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Course Project
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The goal of the project is to produce a conference-quality
paper. I expect that with further polish and additional
effort, a number of the projects will lead to
publications/theses. Since time is limited, however, I
will reward those that aim high even if they do not
completely succeed. The key to a successful class
project is ensuring that some aspects of your work
are completely done; it is hard to grade a project
where nothing quite works. The projects will be
graded as follows -- by what you discover in doing
the project, how coherently you present your
results, and how well you put your work in perspective
with other research. This will be a good opportunity
for you to learn about conducting research in the
area of computer networks/distributed systems or to
explore in detail a topic/issue that interests
you.
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The research should be carried out in teams of three. Talk
to me if you would like to work in a different sized group. I will
provide a number of ideas that can serve as a starting point for many
projects. Students can also work with me to define a separate project
in an area related to the course. The project will make up the bulk
of the course. Students will spend the first part of the course
defining the project and researching related work. The actual work
on the project will be completed in the last half of the course. The
most important thing about choosing a project is ensuring that you
are excited by the topic.
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At the end of the semester, we will hold a mini-conference
open to the public. Each group will give a 20-25 minute talk (followed
by 5 minutes of questions from the audience) and submit an 8-12 page
research report describing their project. All students are expected
to attend the conference and to submit evaluations for half of the
talks/papers, including a nominee for "best paper". The conference
is expected to take 6 hours (depending on the number of groups).
These sessions will be held in lieu of a final exam. The schedule for
the conference will be determined later in the
semester.
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The following milestones will drive the selection and specification
of the course project:
- Week 1 [01/15/2002]: Group Introduction
Each student will submit their name, email address, and two
or three areas of interest for a term project by email. This list will
be distributed to the entire class. The goal is to match students with
similar interests and form project teams. Students who have already
formed teams make a single submission with all names and their area(s)
of interest.
Project Groups
- Week 3[01/29/2002]: Group formation
All groups should be formed. Each group submits the names of
their group members along with a narrowed area of interest. Groups
begin thinking about their projects. I will provide a list of suggestions
that can be used as a starting point. All groups are encouraged to
consult with me, ask questions, etc. in preparing their project
topic for the next milestone.
- Week 7[02/26/2002]: Project proposal presentation
Written proposals should include:
- a description of your topic,
- a crisp statement of the hypothesis that you will test,
- a statement of why you think the topic is important,
- a description of the methods you will use to evaluate your
ideas, and
- references to at least three papers you have obtained with
a summary of how they relate to your work. Proposals should not exceed
2 pages in length.
Each group will present their ideas in 5 minutes to the entire class.
Shortly after submission of the proposal, each group will meet with
me to refine the project topic.
- Week 10[03/19/2002]: Project checkpoint
In two pages or less, summarize your progress. Describe any
initial results. Describe any changes in your project's scope or
direction now that you know more about the topic. List the major
milestones you have completed and the milestones that you must
complete to successfully finish your study.
Each group will again meet with me to discuss their progress
and goals.
- Week 13[04/09/2002]: Public mini-conference
- Week 14[04/16/2002]: Written reports are due
- Week 15[04/23/2002]: Individual Oral Exams
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Course Project Suggestions
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List
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