Guidelines For The Final Year Project

Guidelines for the Final Year Project
BEng Honours Degree associated courses

BSc Honours Degree associated courses
CONTENTS
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Module Aims .......................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Learning Outcomes ............................................................................................................... 1
2 Project Allocation Process .......................................................................................... 2
2.1 On-line Registration by Students ........................................................................................... 2
2.2 Project Timetable ................................................................................................................... 2
3 Supervision and Assessment ..................................................................................... 4
3.1 Project Supervisors ............................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Second Assessors ................................................................................................................. 4
3.3 Moderation Group.................................................................................................................. 4
3.4 Assessment ........................................................................................................................... 4
4 Your Project Work......................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Backing up work .................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Planning Your Project ............................................................................................................ 8
4.3 Project Budget ....................................................................................................................... 8
4.4 Timetabling of Laboratory Space .......................................................................................... 9
4.5 Part-Time Students................................................................................................................ 9
4.6 Industrially Based Projects: the Industrial Guarantor ............................................................ 9
4.7 Your Project Logbook ............................................................................................................ 9
4.8 Your on-line Project Journal .................................................................................................. 9
4.9 Testing ................................................................................................................................. 10
4.10 Completion of Practical Work .............................................................................................. 10
4.11 Learning Resource Centre .................................................................................................. 10
4.12 Plagiarism ............................................................................................................................ 10
4.13 Personal Difficulties ............................................................................................................. 10
5 The Project Report Brief ............................................................................................ 12
5.1 Project Report Specification ................................................................................................ 12
5.2 Report Format ..................................................................................................................... 13
5.3 Report Presentation and Layout .......................................................................................... 15
5.4 Software .............................................................................................................................. 16
5.5 Final Report Check List before Submitting .......................................................................... 16
5.6 Submitting Your Report for Marking .................................................................................... 16
6 Poster Session ............................................................................................................ 18
7 General Advice for your Project................................................................................ 19

7.1 General Recommendations ................................................................................................. 19
7.2 Guidelines on marking ......................................................................................................... 19
7.3 Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions ................................................................................. 20
APPENDIX A: Final Year Project Assessment Proforma ...................................................... 22
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APPENDIX B: Code of Practice for the Use of Human Volunteers in Project Work .......... 26
APPENDIX C: Project Risk, Ethics and Threat Assessment Checklist ............................... 27
APPENDIX D: Project Resources Checklist ........................................................................... 29
APPENDIX E: Project Registration Form ................................................................................ 30
APPENDIX F: Industrial Projects ............................................................................................ 32
APPENDIX G: Plagiarism Statement ....................................................................................... 33
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Glossary
Supervisor: Each student has a supervisor who guides him or her

throughout the project period. The supervisor plays a major
role in the marking of all aspects of the project.
Second Assessor: The second assessor monitors students‟ project work and, in
conjunction with the project supervisor, is involved at various
stages of the assessment including reading the project report,
attending seminars and presentations.
Moderation Group: In order to ensure the maximum possible fairness in assessment,
a student is assigned to a Moderation group. This is a group of
academics with expertise in the subject area of the project.
Members of this group attend the seminar and poster session and
the group makes the final decision on all matters relating to
project assessment.
Final Year Project Tutor (FYP The Final Year Project Tutor is responsible for all our
Tutor) : Undergraduate projects on the respective BSc and BEng degrees.
The tutor has the job of overseeing the undergraduate project
registration and allocation process and ensuring that materials
placed on Studynet and the School‟s project server portal, Plato,
are kept up to date.
School Project Tutor (SPT): The School Project Tutor has overall control of all undergraduate
and postgraduate projects throughout the School. The School
Project Tutor will manage the project allocation, assessment and
moderation process throughout the year.
School Academic Subject There are ten academic subject groups within the School. Each
Group (SG): group consists of a number of academic teaching and support
staff who have a particular shared expertise and research interest.
Members of each Subject Group will also act as supervisors or
second-assessors to all the students identified for a particular
Group. Each Subject Group is responsible for the moderation of
all projects within that group.
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1 Introduction
This handbook describes the Final Year Project (FYP) allocation process, supervision arrangements,
assessment requirements and guidelines for writing final reports for all undergraduate projects in the
School of Engineering and Technology. Towards the end of the handbook are some useful forms and
further reading that may help in writing your report and conducting your study. Please read the
information, complete and return all necessary forms
The individual project is a demanding and challenging, yet rewarding, part of your degree. These are
worth 30 credits each and both run across semesters A and B, which constitutes 25% of your level 3
modules. Typically, it should take around 300 hours of your time to complete. The marks achieved in
this project have a strong influence on your final degree classification and a pass in the project must
be passed for a degree to be awarded. The specific aims and learning outcomes for each project
module are described in their respective Definitive Module Documents (DMD) which are posted on
each module‟s StudyNet site. The general aims and objectives of each project are broadly similar.
1.1 Module Aims

