last updated: 1 March 2007

CM50175 -- Research Project Preparation


This page holds some information that was on the course's front page at various points in the last year or so.

Early Info

Much of the information currently on this page is from last year.  If you are very keen, feel free to have a look at it.  But realize that some of it may change!

Information about Project Supervisors

Currently your main task for this course is to decide how to fill in your project supervisor selection form. I'm building up the list of Proposed Projects (by Supervisor) as I get material.  NB: there are now (23 Feb) a large number of MMT projects added to that list!

You can find the complete list of Computer Science Staff on the Department Staff Page.  Not all of these people will supervise many students from this course, though most might be accessable if you have something you'd like to do particularly close to their area of interest.  Your most likely supervisors are Barry, Bradford, Bryson, Davenport, De Vos, Duke, Fitch, Fuhrmann, Hall, Paddon, Padget, Richardson, Vorobjov, C Willis and P Willis.  Here is a list of Bath staff's individual research interests, which is mostly from a previous year's catalogue, but has been updated where people have sent me new information.  There is more about department research interests on our department  Research Pages.

Additional projects for MMT have been proposed by Duncan Allsopp, Frederica Causa, Adrian N. Evans, Jayanta Sarma.  Two other people who aren't from either department have proposed projects: Adrian Bowyer and Andy Powell.

It is always possible to have other supervisors from other departments, but they are not under the same obligation to supervise as most (but not all!) of our staff are.  So you may want to approach them personally to ask about projects. 

Information about Project Supervisors

Currently your main task for this course is to decide how to fill in your project supervisor selection form. I will probably build up a list of Proposed Projects (by Supervisor) on the bottom of the staff presentation schedule, but you should take notes yourself too. 

You should feel free to contact anyone else you find interesting too, even if they aren't speaking.  Staff are often enthusiastic when someone contacts them who is already interested in their research.  Be sure to research your choices before you go talk to them!

What you should be doing now ---

The assesment document has been officially checked & approved now -- it's available under Lecture Notes & Other Useful Information above.

Last Minute Proposal Advice

Your project proposal is nearly due!  Here are two problems / mistakes I've seen in the past:
  1. Use good structure.  Make sure you have written one, coherant document. ( The introductory `essay' is a chapter/section that serves as an introduction!) Make sure each subsection has its own introduction and conclusion.  A dissertation has introduction & conclusion chapters; a chapter has introductory and concluding paragraphs; a paragraph has introductory and concluding sentences.
  2. Don't forget: it's a proposal.  Do spend some time describing what you expect to do, when you expect to do it, and what you will do if things take longer or shorter than you expect.  Remember, this is a discussion document that will also help you communicate with your supervisor.  You won't be marked off for having an unreasonable plan if your plan shows you have thought & done research, but you will get marked off if you don't actually make a proposal in your proposal.
FAQs About The Proposal

Remember that the assignment, marking papers, last year's feedback & last year's best proposal are all available on the Lecture Notes & Other Useful Information page.

The stuff that used to be here (about your advisors etc) is on the Old Front Page News page now (which is also somewhere under "other useful info").

page author: Joanna Bryson