Computer Science Project Guide - Department of Computer Science
Contents
1. 5 13 Input Medium and or Device 5 1 4 Data Format Syntax 5 1 5 Legal Value Specification 5 1 6 Examples Other User Output Specification 5 2 1 Identification of Output Data 5 2 2 Destination of Output Data NOT output device 5 2 3 Output Medium and or Device 5 2 4 Output Format Syntax 5 2 5 Output Interpretation meaning of output 5 2 6 Examples System Data Base File Structure Specification 5 3 1 Identification of Data Base Files 5 3 2 Sub systems Accessing the Data Base creating updating using frequency 5 3 3 Logical File Structure record formats file organization access methods rationale examples 5 3 4 Physical File Structure storage device blocking organization access etc 5 3 5 Data Base Management Subsystems Used internal or external 5 3 6 Data Base Creation and Update Procedure if NOT by system System Internal Data Structure Specification 5 4 1 Identification of Data Structures 5 4 2 Modules Accessing Structures creating updating using 5 4 3 Logical Structure of Data format organization access rationale examples Module Design specifications for each module 6 1 6 2 Module Functional specification 6 1 1 Functions Performed 6 1 2 Module Interface Specifications input output arguments global variables files 6 13 Module Limitations and Restrictions Module operational Specification 6 2 1 Locally Declared Data Specifications variable dictionary 6 2 2 Algorithm Specificatio2. Agree to Advise Project Advisor Date Submitted Approved by _ CS Chair Date Approved 11 4 PROJECT FINAL REPORT FORMAT Check with your advisor for modifications appropriate to your project particularly for hardware projects Submit the documentation one copy to your advisor and one copy as a CDROM with the title page and signed approval page accompanying the CDROM to the department academic advisor Please use a jewel case to hold the CD Please note the following 1 The report should be printed on one side of the page double spaced with wide margins 2 Your report must be complete when you submit it for acceptance Pay particular attention to include Title page Faculty Advisor approval page Contents page Abstract page Text Bibliography 3 Number each sheet consecutively at the bottom of the page 4 Headings Chapter titles start on a new page Chapter numerals should be Arabic not Roman numerals Type the chapter number and title in upper and lower case flush left at the top of the report page leave an extra space and then begin the text Since you will have several levels of subheadings distinguish one level from another in a consistent way such as 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 Avoid having more than three levels of subheadings 5 Abstract A brief abstract should be included before the beginning of the text 6 Footnotes should be used sparingly and should be placed at the botto
3. the structure chart described next Refer to the sample in Section 3 4 of this document 2 2 2 System Structure Chart This is a set of chart s showing the functional units of the system hierarchically organized to show which units call use or contain other units Each interface between two units a call is annotated with small arrows and data item labels to show the data exchanged between the units Refer to the sample in Section 3 4 of this document 2 2 3 System Data Dictionary This is comprehensive dictionary of all the data items that appear in the system data flow diagrams and the structure charts At a minimum it contains for each data item its identifier any abbreviation used instead of the identifier the name of the type of the data and a definition of the data item in the form of either a symbolic expression or a precise description Refer to the sample in Section 3 4 of this document 2 2 4 Equipment Configuration Describe the equipment you will use to support the operation and development of your system 2 2 5 Implementation Languages List the programming languages you plan to use for the implementation of your project and give reasons for choosing each language 8 2 3 Implementation Plan This is a description of the plan for implementing the project Here you commit yourself to a course of action and specify the criteria by which your performance is to be judged Your final grade will depend in large measure upon
4. unless a copy of the report is given to the department Students are advised to have their advisor review a draft of the report well before submission of the final report It is the student s responsibility to allow sufficient time for the advisor to review and sign the report before it is submitted to the department Note software developed in a Master s project cannot be considered proprietary The advisor has the right to use such code in research activities and to supply such code to students for use in derivative projects An advisor may grant a student the right to copyright the code 4 1 4 3 Academic Honesty The project proposal and final report must be the product of the student s own original thought and effort Any use of others work must be properly referenced in accordance with standards of scholarship and the University Code of Academic Integrity Furthermore a student who without acknowledgement and the consent of the project advisor submits a project for which he she has already received academic credit or monetary compensation may be found guilty of self plagiarism and subject to penalties under the Honor Code 2 FACULTY RESEARCH INTERESTS Go to the Faculty link on the Computer Science home page under People http cs njit edu people faculty php to see what the individual faculty members are researching You may not select an adjunct instructor or a special lecturer as your advisor Some advisors expect you t
