====== Project Selection Lecture Notes ======

  * Project selection from **autumn week 5** until **end of autumn week 11** (PATS knows and shows your specific deadlines, including approved extensions; extensions for selection are not possible).
    * **Hard deadline** - you will be assigned a random supervisor if you do not have a project selected.
  * You can **propose your own project** or select a **staff project**.
    * **No guarantee** you can do your own project - must be **agreed with a supervisor**.
  * Everything is managed via PATS - read the [[cm3203|CM3203 wiki entries]].
    * Check your **PATS profile** and report any mistakes (**degree scheme**).

===== What makes a good project? =====

The project allows you to **demonstrate your skills** and **explore a topic in-depth**: [[project_proposals#Projects|Project Proposals]].

The **work must be the student's own**, **supported by cited material** and consequently its **copyright is owned by the student**. Sometimes, e.g. for industry projects, separate agreements and conditions may apply; discuss with the supervisor as needed.

See the [[https://pats.cs.cf.ac.uk/archive|PATS archive]] for examples of good (not perfect) past projects students have [[project_publication|allowed us to publish]].

==== Solve a Problem ====

  * Anything that is **related to your degree scheme** (specialisms).
  * Something that you can do **with the material learned in the course**.
  * **Specialised** in some area; necessarily means you **need to learn more** and may not know everything yet.

==== Components ====

  * **Background** and context of the problem with a detailed **problem specification**.
  * **Methodology** or approach of how the problem is solved.
  * **Evaluation** of the solution.

A **complete solution is often not required**, and **positive and negative evaluations are both useful**, depending on your problem. **Discuss the expectations** for a particular proposal with your supervisor.

==== Deliverables ====

  * [[cm3203_initial_plan|CM3203 Initial Plan]]
  * [[cm3203_final_report|CM3203 Final Report]]

==== Student Proposals ====

  * [[project_proposals#Writing a proposal|Project Proposal Writing]]

==== Feasibility ====

  * **Special resources**, e.g. non-standard hardware, special software.
  * **Ethical approval**, affecting any project involving human participants, human material or human data (Human Research).
  * **Legal issues**, especially intellectual property and licensing.

See [[cm3203#Ethics and Other Issues|Feasibility]] - this is the **student's and supervisor's responsibility** and part of the **risk management**.

==== Management ====

  * The **student is responsible to manage and execute the project**.
  * The supervisor **supports and advises** as needed, provides **feed-forward**, and is one the **examiners**.
  * **Regular meetings** with supervisor during spring term weeks (about **30 minutes on average per term week**).

==== Assessment ====

Supervisor and moderator mark your deliverables independently and then agree on a mark for the exam board, to be checked by an external examiner.

  * **High 1st**: solution completed to high standards and explored deeply; often evaluation, but also your own ideas/methodologies/code; usually goes beyond expectations.
  * **1st**: solution explored deeper; completed to high-level standards; fulfilling all expectations completely.
  * **2.1**: standard solution, well within expectations, executed well.
  * **2.2**: some problems, but solid core of a solution within expectations.
  * **3rd**: major problems with the solution, not meeting expectations, but it still demonstrates good skills and knowledge in the degree scheme area.
  * **Fail**: solution has severe problems; inappropriate approach; hardly any suitable work or results.

See marking criteria of the deliverables.

**Discuss details and expectations of specific proposals with supervisor**.
===== Project Selection =====

  * **Express interest** in staff proposals / **find a supervisor** for your proposal via PATS.
  * Arrange meeting with supervisor to **[[project_supervision|discuss]]**.
    * Can meet with more supervisors and agree later on, but **meeting is essential**.
    * Agreement is on **first come, first served** basis and exactly the same project can only be **executed once**.
  * Clearly **agree supervision** with a supervisor; they will set up your project on PATS.
    * This is **final** and can only be changed in exceptional circumstances.