ELEC6259 Research Methods and Project Preparation Coursework Guidelines Coursework #3: The Project Plan ________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction The purpose of this coursework is to allow you to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of your project subject and to extend the knowledge you have gained in Semester One by exploring the background and context of the project topic you have agreed with your supervisor. This takes the form of an initial project plan focused on the aims and objectives of the summer project, the requirements for carrying it out, with an understanding of the research methods, as well as a rough idea of timescales and durations of different activities. The plan will also include a formal statement of any ethical, environmental and health and safety requirements, a statement summarising your data management plan, and finally a discussion of the impact of your proposed programme of work and the research field it is part of in terms of ethical, legal and commercial aspects. The activity You should aim to read and analyse 5 to 10 articles specifically aligned with your potential summer project topic, along with more general online resources. Produce a 5 page document, using the Form provided, with the following structure: Project Plan: • 1 page: Aims/research question and Objectives Lay out the main aim(s) of the project, sometimes referred to as the research question. Make sure that this is relatively realistic and achievable and explained in sufficient detail as to be unambiguous. Present the objectives of your work. These would, in principle, form the basis of the work activities that you intend to carry out. The objectives should also inform the plan of work presented in chart form in the plan. • 1 page: Summary of proposed research and analysis methodology This is a simple summary of the practical research methods and analytical methods you are proposing to use or investigate. There is no requirement for detail here. This should be a rough outline only, demonstrating that you have a good idea of what methods and techniques are suitable/ideal/possible, with a brief discussion of why you think this is so. This is a basic form of an experimental or research design framework and will allow you to discuss these matters with your supervisor. Note that consideration should be given here for information that defines equipment and/or software that will be required and highlights any ethical, health and safety or environmental aspects to your proposed methodology. • 1 page: Research plan – Gantt chart or Pert chart Using a Gantt chart, Pert chart or any similar form, lay out a rough idea of the plan of work you intend to follow in your project. Focus on demonstrating the relative timescales of each aspect and any inter- relationship between activities. Highlight objective end points or milestones and any follow on aspects which may arise. Also use some method to indicate optional or “it would be nice” aspects to the work. Obviously at this stage, this will be a rough guess compared to when you are actually doing the project. Keep this in mind when defining the activities, laying out realistic times and endpoints. Provide more detail for the beginning three-four weeks as well. • 1/2 page: Ethical Statement, Health and Safety statement, Environmental Impact statement and Data Management Plan This section requires three formal statements covering three elements which you should consider in advance of starting the actual project work. If the statements do not apply you must make a negative statement, i.e. formally state for each one that they do not apply. For projects with direct ethical issues, for example those that involve human data, produce a summary statement is straightforward. This should ELEC6259 Research Methods and Project Preparation Coursework Guidelines Coursework #3: The Project Plan ________________________________________________________________________________ lay out those issues, the controls which you are including in your methodology and how you are going to make your application for ethical approval from the University. This must be in place before the start of your project, so you should include this in ongoing discussions with your supervisor. You must also consider any health and safety aspects of your project work and environmental impact, providing some guidance for writing necessary risk assessments. For all projects and the remaining ones, there is an additional ethical requirement around recording and storing research data. You should make a short statement about the management of this requirement for your project. This applied to ALL projects. Project Impact and limitations: This again is only supposed to be a summary discussion. You should focus on writing clear and easy to follow statements but there is no need to have an in-depth investigation. This should be part of ongoing discussions with your supervisor. Also note that these three sections are not separable and are likely to overlap, so you can cross-reference. Your descriptions should cover your project in the broader research area and demonstrate a view of the research that is broader than a narrow focus only on the project idea itself. This section is informed by aspects of the expectations of qualified graduates on accredited programmes. There are several aspects here for graduate researchers: the need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct; the need to follow professional codes of conduct; how ethical dilemmas can arise; the commercial, economic and social context of their work; and the requirement to promote sustainable development. In addition, as discussed in the lectures, graduates should have an awareness of legal aspects covering personnel, health & safety, contracts, intellectual property rights, product safety and liability issues, and an awareness that these may differ internationally. On the practical side, graduates should have a basic knowledge and understanding of risk issues, including environmental and commercial risk, and an understanding of the key drivers for business success, including innovation, calculated commercial risks and customer satisfaction. • 1/2 page: Ethical and environmental aspects (minimum 200 words) The application of technology always has ethical implications. They may be generic and difficult to define. This section should cover the ethical implications of the work presented in your project plan in the area of application which you have identified. Summarise those implications, any aspects which would have an effect on the development of the project work in the future and any effects the project work would have for ethics in related areas. This should be informed by discussion with your supervisor, particularly if you have to make an ethical approval for your project. There should also be a comment on your view of the environmental impact in terms of the sustainability of technology in the future. • 1/2 page: Commercial aspects (minimum 200 words) This should be a short description of the commercial potential of the research project you are undertaking. It should focus on the likely endpoint of the research rather than the specific endpoint of your project. However, it may be that the project has an actual demonstrable output, which would make this an easier topic to write about. This should also cover any relevant commercial limitations from for example legal structures or environmental restrictions. • 1/2 page: Legal aspects (minimum 200 words) This should be a short description of what legal aspects and/or frameworks are likely to apply. It should focus on the general area of research as well as the specifics of the project. ELEC6259 Research Methods and Project Preparation Coursework Guidelines Coursework #3: The Project Plan ________________________________________________________________________________ Submission Information Prepare the document using the form provided on the notes website. Stick to the page limits defined. Submission will be electronic only and in PDF format ONLY via the ECS handin system. The submission deadlines for this coursework are shown on the notes page and Handin.
欢迎咨询51作业君