5. your success in achieving the goals agreed upon between you and your project advisor 2 3 1 Deliverable Items List and describe each of the items you will submit in fulfillment of the project requirements Deliverable items include but are not limited to program executable file s program data file s program listings program documentation user manual and sample program runs 2 3 2 Milestone Descriptions Identify each of the milestones or check points that mark the completion of some phase of project implementation Milestones include but are not limited to detailed system analysis system design file design module design system test design module coding working breadboard with stubs working system with stubs system testing and documentation 2 3 3 Milestone Completion Criteria List the criteria by which the completion of each milestone is to be judged If an objective measure is available then it should be specified If a personal judgment is required then indicate who will make the determination This information may be given in tabular form if desired 2 3 4 Schedule of Milestone Completion Prepare a diagram or table giving the proposed completion date for each of the milestones listed in the previous two sections See the sample in section 3 4 of this document 3 References In this section you list in standard bibliographic format the books papers course notes and project or thesis reports which you have used in prepari
6. New Jersey s Science amp Technology University Master s Project Guide CS BNFO 700B CONTENTS 5 FACULTY RESEARCH INTERESTS PROJECT PROPOSAL FORMAT 1 GENERAL PROCEDURES This section describes general guidelines for the Master s project including the required proposal topics advisors deadlines associated courses etc Section 2 describes the required format for the project proposal Section 3 describes the format of the written project report and documentation required for the project 1 1 Project Proposal The project proposal is the background and planning document for the project It must be done with professional care and thoroughness It must be the product of the student s own original thought and effort Any use of others work must be properly referenced in accordance with standards of scholarship and the University Code of Academic Integrity The project proposal is written by the student and must be approved by his her advisor and by the CS department before the student enrolls in the project course CS BNFO 700B Master s students should contact a prospective project advisor as early as possible in their course of study since the project advisor may expect certain courses to be taken in preparation for the project The proposal itself should be developed in consultation with the advisor It should be initiated by the first half of the semester prio
7. art the project REJECTED the proposal is unacceptable the student may contact the faculty reviewer of the proposal for advice Proposals that are conditionally accepted must be resubmitted to the Department before the end of the semester 1 3 Project Topics Project topics vary greatly A topic may be suggested by an advisor A student may propose a topic to the advisor In any case the student should have some input into the choice of topic Nevertheless an advisor has every right to refuse to supervise a project on a student generated topic It is important to confirm the appropriateness of a topic with an advisor as early as possible in the development of the proposal Master s projects are expected to be conceived designed and executed at a graduate level of sophistication Typically a project will involve sophisticated software development Generally the amount of work required for a project is expected to be comparable to that entailed by one to two graduate courses Regardless of the type of project it must be researched in an in depth and scholarly manner 1 4 Master s Project Requirements 1 4 1 Master s Project The course for the Master s Project is CS BNFO 700B 3 Credits The section of CS BNFO 700B that you enroll in depends on your advisor each advisor has a separate section You will receive a permit to register by your academic advisor CS BNFO 700B has no scheduled hours that is up to you and your advisor You must con
8. g This section is required for all programs that engage the user interactively Refer to the sample in Section 3 4 of this document 2 1 4 Other User Inputs if required Give a precise description of the other inputs to the system including source human or storage syntax format and semantics meaning Give examples This section is required for all programs that obtain input from their environment non interactively 2 1 5 Other User Outputs if required Give a precise description of the other outputs of the system including syntax and semantics Correlate the outputs with the inputs and the functions performed Give examples This section is required for all programs that obtain input from their environment non interactively 2 1 6 System Data Files Give a precise description of the data files created or maintained by the system Thus for example you would include files in a database and you would exclude executable files and text files 2 2 Design Specification This is a top level preliminary or provisional indication of the proposed system architecture and flow You should correlate system functions with system structure and interface specifications 2 2 1 System Data Flow Diagrams This is a hierarchical or leveled set of diagrams showing the flow of data elements into and out of the functional units of the program data stores and environmental sources and sinks Labeled arrows denote data flows This diagram is complementary to
