Preliminary Report Structure

It is a module requirement that each student submits a Preliminary Report by the end of the Spring semester preceding their final year, and that it is approved, before commencement of the project period in the Autumn semester.

The aim of the preliminary report is to define your intended project. The report will constitute an agreement between you and your supervisor on the nature and deliverables of the project. Therefore, you should give your supervisor the opportunity to read and suggest revisions to your preliminary report. The report will also allow the Division to approve the project as being suitable and feasible.

You must submit one copy of the preliminary report. This should be about 500 words (i.e. about 2 pages), so it should be brief and to the point. The preliminary report must conform to the following structure:

Header

Give your project title, student name, student number and supervisor. [Note: It is understood that the title is only a provisional working description of the project topic, and may change for the final submitted dissertation.]

Project Objectives

Describe the problem that you intend to tackle. Explain the scope and objectives of the project. Describe what end-users should gain from the work. Place the project in the context of work by others.

Proposed Approach

Explain how you intend to tackle the project. Describe any special software or hardware that you will need. Discuss what you will need to do in order to achieve the objectives. Highlight any special needs, e.g. languages or packages with which you may need help or which need to be acquired. Identify any professional issues that need particular attention (e.g. ethical, legal or social aspects), and discuss whether the issue of security needs considering during the project.

Hardware and software requirements

Attempt to identify your hardware and software needs for the project, and list them explicitly. This should cover as much as possible, from straightforward items such as basic PC access and Java, to specialist items such as 3D VR headsets, web servers and programming language packages. This gives the Division the information that it needs to assess whether it already has the resources to support you, or needs to obtain further resources (which may or may not be possible). It is important that the Division gets this information as soon as possible. We recognise that, as your project progresses, you may identify further requirements - in this case you should consult your supervisor and the Project Coordinator without delay.

Preliminary Plan

Give an outline plan for the remainder of the project. This should identify the major stages of the work and when you plan to complete them. Define the deliverables of the project. In particular, describe what you will demonstrate as prototype at the interim stage, and as completed system for the final report.

Preliminary Report Assessment

The preliminary report must be countersigned by your supervisor before submission. By countersigning the report, your supervisor agrees to supervise the project as defined. The preliminary report is not formally marked. However it will be reviewed by the Project Coordinator. If the project is felt to be too trivial, too ambitious or unachievable, you may be required to make significant changes to your plan. The preliminary report will be returned to you after review.