linear fashion. You may prefer to deal with themes or issues in a different order. But a chronological story is indeed one option.)
• Write a single page summary of your professional skills, likes and dislikes. Do you, for example, love mathematics, ethics, systems programming, or some other field that may be useful during your studies? (Digital forensics has an interdisciplinary character t7hat means that there is scope for a range of interests.) Do you dislike any of these (or other related) fields? (Let us, for example, avoid starting out on a path that requires deep philosophical refection if you cannot bear to read a philosophical text. Again - there is scope for many likes and dislikes in digital forensics.) Why do you think that your likes, dislikes and skills may be an asset to a research group that, amongst others, conducts research on digital forensics?
• Attach your academic records / transcripts.

In order to write the summary of the state of the art, you should concentrate your efforts on work published in the following proceedings and journals:

Conferences

• The annual conference of IFIP WG 11.9 on Digital Forensics
• The annual Digital Forensics Research Workshop (DFRWS)

Journals

• Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation (known as Digital Investigation until 2020)
• Forensic Science International
• Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law (The journal is inactive, but past papers are available.)
• Journal of Forensic Sciences

Note that this application process is merely intended to determine whether I will accept you as a student. To gain university entrance you have to follow the processes as set out in the yearbook of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology of the University. (Ensure that you look at the latest edition of the yearbook.) Also see the details provided by the Department of Computer Science. (Scroll down to MSc Computer Science or PhD Computer Science on the departmental page.)

My expectations

I expect that you will

• Really have time to devote to your studies;
  [Full-time studies are highly recommended]
• Obtain a copy of my book, Information Technology Research - A Practical Guide for Computer Science and Informatics, Third edition - and read and use it;
  [It is, amongst other, available in the University of Pretoria Library]
• Participate in research activities of the research group and the department, such as presenting your own work to your peers, or providing constructive criticism of your peers' work.

Your expectations

It is highly recommended that you discuss your dreams of postgraduate studies with current students - amongst others to determine your 'compatibility' with the style (or lack thereof) of your intended supervisor. Also read PhD Comics with the warning that most of it is true.