9. m of the page in which they are referenced 7 All tables and figures should be centered in the column on the paper Table captions should be centered above the table All figure captions must appear centered under the figure 8 YOU MUST HAVE THE SIGNATURE OF YOUR PROJECT ADVISOR ON THE FACULTY APPROVAL PAGE 12 4 1 Report Outline Note Section numbers as shown are mandatory font indentation and main section titles in bold are merely for clarity here and are optional This report format can be modified by your advisor This modification must be explicitly approved by a signed statement at the beginning of the report i Title Page ii Acceptance Approval Page iii Abstract iv Key Words and Phrases v Computing Review Subject Codes vi Table of Contents 1 Introduction and Background 1 1 Statement of Problem Area brief non technical 1 2 Previous and Current Work Methods and Procedures representative 1 3 Background 1 4 Brief Project Description overview of new extended or different functions structure or operation 1 5 Purpose Objectives justification of Project theoretical practical or educational impacts on hardware software or users 2 System Functional Specification 2 1 Functions Performed itemize and describe 2 2 User Interface Design if required 2 2 Other User Input Preview if required 2 3 Other User Output Preview if required 2 4 System Data Base File Structure Preview 2 5 External and Inter
10. n flowchart pseudo code decision table etc 14 10 11 12 6 2 3 Description of Module Operation System Verification 7 1 Items Functions to be Tested 7 2 Description of Test Cases 7 3 Justification of Test Cases 7 4 Test Run Procedures and Results 7 5 Discussion of Test Results Prof Turoff requires the following items as well 7 6 Evaluation of User System 7 6 1 Protocol Study 7 6 2 User Survey 7 6 3 Real Time Monitoring 7 6 4 Interviews Conclusions 8 1 Summary 8 2 Problems Encountered and Solved 8 3 Suggestions for Better Approaches to Problem Project 8 4 Suggestions for Future Extensions to Project Bibliography Appendices Program Listings User Manual 15 4 2 Sample pages 4 2 1 Title Page Automated Software Configuration Management and Change Control System SCM Submitted to the Department of Computer Science College of Computing Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by John P McQueue 16 4 2 2 Approval page APPROVALS Approved by Project Advisor Date Submitted 17
11. nal Limitations and Restrictions Prof Turoff requires the following items as well 2 6 User Interface Specification 2 6 1 Interface Metaphor Model 2 6 2 User Screens Dialog 2 6 3 Report Formats Sample Data 2 6 4 On line Help Material 2 6 5 Error Conditions and System Messages 2 6 6 Control Functions 3 System Performance Requirements 3 1 Efficiency speed size peripheral device usage 3 2 Reliability 3 2 1 Description of Reliability Measures accuracy precision consistency reproducibility etc 3 2 2 Error Failure Detection and Recovery failure modes failure consequences error logging and reporting manual and automatic recovery procedures 3 2 3 Allowable Acceptable Error Failure Rate 3 3 Security 3 3 1 Hardware Security 3 3 2 Software Security 3 3 3 Data Security 3 3 4 Execution Security user validation 13 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 7 Maintainability Modifiability Portability Others System Design Overview 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 System Data Flow Diagrams System Structure Charts System Data Dictionary System Internal Data Structure Preview Description of System Operation high level Equipment Configuration diagram and description Implementation Languages which and why Required Support Software pre existing System Data Structure Specifications 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 Other User Input Specification 5 1 1 Identification of Input Data 5 1 2 Source of Input Data NOT input device
12. ng your project proposal Each item listed here must be accompanied by a brief comment indicating its importance and relevance to the proposal References must be numbered numerically In the text they should be referred to by squared bracketed numerals e g 1 The list of references must be typed on a separate sheet s in the same format as the main text and ordered consecutively according to the following models For a paper in a contributed volume 1 D B Lenat Davis J Doyle Genesereth Goldstein Schrobe Reasoning about reasoning in Building Expert Systems F Hayes Roth D A Waterman and D B Lenat eds Addison Wesley Publishing Company Inc 1983 pp 219 240 For a paper in a journal 2 D W Jones Concurrent operations on Priority Queues Communications of the ACM 32 I January 1989 pp 132 137 For a book 3 H F Korth and A Silberschatz Database System Concepts McGraw Hill New York 1986 For an unpublished paper 4 5 Feahlman A system for representing and using real world knowledge MIT Technical Report 40 Cambridge MA 1977 4 Qualifications The purpose of this section is to show the advisor that you are capable of successfully completing the proposed project 4 1 Personal Background Describe any personal experience such as outside employment that is relevant to the proposed project 4 2 Courses Taken List by department number and title all courses y
13. o take certain courses in preparation for the project 3 PROJECT PROPOSAL FORMAT 3 1 Introduction Use the outline on the following pages to prepare your proposal If you feel you need to deviate from the standard outline consult with your advisor before doing so otherwise your proposal will be rejected Use a word processor to produce the document Submit the proposal on 8 1 2 by 11 inch paper Double space all text and use only one side of the paper You must staple your proposal in the upper left corner and have your project advisor sign the cover sheet in order to submit the proposal to the department secretary Do not use the standard NJIT red 3 ring binder for the proposal but do use it for the final project report 3 2 Project Proposal Outline i Title Page See the sample in Section 3 4 for format ii Table of Contents 1 Introduction and Background The purpose of this section is to describe the general problem area 1 1 Problem Statement Give a brief general statement of the problem to be investigated or solved by the project Assume the reader has little knowledge of the subject 1 2 Previous Work This is an historical or conceptual survey of relevant work done in the area by previous investigators Each contribution must be accompanied by appropriate references to be listed in the reference section 1 3 Background Here you develop the theoretical and conceptual framework upon which the project is based It is appropria
