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BSC Computing
Project/Dissertation Guide
AHM BSc Computing
BSc COMPUTING
STUDENT
PROJECT/DISSERTATION
GUIDE
BSC Computing
Project/Dissertation Guide
AHM BSc Computing
CONTENTS
Introduction
Student Commitment……………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Assessment of Project………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Project Report……………………………………………………………………………………..... 3
Contents of Project Report
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Order of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Title Page…………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Example of a Title Page……………………………………………………………………. 5
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………… 6
Main Body of the Report…………………………………………………………………… 6
Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………. 8
References…………………………………………………………………………………………... 8
Notes on Style & Presentation
Page Size and General Formatting………………………………………………………………….. 11
Style of Writing and Presentation…………………………………………………………………... 11
Abbreviations………………………………………………………………………………..11
Numbers…………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
Chapters…………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
References…………………………………………………………………………………... 12
Tables………………………………………………………………………………………..13
Figures……………………………………………………………………………………….13
APPENDIX I
Project Log………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15
APPENDIX II
Notes on Dissertation Assessment………………………………………………………………….. 17
Project Assessment Pro-Forma……………………………………………………………………...18
Agreed Mark for Project Pro-Forma………………………………………………………………...20
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1 Introduction
1.1 General
It may be helpful to draw the student's attention to the purposes of the final-year individual project or
dissertation. The project/dissertation report written by a student should demonstrate to the examiners
that the student has:
mastered some, if not all, aspects of research methodology
given due consideration to the impact of political, legal, ethical and socio-economic
factors on their project, and
fulfilled the stated aims and objectives of the project.
In general terms the student will be assessed on how successful they have been in:
identifying a problem
analysing the problem
carrying out appropriate literature and other searches in a methodical way
addressing the possible impact of political, legal, ethical and socio-economic factors on
o their proposed project
developing a solution design employing relevant strategies
creating a prototype system (based upon the design) using appropriate vehicle(s)
testing and evaluating the system
deducing conclusions on the basis of valid and reliable evidence
compiling and presenting a report in accordance with established guidelines.
A further consideration worth bearing in mind is that the target audience is, in the first instance,
extremely limited. It is, perhaps, salutary to realise that most project/dissertation reports have a
readership restricted to the internal and external examiners and this may total no more than four or five
people at most. Subsequently, of course, the report may be more widely disseminated.
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BSC Computing
Project/Dissertation Guide
AHM BSc Computing
1.2 Student Commitment
The Project/Dissertation component of the BSc Computing demands a substantial level of commitment
from the student; not least because it contributes twice as much as any other module to the final degree
classification.
It is the responsibility of the student to maintain regular contact with their supervisor so that progress
(or lack of) may be monitored and appropriate measures put in train. Supervisors will maintain a record
of meetings with each student using a pro-forma resembling that shown in Appendix I. Since the
quality of project management will be assessed for the project, it is essential for each student to
convince their supervisor through regular meetings and the maintenance of a project log (which could
be electronic), that their research and development activities are well-planned and organized and that
they are constantly reviewing progress against a well-defined schedule.
Although frequent meetings are desirable, it is important for the student to appreciate that UON has
made available only limited supervision resources: each supervisor has been allowed a max number of
6 hours to devote to each project/dissertation student for the whole year (including assessment!).
Students may therefore need to show a degree of forbearance and each would be wise to plan their
schedule of meetings very carefully.
1.3 Assessment of Project
Most of the project assessment (seventy-five percent) will be derived from the final submitted project
Report. The report must be submitted at the end of April and each student will be expected to give a
presentation on their project and demonstrate what they have managed to accomplish shortly following
the hand in date. At the time of their presentation/demonstration each student will be subject to a viva
voce examination to confirm the authenticity of their work. Each student must also be prepared to
respond to questions designed to ascertain whether they have adequately addressed general professional
issues including legal, ethical and socio-economic factors during the development of their project.
