COM3500 Individual Research Project
Summary |
In the individual research project, you will complete a major original piece of software design, experimental investigation or theoretical proof. This work will be reported formally in a research dissertation and also presented at a poster session, to which industrial representatives, students and academics are invited. The work will include an Interim report that consists of an initial survey and literature review. You will be engaged in a major piece of software development, or the design and execution of an empirical experiment, or the elaboration and practical verification of a theory. You will have regular meetings with your supervisor, who will advise on any problems you encounter. You will prepare a dissertation of between 6000-12000 words in length, which includes the material from the interim report, but also contains a complete design, implementation and evaluation of the results of your project. This may be assessed by oral examination. |
Session |
Academic Year 2023/24 |
Credits |
30
|
Assessment |
Please note that
it is expected that the underlying work for the project will
be
split evenly between the semesters. In particular, work is
expected to continue at the end of the Autumn semester,
after the interim report is submitted.
The total amount of work, which will be reflected in the content of the final dissertation, is expected to be around three quarters of that done by students taking COM3610.
- Description, due at the beginning of the first semester
- Survey and analysis between 2500 and 5000 words, due towards the end
of the
first semester.
- Final dissertation and project presentation. The
main assessment of the module
is by a dissertation that is produced towards the end of
the
second semester, complemented by a poster presentation
at a
session where the work done is to be demonstrated and
questions
answered. If considered appropriate by the examiners an
oral examination may be held on this dissertation and
project
presentation.
|
Resources |
Unconfirmed
practical marks when available |
Aims |
The aims of this module are to:
- integrate further the material learned throughout the
degree
course, by applying it to a substantial open-ended
problem;
- give the student the opportunity of bringing an
individual piece of work, in a topic area of their own
choosing, to completion;
- promote design and problem-solving skills, especially
the ability to translate a theoretical approach into
practice, overcoming any unexpected obstacles;
- promote academic presentation skills, especially those
of technical report writing, visual and oral
presentation and question handling;
- give the student the further opportunity to
demonstrate and improve their personal skills,
particularly those of time and work management.
|
Learning Outcomes |
By the end of this course the students should:
- have increased their understanding of practical,
experimental or theoretical approaches to tackling the
research problem under investigation;
- have demonstrated an ability to evaluate critically
and select from the different design solutions relevant
to the research problem under investigation;
- have completed a major original piece of work in a
systems design, experimental or theoretical area, based
on the relevant background research literature;
- have prepared a poster and a research dissertation
giving a survey of the literature, an analysis of the
topic area, a detailed design and an evaluation of the
project's results;
- have demonstrated an ability to manage their own time
effectively, undertake work on their own initiative and
develop plans to progress the work further.
|
Content |
The content of the project is typically selected by the
student from a range
of topics proposed by staff or industrial partners of the
department. Students are also encouraged to propose their
own topic, provided they can find a supervisor willing to
supervise it and with the agreement of the Projects Officer.
|
Restrictions |
Only available to COMU109, COMU118, COMU48 and COMU49. |
Teaching Method |
The student is expected to meet the supervisor regularly
for 30-60
minutes, in order to discuss progress with the work and
obtain advice on it. The rest of the work they are expected
to
plan and carry out independently.
|
Feedback |
Students will receive formative feedback on their interim report in
a meeting with
their supervisor, as well as during their regular
meetings.
|
IP Exemption |
This module is exempt from the University's Regulations relating to Intellectual Property which can be found at: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/apse/apo/quality/policies-guidance/ip |
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