1. Team working in distributed environments M253 Project Logs Faculty of Computer Studies Arab Open University Kuwait Branch 9/19/20151Kwuait Branch

2. Project Logs What are Project Logs?? It’s a place ( physical or electronic ) in which you record your notes, ideas, thoughts, and sketches about project, to remember it later 9/19/20152Kwuait Branch

3. A Project Logs There are different types of information we benefit from recording it in our log: benefit from recording it in our log: 1.Factual information (e.g. websites you choose, the criteria you are going to use to evaluate them). 2.Development ideas, plans and designs (e.g. what roles do you think you will need in the team and who do you think would be the best person to fulfill each role? ). 3.Reflection on experiences (answers to questions are useful reflections on your past experience, such as how well do you think you have done? Could your team have done better?) 4.Others.. 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch3

4. Why a Project log Important The main reason why you might want to keep a project log, is to support you in your work. It’s an aide-memoir that helps you remember facts, Information, sources, observations, data, results, plans, ideas & reflections. 9/19/2015 Kwuait Branch 4

5. How to use a Project logs ? ( By Hohmann - 1997 ) 1. 1.Keep your notebook with you at all times. 2. 2.Use your project log. 3. 3.Write legibly, preferably in ink. 4. 4.Review your notebook regularly. 5. 5.Keep accurate dates. 6. 6.Keep it safe. 7. 7.Use abbreviations if you wish. 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch5

6. The question is what to include in a project log? The project log include: Observation, descriptions, sketches, impressions, thoughts, ideas, opinion, sources of information, data and points agrees with others in a team. 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch6

7. How to make sure that your entries are complete enough ? Using jounalist’s five Ws: 1.Who ( is involved ). 2.What ( happened ). 3.When ( did it happen ). 4.Where ( did it happen ). 5.Why ( or how ). 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch7

8. What not to include in a project log? 1.Act solely as an appointment book or general diary. 2.Be written on loose scraps or in a variety of different places. 3.Include everything that happens whether relevant or not. 4.Wander from the subject. 5.Be a polished piece of writing: it should record as found when found. 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch8

9. How to keep a project log ? There are 2 basic ways to keep a project log: 1.A Paper Log. 2.An Electronically Log. 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch9

10. A paper Log 9/19/2015 Kwuait Branch 10 Their are two styles you can using to representing your logs on paper: 1.A loose-leaf folder 2.A bound journal-style notebook

11. A Paper Log 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch11 DisadvantagesAdvantages Difficulty of making backup copies of page. Durability. Difficulty of finding information.Convenience. Pages can easily fall out. You can make an entry easily. The extra pages cannot be added.

12. An electronic log You can writ your project log by using:You can writ your project log by using: A word processor. A diary program keep your project log online using: A Blog, other facility, MyStuff(UKOU) 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch12

13. An Electronic log 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch13 DisadvantagesAdvantages Not availability like paper. Ease copy-and-paste information. Ease search on your log. Ease to make backup for your data. The permanence of the data. you may not be able to read today’s computer media in 10 years’ time. Correct erroneous entries. Check your spelling. Don’t worry about writing legibly.

14. Examples of how might actually keep your project log 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch14 1.A word processor/ A diary program 2.Laboratory notebooks. 3.Blogs.

15. Laboratory notebooks 1.Most common form of project log. 2.Used to record details of experiments carried out in the laboratory, or observations taken in the field, and the results obtained. 3.Can be accepted as legal proof of the date of an invention, provided that the entry is countersigned and dated by a witness. 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch15

16. Blogs Blog is a personal website on which an individual makes regular entries that records their opinions, web links and other items of interest to them Blog is a personal website on which an individual makes regular entries that records their opinions, web links and other items of interest to them. 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch16

17. Blogs 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch17 DisadvantagesAdvantages Entries can be edited after they have been posted. Time and date stamped. Able to read by anyone and everyone. Can be tagged with keywords so that a reader can display all the entries on a particular subject. Searchable.

18. MyStuff MyStuff is an online personal storage area provided for you by the Open University that you can use to store files or to record notes (much like a blog) MyStuff is an online personal storage area provided for you by the Open University that you can use to store files or to record notes (much like a blog) 9/19/201518Kwuait Branch Benefits: 1.Private. 2.Able to share items. 3.Create a new note for each new entry in your log

19. Summary 1.A personal log is a key tool in in many professional areas. 2.Could be kept on paper or electronically ( same issues apply to both media ). 3.It should record facts, references, plans, ideas, thoughts and, if appropriate, exchanges by correspondence, etc. 4.It should not be edited (except at the moment of writing to correct an error). Each entry should be dated (and perhaps timed). 9/19/2015Kwuait Branch19