The other twenty five percent of the assessment will be based upon detailed written project proposal
and a presentation to be delivered around the middle to end of the first term. At this stage, each student
should demonstrate evidence of adequate preliminary investigation of their chosen project subject area
and should include the probable impact of professional issues (see previous paragraph) upon their
project development.
Appendix II includes examples of assessment pro-forma used by tutors when grading the final reports
(a similar but simpler version is used in the first term).
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1.4 Project Report
It is anticipated that the main body or text of the submitted report should extend to no more than 12,000
words. If this upper bound is exceeded by a significant margin then a penalty may be imposed.
Supplementary and support materials (e.g. source-code listings) should be placed in labelled
appendices. The appendices do not contribute to the word count.
Each student will be expected to submit one soft (disc) copy plus TWO bound copies of the
project/dissertation report (binding with a plastic comb spine is perfectly acceptable and can be
accomplished within the University for a small charge). One submitted hard copy is for
assessment by the supervisor; one by the appointed internal moderator. Any source code developed for
the project should be included in an appendix to the report and it is imperative that such software must
be included with the soft copy of their project (ideally, executables as well as source code should be
included). It is advisable for students to have their own hard and soft copies of the report as back-ups.
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2 Contents of Project Report
2.1 Introduction
Students are expected to adopt a recommended standard format when compiling their project report and
are advised to pay particular attention to the content of the following pages. Particular queries relating
to the recommended format should be addressed to the module leader.
2.2 Order of Contents
In general, the project/dissertation report should contain, as well as the main body of the report text,
essential preliminary information and relevant support material. It is expected that the contents should
be presented in the following order:
1. Title Page
2. Abstract
3. List of Contents
4. List of Tables
5. List of Figures
6. List of Appendices
7. Glossary of Special Symbols (if research is mathematical or scientific)
8. Acknowledgements
9. Main text (i.e. body of report)
10. Appendices
11. References
It should be noted that the List of Contents (3 above) presents the headings of the Chapters (as well as
any sub-headings) exactly as they appear in the text. Any pages preceding the List of Contents (1 and
2 above) are not to be included in the list.
2.2.1 Title Page
Title pages should conform to a definite pattern and will include:
i) the full title of the project/dissertation
ii) the full name of the author with, if desired, qualifications listed in abbreviated form
iii) the qualification for which the project/dissertation is being submitted along with a statement that it is submitted
in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the award
iv) the degree awarding body
v) the name of the institution in which the research is registered if different from the degree awarding body
vi) the month and year of submission
vii) the number of volumes comprising the project/dissertation report, if more than one.
BSC Computing
Project/Dissertation Guide
AHM BSc Computing
An Investigation into the Feasibility of
Using Bespoke Software to Support
the Learning of Change Ringing
Ariadne Zolotas, B.A., P.G.C.E
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Bachelor of Science
in Computing
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTHAMPTON April 2010
Example of a Title Page
2.2.2 Abstract
An abstract of the project/dissertation should be included with all copies of the report (both disc and
paper). As explained below, the abstract is, essentially, a short summary describing the contents of the
report and should permit any reader to rapidly decide whether the subject of the report may be of
interest and worth further investigation.
The abstract should be headed with the name of the author, the title of the project/dissertation (in
uppercase characters) and the year of submission. The text of the abstract should be single-spaced on
one side of A4 paper and, ideally, should normally not exceed 300 words.
The function of the abstract is to provide a brief synopsis of the study identifying
the nature and scope of the work
the major outcomes, and
the particular contribution it makes to the knowledge of the field.
A good abstract should be succinct yet comprehensive.
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2.2.3 Acknowledgements
It is usual to acknowledge any form of support or assistance which has been given during the work
leading to the project/dissertation report. Acknowledgements should be concise and avoid flowery or
effusive language and individuals should only be acknowledged by name when they have assisted in
a specific manner.