The general aims of the School‟s undergraduate FYPs are to enable students to:
 carry out critical review of a subject area, analysis and synthesis of results, alternatives or
concepts, the demonstration of initiative and evidence of original thought,
 develop problem solving skills,
 develop the ability to manage time and resources effectively,
 develop further the ability to communicate both orally and in writing.
1.2 Learning Outcomes

The general learning outcomes of the School‟s FYPs are that successful students will be able to:
 describe, orally and in writing, material researched independently in support of their project
 describe concisely and accurately the independent work they have carried out
 explain and discuss test data obtained from independent work carried out
 discuss the benefits and limitations of various approaches to overcoming the problem at hand
 recognise how to use and identify material quoted from other sources
 formulate and document aims and objectives for a programme of independent work
 assess ethical and risk issues associated with a programme of independent work
 identify resource requirements for a programme of independent work
 demonstrate their ability for original and innovative work
 compile a written report on a programme of work
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2 Project Allocation Process
The School FYP resource web-site is hosted on our Plato website and is used to manage the project
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allocation process. The website also holds electronic versions of previous years‟ project reports ,
stored in Adobe Acrobat (or PDF) format, that may be accessed from any computer within the Hatfield
Campus network. Please note that these reports cannot be accessed outside of the University.
Plato allows students to register online as the first stage of the project allocation process. When
registering students DO NOT express a choice of individual project titles, but must indicate in which
subject area they are interested. The allocation of a particular project to an individual student is then
made by the schools‟ project management team.
2.1 On-line Registration by Students

You must register your interests for a particular area of project work via the FYP web-site;
http://plato.herts.ac.uk/fyp
There are several steps to the allocation process which are explained as you proceed through each
web-page. Firstly before you use Plato, you need to familiarise yourself with all the project keywords
related to your specific degree course. The use of keywords will be explained to you during induction
week.
As you proceed with the on-line registration, you are given an opportunity to suggest your own project
title provided it is appropriate to the degree course on which you are studying and the areas of
expertise within the School. If your suggested project title is accepted by the relevant Subject Group,
the project may be modified and may be supervised by ANY member of staff. You are not allowed to
pre-select your supervisor.
The final allocation of project titles to individual students is the responsibility of each Subject Group
and will be done as quickly as possible at the start of the project period. The allocation process
ensures that every student is given a title at the same time and that every project demands the same
level of academic challenge appropriate to each student‟s degree course.
The minimum details to be entered during the registration process are:
 Student name, student ID and cohort / pathway point group,
 Study mode: Part-time, Final year direct entry, full time or sandwich,
 Selection of relevant keywords,
 Indication of area of interest.
2.2 Project Timetable

