2. Timetable TaskDate Project SelectionThursday Oct 11 / Monday Oct 15 Outline Project SpecificationMonday Oct 22 Progress ReportMonday Nov 19 Mid-project DemonstrationEarly in Semester 2 Final ReportApril 25 & 26 Final DemonstrationApril 29 to May 3 Bibliography Exercise…

3. Project Scope  Diverse number of projects  Need to get some consistency across projects  What is interesting / novel? What is the technical challenge?  Statement to go onto the website about this

4. Outline Project Specification  Three Pages:  Page 1: Title  Page 2 and 3:  Project description  Work to be tackled  Project deliverables  Initial bibliography  Feedback from supervisor  Possible additional comments  Electronic Submission

5. Progress Report  Update on your progress  Discussing:  Project Summary – expanding on the outline  Current Progress – what have you done so far?  Planning – chosen methodology, plan for completing the project and an outline demonstration plan  Annotated Bibliography – what have you been reading. What do you expect to read?  Electronic Submission

6. Final Report  What you have done  Consider the process that you have used  Requirements, design, testing…  What have you read?  How did it go – critical assessment  Appendicies…

7. Process Model  What process model will you use?  One person…

8. Version Control  You are required to use a version control system  Subversion (supported in the dept)  Git (free student accounts at Github)  We will have some sessions looking at using these  Why?

9. Tips for success Tip 1: Get going fast - you only have a very short time. Get started NOW on investigation of any challenging implementation Tip 2: Set aside two-days each week (and bits): when you lose one of those days, replace it Tip 3: Keep a log now - you’ll need it at the end Tip 4: Take this term’s delivery seriously Tip 5: Read other people’s stuff and reference it

10. Tip 6: Use your supervisor - and do final report early! Tip 7: Remember that the final report is a significant part of your marks – we are also thinking about the whole process and the technical aspects Tip 8: Get a good plan for the report that fits YOUR project Tip 9: Read all of the documents on the project website as they are released, and re-read when you need them Tip 10: See your supervisor when there are problems - don’t let them fester

11. Your future self?  Quotes from previous reports:  "Evaluation: If I was to do this project again, I would have made a few changes. The main change being taking the advice of pretty much everyone and starting a lot sooner. I underestimated the time that it would take to write application and write the report. Starting sooner would have allowed me...”  “I have astounded myself with what I have achieved.”

12. Comments from May 2012  Start early, even you only change it later having a couple of chapters under your belt by new year would have saved me  For the love of God, pick a dissertation for yourself, and pick one which you won't lose interest in.  take in to account days for illness, job interviews and assignments for other modules. Do not draw your timeplan so that it does not allow flexibility of days.  do spike work early and write up as you go

13.  Plan, organise the time and start straight away, no matter how small it may seem in the greater scheme of things it will help. Just get immersed in it (doing a little everyday, to reduce pressure closer to the date). Also, regular meetings with your supervisor, taking on board what they say, keeping a journal/ notes on progress each day to assist with report and expect things to not go exactly the way planned (problems WILL occur, its how you handle them that counts). Plus, something I found beneficial was thinking the deadline is a week or so earlier than it actually is. This allowed for more final adjusting and solution of any major problems. Finally, try and enjoy it. Good luck

14.  Choose your supervisor as carefully as you choose your dissertation topic! Get one who is as passionate about your topic as you, and it'll show in your project.  Start it when you get it, don't let anything get in the way. Party when you've finished, the hard work you put in will pay off, because even though you think you know how to solve that seemingly simple problem, you don't!  "Do not be afraid to go visit your supervisor at any point! I was put of going to some weekly sessions because I had missed earlier meetings or was embarrassed that I had made no progress since. But it was never as bad as I let myself believe in fact quite the opposite, they are on your side! "

15. IPR  Statement on the website…

16. Now…  Finding a supervisor  Reducing risk  investigating technology  studying what others have done  doing feasibility studies  Analysis / design - aiming for mid-November delivery  Planning your project - and especially the detail of what you hope to do this term

17. Any questions…?