Examples of acknowledgements:
... to Dr J S Bach, Principal Lecturer in Software Engineering, for
continued support and guidance during the research ...
... to Ms I Gurney, B.A., Senior Lecturer in Statistics, for advice and
assistance in analysing survey responses ...
... thanks are also due to the following for permitting the use of beta
versions of software that they are currently developing:
Mr F W Harvey, Digital Enterprises plc, Belperton;
Miss A Karamanlis, Intelligenz Research Labs, Thessalonika;
Mr M Teague, ...
2.2.4 Main Body of the Report
As a general guide the text of the project/dissertation report should comprise a number of chapters.
Hard and fast rules as to what these chapters should be are not easy to give but the following elements
will usually be included:
Introduction
Aims of the Investigation
The Context of the Investigation
Analysis and Specification
Proposed Design
Project Implementation
Testing strategy
Conclusions- (Summary, Recommendations)
Critical Review and Reflection
It should be noted that the above list provides general guidelines only and, depending on the context,
Your supervisor will advice you of the appropriate list of elements to be included within the main body of
the report.
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The contents of the above elements may be summarized as:
Introduction
A description and explanation of the purposes and scope of the project.
Aims of the Investigation
A description of the rationale within which the project is to be pursued (ie; the problems
addressed/solved). The general aims and precise objectives should be described here.
The Context of the Investigation
If the research has any antecedents they should be described here. Any theoretical
underpinnings should be identified and critically appraised. If other literature exists which
relates to the research area it should be surveyed and appraised (this may well involve issues
relating to professional practice such as the Data Protection Act )
Project Design
In this chapter it is important to describe the model which underlies the project implementation.
It is probable that more than one model is possible for the project under consideration and it is
imperative that due consideration is given to the alternatives and a well-reasoned argument
presented as to why a particular approach was adopted. Ideally the model should be described
using a generally accepted standard notation (e.g. UML) but the description should not descend
to too-detailed a level. It is expected that some attempt should also be made at this stage to
design and document a general testing strategy rather than treat it as an afterthought.
Project Implementation
This section should describe the means and methods by which a prototype implementation was
effected. As, for the design, it is probable that a number of different vehicles might be used to
create an implementation and, again, it is expected that the student should evaluate the different
possibilities before justifying why a particular approach was adopted.
Conclusions
Conclusions drawn from the outcomes of the project should be presented clearly and framed
within the context of the stated aims and objectives of the project together with any theoretical
underpinning which may have been cited. Any implications for current practice and the
potential impact of political, legal, ethical and socio-economic factors should also be discussed.
Critical Review and Reflection
The project research, development and eventual outcomes should be reviewed in a critical
manner, with strengths and weaknesses identified for both conception, development and
implementation. If the project outcomes have raised new questions which warrant further
investigation then the case for the further research should be made here.
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2.2.5 Appendices
The Appendices provide a repository for items such as the source code, detailed design documents,
survey data or testing results. Only material which might directly aid comprehension or provide
illumination of the main report text should be included.
If material cannot be easily bound in with the normal pages then it is generally acceptable for special
pockets for such materials to be created inside the back cover.
Typical Appendices
Questionnaires, observation and interview schedules
Completed interview schedules if it is felt that their inclusion would illuminate
Comprehension of the actual work practice
Raw data if its inclusion provides a necessary support for the report text (where the
analysis and interpretation of the data is presented)
Complex or lengthy tables or figures which may interrupt the flow of the main text - the
text would probably include an abstract or summary of them
Listings of developed software
Detailed testing results
Glossary of technical terms
Extracts from official documents where these are germane to the comprehension of the
main text
Collations such as lists of institutions or firms consulted or visited
Labeling of Appendices
Appendices should be numbered sequentially with uppercase Roman numerals and each
Appendix should have an appropriate heading, in uppercase, stating precisely and concisely
what it contains. The List of Appendices in the Order of Contents should list the Appendix
headings exactly as they appear in the Appendices themselves.