Shortly after you have registered on-line, the FYP Tutor will inform you of your project title and
supervisor via StudyNet project module sites and course notice boards. Every student must meet their
allocated Supervisor within one week of allocations being posted on StudyNet to confirm the exact
requirements of their allocated project title. If you have any concerns about the project you have been
allocated, then you must raise this with your supervisor at the first meeting. The Project Registration
Form (see Appendix E of this booklet) must also be fully completed during this initial meeting. When
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The current repository contains reports from the former School of EEE. A new report repository is being developed to
accommodate for the School of Engineering and Technology.
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you sign this form, you are agreeing to a „learning contract‟ with your supervisor which clearly states
the supervision agreement you are making.
The key activities which make up the FYP work and an indication of deadlines are shown in Figure 1:
Project Timetable. You will be told all course specific deadlines and these will be posted on StudyNet.
All students are expected to manage their own time throughout the project period and to meet all
deadlines, and to meet their supervisor regularly. Laboratory space and equipment, if required, may be
booked in consultation with the technician in the laboratory concerned.
Only work done by the student between the first day of Semester A and the project report submission
deadline of the student‟s level three study year may be counted as project work. For example, work
done during industrial placement (for full time sandwich students) or previously during employment
(for part-time students) CANNOT be counted as part of the student‟s project.
Key Activities Timetable
1 Registration via the FYP Plato Web-site. Induction week (week 1)
2 Students informed of their allocated title and supervisor Mid of week 2

3 Students arrange first meeting with supervisor to confirm Week 3
exact title. Fill in and return Project Registration Form to
Project Supervisor. Discuss/agree meeting schedule with
supervisor
4 Carry out feasibility study and submit final copy of feasibility Two weeks after first meeting
report:
(must be completed on or
i. to project supervisor, th
before 29 October 2010)
ii. on-line submission via StudyNet
th
5 Project Seminars & Initial Progress Check 15 November 2010
6 Visit by external examiners to discuss projects individually February
with students
7 Submission of PCB and Drawings for manufacture Last teaching week in
December
th st
8 Complete all practical /programming work. 28 March – 1 April 2011
Final demonstration to supervisor.
th
9 Final Submission: On or before 20 April 2011
i. two bound copies of the project report,
ii. one CD containing the report, all appendices plus a
poster,
iii. on-line submission of report and poster
iv. project log book.
10 Poster sessions Last week of Semester B
rd th
exams (23 – 27 May 2011)
Figure 1: Project Timetable
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3 Supervision and Assessment
Supervision and assessment arrangements are broadly the same for all undergraduate and
postgraduate project work within the School.
3.1 Project Supervisors

Each student is allocated a supervisor who is a member of the academic staff and who is experienced
in a field appropriate to the project title. Additionally, the supervisor acts as a Personal Tutor to each of
his or her project students, in-line with School practice. A second supervisor will be allocated to act as
an internal moderator of each student‟s work.
The supervisor guides the student as appropriate, but the work itself is carried out by the student. It is
important for the student to meet with his/her supervisor regularly in order that progress may be
monitored and help and advice may be given. Meeting times should be agreed between the student
and the supervisor to happen at least once a fortnight, you may also see your supervisor at other
times by mutual arrangement. Students should refer to the FYP Tutor initially if they experience any
difficulties with the supervisory arrangements.
3.2 Second Assessors

The role of the Second Assessor is to read and mark the project report in conjunction with the project
supervisor. The second assessor also forms part of the Moderation Group.
3.3 Moderation Group

The Moderation Group is a team of academics who have knowledge of the broad area covered by the
project. In practice, the School‟s Academic Subject Groups are the same as the Moderation groups.
Each group consists of the supervisor, second assessor and between 1 and 3 other academics. Every
member of the group attends the seminar and poster presentation. Each Moderation Group is
responsible for all aspects of project assessment for the students allocated to their group.
3.4 Assessment
Your final project mark is derived from a number of elements. The marking scheme and proforma used
in assessing all aspects of project work can be found in Appendix A.
As a general guide, every project should present an appropriate academic and technical challenge
and should allow students to demonstrate the use of analytical and time-management skills. The best
projects are those to which the student has brought a significant degree of original thought, has
researched the underlying problem or project area thoroughly, has marshalled the facts, and come to
some meaningful conclusions. At the other extreme, a collection of vaguely relevant material trawled
from the Internet together with manufacturers' datasheets or poorly constructed circuitry and badly
structured software, does not constitute a highly regarded project. It should be emphasised that good
projects must demonstrate a student's engineering or technological abilities and therefore must
encompass some elements of "design, build and test". This may involve hardware, software, analysis
and simulation.
Feedback on the feasibility study, seminar, and progress to date will be given to every student online
at appropriate points during the year. Students will not be told of their marks for each item of
assessment.
3.4.1 Feasibility Study

