Two types of projects are acceptable for this course: research projects and surveys. Research projects may be done individually or in small groups. They should explore a new idea related to one of the general topics covered in this course. Survey projects should survey the research literature on a course-related topic. Surveys are expected to provide an intellectual contribution above and beyond the source material. Ideally, a final project should be able to serve as a starting point for a publishable workshop paper (in the case of a research project) or a survey paper.
| 11/6 | Project proposals due. |
| 23/7 | Project presentations in class |
| 31/7 | Projects due. |
The purpose of the proposal is to allow me to determine whether you have chosen a suitable project. For research projects, a proposal should identify the idea you plan to pursue, motivate your work (What problem are you solving? Why is it important?), explain how your idea is novel, and explain what you intend to accomplish before the project deadline. A survey proposal should identify what the topic and scope of the survey will be. A survey proposal should also include at least a brief a bibliography identifying some key papers you have identified on your topic. Finally, a survey proposal should identify how they survey will add an intellectual contribution to the source material.
Keep the proposals short and to the point. There are no hard limits on proposal length, but 2-3 pages would be ideal. Make sure to include your name (or names, for group projects). Proposals should be prepared in PDF format and should be submitted by attaching them to an e-mail to the instructor.