1.1.2 References
The list of References should include all sources and texts referred to within the body of the report;
background reading should not be cited. Include a single list of references after the Appendices rather
than separate lists of references at the end of each chapter.
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Students should note that, although the following points offer useful guidelines on referencing, a more
comprehensive Referencing Guide to the Harvard System may be obtained from UON Information Services .
Reference Format
Each reference should, in general, cite
the name(s) of the author(s) or editor(s),
the year of publication,
the title of the publication,
the place of publication, and
the name of the publisher.
Book references should appear in the form shown in the following examples:
GURNEY,I. (1916). From Dean to Wolds . Gloucester: Glevum Press.
HARVEY, F.W. (1931). Glorious Gloucester . Nailsworth: Organ and Williams.
JONES, D. (1988). What is Analysis? (3rd edit.). New York: Evans.
MEISNER, E.W. and SCHMIDT, O. (1991). Readings from T ibetan Buddhism . London: Chalmers.
The entry in square brackets at the beginning of each listed reference replicates the entry which
is made in the main text to index the reference. It should be noted that, if an italics font is not
available, then it is conventional typographical practice to use underlining in place of the italics.
If references are made to more than one work published in the same year, by a specific author,
then it is usual to append the letters a, b, c and so on to the year of publication:
WILLIAMS, J. (1906a). Five-Bell Towers of Rutland . Leicester: Tiger Press.
WILLIAMS, J. (1906b). Six-Bell Towers of Rutland . Leicester: Tiger Press.
References to specific chapters or articles from edited collections are identified under the names
of the particular authors, and then reference is made to the complete publication in a form
similar to those above. It is usual to cite the actual sequence of pages occupied by the article:
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WILLIAMS, J. (1896). Rudhall of Gloucester. in Kingman, D. (Ed.) (1977). Great Bell Founders. Leicester: Tiger Press. 217-239.
WILLIS, K.J. (1986). Ruddles of Rutland. in Mason J. (Ed.). Great British Brewers . Oakham: Empingham Press. 107-123.
Note that only the title of the whole publication is italicised (or underlined to signify italics).
Also observe that, if the specific article was originally published at a different time from the
collected edition, then both publication dates should be given.
Articles appearing in periodicals or learned journals are referenced in a slightly different format
to the examples already given. The name of the journal rather than the title of the article is now
italicised (or underlined) and it is usual to abbreviate journal titles:
FELDMAN, M. (1976). The Origins of Fan Vaulting. J. Eccl. Arch. 7, 1, 13-29.
In the above example, the cited article is to be found in Volume 7, Part 1 of the Journal of
Ecclesiastical Architecture on pages 13 to 29.
If referencing a web-site then, as well as citing the internet address, it is important to indicate
the date of access:
[Coleman, 1999] http://www.bellringers-anon/~coleman/composition/ accessed 21 Sept 1999.
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2 Notes on Style & Presentation
2.1 Page Size and General Formatting
Use A4 paper in portrait mode with printing on one side only.
Appropriate margin settings might be:
o Top and Right-hand Margins 25 mm (or equivalent)
o Left-hand Margins 50 mm (or equivalent)
o Bottom Margins 40 mm (or equivalent).
Use left justification of text unless you can be sure that your printing facilities will
output evenly spaced words when full justification is used (this document is fully
justified).
Lines should be either double-spaced or, with some machines, one and a half spaces are
acceptable (this document uses one and a half spacing).
Insert an extra blank line between paragraphs.
A 12 point typeface is preferable (this document uses Times New Roman but New
Century Schoolbook , or similar, is often used for project reports).
Pages should be numbered sequentially using arabic numerals. By convention, the Title
page is considered to be page one, but is not itself explicitly numbered.
2.2 Style of Writing and Presentation
A project report may be viewed as a logical ordering of a chain of ideas, models, detailed designs, data,
analyses and interpretations. The grouping and regrouping of ideas and data into appropriate logical
sequences is a major part of the intellectual effort which report-writing demands. To be of any use,
project outcomes must be clearly, effectively and dispassionately communicated to others .