14. ou have taken Briefly describe the courses you think have particular relevance to the project 4 3 Programs Written Describe any programs you have written which either are relevant to the project or are indicative of your ability to complete the proposed work 4 4 Investigations Describe any work you may have done in preparation for making the proposal such as prototypes or simulations 4 5 Projects Describe any relevant projects you have been involved in or have undertaken 5 Grading Criteria In this section you establish and define the criteria governing the grading of your project Here you specify the relative emphasis you wish to be placed upon the different phases of your project Assign a weight to each of the deliverable items and or milestones so that the weights sum to one Display this information in a table which your advisor will use in determining your grade for the project Refer to the sample in section 3 4 of this document 3 3 Sample Sections of the Project Proposal The following page is an example of the title page 10 3 3 1 Sample Title Sheet for Proposal CS 700B Master s Project Proposal Automated Software Configuration Management and Change Control System SCM Submitted to the Department of Computer Science College of Computing Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by John P McQueue Student e mail APPROVALS
15. r to the semester in which the project is done and even earlier for some advisors Completed proposals are submitted to your academic advisor and reviewed for approval by the CS chair 1 1 1 Proposal Deadlines For projects that are to begin in a Spring semester the proposal is due at 2 PM the last day of the eighth week of the fall semester For projects that are to begin Summer term or Fall semester the proposal is due at 2 PM the last day of the eighth week of the spring semester If approved the project is then implemented under the guidance of the advisor 1 1 2 Submission Procedures A hard copy of the proposal with a signed cover sheet as shown in Section 3 of this document is submitted to the CS department for approval Submit the proposal on or before 2 PM of the deadline date to your academic advisor Retain a copy of the proposal for yourself The intended faculty advisor for the project must be indicated and his her signature must already be on the cover sheet when the proposal is submitted to the Department 1 2 Department Action The CS Department response to the submitted proposal will be emailed The possible Department responses are ACCEPTED the student may start work on the project but should contact their advisor for comments and an advisement schedule CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED the student must modify the proposal according to the advisor s indications and approval upon subsequent approval the student may then st
16. tact your advisor regularly and keep your advisor well informed regarding the progress of your work A student who is not able to complete the project in a given semester must notify the advisor one week before the last day of classes and supply a progress report Normally such students would receive a grade of S If your project takes more than 1 semester then you must enroll in an additional 3 credits for the second semester Only three credits of a Master s project may be counted towards meeting the MSCS degree requirements A student who does not enroll in a succeeding semester or who wishes to change advisors must resubmit a proposal prior to the semester in which they plan to do the work If an advisor change is involved then both advisors must be aware of and agreeable to the change Students who find it necessary to use more than 2 semesters to complete the project must request permission to do so from the chairman of the department and provide a written explanation of the circumstances 1 4 2 Master s Project Reports Final project reports follow the outline given in Section 3 subject to modifications and or additions required by your advisor The report should include CDROM of the source code A copy of the final report is submitted to the project advisor for his her signature The student submits a CDROM with a signed title and approval page to your academic advisor a week before the first day of finals The student cannot graduate
17. te to describe relevant data representations and algorithms 1 4 Glossary This section defines all terms concepts symbols and acronyms used in the proposal 2 Project Description The purpose of this section is to describe the proposed project in detail what will you do how will you do it and when will you do it 2 1 Functional Specification This is a detailed specification of functions performed by the proposed system from an external or user perspective not from an internal or programmer viewpoint Thus the system is regarded as a black box with various inputs and outputs related by the functions performed by the system The description should be sufficient for another programmer to implement the system 2 1 1 Functions Performed List and briefly describe each of the functions which the system will be designed to perform for its user What the system will do 2 1 2 Limitations and Restrictions List and describe each of the internal self and external environment limitations and or restrictions on the range of system functions What will the system not do 2 1 3 User Interface Design if required Give a detailed description of the system user interface including diagrams of all the work windows or screens or panes a table of operations for each work window and precise descriptions of each operation that the user would regard as unfamiliar A work window is one that contains data the user is editing browsing or viewin
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