Project Idea
As discussed in class, your project can involve any of a variety of
themes. In particular, you may build an application, develop some
middleware or platform, perform data analysis, or conduct a
simulation
I encourage brevity, hence the word limits for several of the
writing tasks. In a single-space format, a page is about 400
words.
Project Report R0 (15 points)
As the next deliverable (R1), I ask for a formal project
proposal. The following description is a precursor of what the next
deliverable will be (I will revise it based on the work you submit).
In the present deliverable (R0), please just approximate R1 as much as
possible, so your R1 effort is simplified.
Project Report R1 (25 points)
- Write a two-page report with the following details. You can use a
picture if you like.
- Describe at a high level, clearly and concisely, the overall
problem you seek to address.
- If you build an application or middleware (or platform), what
are its intended usage scenarios? Who will care to use what you
create and why?
- Describe any special features of your application or
middleware. For example, if context-aware aspects are important,
then elaborate on what features of context you employ (or
exploit)? Why is a context-aware solution required—how does
the solution reduce user effort, enhance usability, preserve
confidentiality, or what else?
- If you perform data analysis, explain the kinds of facts you
hope to discover or the hypotheses you will try to verify, what
makes those facts or hypotheses interesting, what datasets you will
use, how you will prepare the datasets, and what kind of analysis
you will carry out.
- If you will conduct a simulation, explain what hypotheses you
will try to verify, what makes those hypotheses interesting, and how
would your simulation provide the information needed to prove or
disprove those hypotheses.
- Be creative. Don't overly worry about implementation details at this
stage.
- If you have more than one initial idea on which you would like
to receive comments, submit up to two of them. I will let you know
which I would prefer you to pursue. You will receive the best of
the grades corresponding to your proposals.
Project Report R2 (Optional; 0 points)
- Include a revised version of R1.
- Using up to an additional up to three pages, enhance R1 with a
description of the design of how your implementation is proceeding.
Concisely specify the main representations and reasoning you expect
to develop, explaining the key aspects of your design along with any
rationales. Include any preliminary, tentative results.
Project Report R3 (60 points)
- Include a revised version of R2.
- In up to one page, describe your implementation and any special
technical challenges you faced in bringing it to completion.
- In up to two pages, describe your results and other findings.
Describe what the reader should take away from your exercise.
Term Paper, due with Report R3 (25 points,
separate from the project)
- In up to two additional pages beyond R3, reflect upon your
project work with respect to
- The limitations of your problem formulation, hypotheses, methods,
and findings
- The prerequisites for taking your findings and applying them in
practice
- If you are preparing a formal paper for publication that addresses
the above points, you can submit that paper instead provided you
highlight or otherwise identify the sections where it addresses
these points.