Project reports demand a formal style of writing. The third person should be adhered to throughout the
text and past tenses should be the norm. Every effort should be made to ensure that errors of grammar
or spelling are avoided.
2.2.1 Abbreviations
Common acronyms such as IBM are acceptable in the main text provided that the acronym is defined
in terms of the full name when it first arises:
... the performance of the sales division of International Business Machines, Ltd., (IBM) during
the recent depression ...
Standard abbreviations and symbols (such as %) may be used in bibliographic references, footnotes,
tables, appendices and the list of references but should not occur in the main text - there % would
appear in full as 'per cent'.
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2.2.2 Numbers
Numbers less than one hundred, round numbers and numbers at the beginning of
sentences are spelled out in full.
Fractions which are not part of a mixed number (i.e. integer and fraction together, such
as 3½) are also spelled out.
Numbers in a sequence are presented as arabic numerals.
Numerals (arabic or Roman) may be used in the main text to designate chapters, tables,
appendices, etc.
3.2.4 Chapters
Chapters provide the major mechanism for organizing the content of a report. Each chapter should
bring together ideas, data or other information relating to some central concept.
It is usual to number chapters sequentially with arabic numerals and provide an appropriate heading in
uppercase characters. If a chapter can be organized into cohesive sub-sections then these sub-sections
should be given sub-headings and be designated with a 'extended decimal' number based on the chapter
number and akin to that used in this document.
It can be useful to provide a short summary, at the end of each chapter, outlining the major points and
conclusions.
Chapter headings and the main sub-headings should be listed in the List of Contents exactly as they
appear in the text.
3.2.5 References
References are primarily included as evidence relating to, or supporting, points, issues, trends and so
on which have been identified by the author. References should be pertinent to the research project and
not be included merely to demonstrate the breadth of the author's background reading.
A convenient way to cite a reference is exemplified by:
... are many disadvantages of this technique: modularity, reusability and extendibility are not preserved [Meyer, 1988b].
where the letter suffix on the date relates to the fact that, in the report’s list of References , more than
one document by the same author is listed for that year of publication; but also see the Referencing
Guide to the Harvard System (which may be obtained from the UON Information Services ) for an
alternative acceptable style.
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3.2.6 Tables
Tables should be included to present statistical data clearly and economically in a way which helps the
reader see relationships, appreciate meaningfulness of proportions or see data more easily than a prose
explanation would be able to do. A table should follow and never precede the first reference to it in the
text. If it is not possible to fit the Table on the same page as the reference, it should be placed on the
following page at the end of the first paragraph.
Tables should have appropriate headings and be numbered sequentially with arabic numerals. A table
should be referenced by citing its allocated number (e.g. '... as shown in Table 14').
3.2.7 Figures
Rather than constructing lengthy prose explanations it is often more appropriate to present a relationship
or point of view in the form of a diagram, map, graph or histogram. Such items are designated as
Figures. Each Figure should be given a heading and be numbered in sequence using arabic numerals.
Illustrative materials, including tables, which are borrowed from other sources should also be
designated as Figures.
Figures should always follow, and never precede, the first reference to them in the text. The rules for
positioning and referencing a Figure are similar to those for a Table.
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APPENDIX I
EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL FORM USED BY SUPERVISORS TO
MONITOR STUDENT PROGRESS
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PROJECT DIARY
Student: Supervisor:
Date: Last diary date:
Objectives:
Progress:
Supervisor’s Comments:
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APPENDIX II
EXAMPLE OF PRO-FORMAS USED TO ASSESS THE FINAL
PROJECT REPORT
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Project/Dissertation Guide
AHM BSc Computing
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Project/Dissertation Guide
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Project/Dissertation Guide
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BSC Computing
Project/Dissertation Guide
AHM BSc Computing