The aim of the feasibility study is to ensure that the student and supervisor understand and agree to
the aims and objectives of the project. It should be no more than 10 pages in length, excluding
attached proformas.
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The objective of the study is to establish whether the project is technically and financially feasible. It is
also important to demonstrate commercial awareness within the context of the particular project. It
should include details of the action plan showing how the project work is to be undertaken together
with planned time scales and any difficulties foreseen in obtaining components or specific items of
hardware or software.
It is very important that your feasibility study is concise, as vagueness will hinder your progress at the
start of the project period.
The project feasibility study must consist of, at least, the following elements:
1. The FORMAL TITLE of the project, as agreed with the project supervisor.
2. A clear description of the PROJECT AIMS and/or objectives. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT
PERSONAL OBJECTIVES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. I.E. AIMS MUST BE WHAT THE
STUDENT WILL ACHIEVE NOT WHAT THEY WILL LEARN. FOR EXAMPLE, LEARNING TO
USE A SOFTWARE PACKAGE OR UNDERSTANDING A SUBJECT CANNOT BE A
PROJECT OBJECTIVE.
3. An outline of the various stages of work that will be undertaken during the project, together
with the purpose and objectives of each stage in relation to the overall objectives.
Some examples of 'work stages' might be:
 'Literature search' (objectives here might be to find references to previous work on the
topic, or might be to learn about the subject, etc)
 'Block diagram design' (objective might be to allow a larger problem to be broken down
into manageable parts, etc)
 'Protocol design' (for projects which involve experimental investigation the purpose is to
design the actual experiments)
 'Write pseudo-code' (to decide logical integrity of proposed algorithms prior to coding)
4. A PROJECT TIME PLAN for the work stages, showing anticipated start and finish times for
each work stage, and for the overall project. Tasks may overlap or run in parallel.
Note:
 A very important part of your project is time management, and how well you manage
your time is one of the factors used in assessing your project.
 Project plans are NOT intended to be restrictive. It is part of good project management to
recognise when time plans are not being met, and to react appropriately either to bring
the project back into the planned timescale or to modify the timescale in the light of new
information and ideas, if appropriate.
5. A RESOURCES ANALYSIS to identify what is required to carry out the project. This should be
entered on the 'Project Resources Checklist' (Appendix D) and TWO COPIES should be
included in your feasibility study in such a way that one can be easily detached for use by
technical staff in planning project resource provision.
6. A RISK AND THREAT ASSESSMENT for the project. This should be entered on the 'Project
Risk Assessment Checklist' sheet (see Appendix B and C). TWO COPIES of Appendix C
should also be included in your feasibility study in such a way that one can be detached.
7: The Project Resources checklist (Appendix D) should also be completed in consultation with
your supervisor and included in your feasibility study report.
8: Students wishing to undertake an industry-based project will also need to complete Appendix F
and hand this form to their Supervisor.
Your feasibility study must include a signed version of the Faculty plagiarism statement (Appendix G).
3.4.2 Project Seminar and Interim Progress Check

The purpose of the seminar is to help you to develop the skills required to express your ideas orally
with clarity and persuasiveness. It also helps in building the confidence you need to defend ideas and
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thoughts in an open discussion. The seminar also provides a review of progress to date to ensure that
your project continues to a satisfactory conclusion.
You make your presentation to staff members of each Subject Group and to other students within the
same moderation group. The presentation should be of no more than 10 minutes duration with a
further 5 minutes allowed for questions from the audience.
Your presentation should cover the key aspects of the feasibility study, the project specification and a
summary of the literature survey. You should also present a plan of how the objectives will be met and
clearly demonstrate progress to date. You should also provide an indication of what work you intend to
do next plus details of the commercial aspects of your project.
Consider the following when preparing your project seminar presentation:
 Always use an application such as PowerPoint to prepare your slides.
 Make sure the each slide is readable by restricting the amount of information on it.
 Use a minimum of 20 pt font.
 A good guide is to use no more than one slide per minute of the presentation.
 Speak loudly and clearly, use pauses effectively.
 Do not try to cover everything nor give too much factual information.
 Keep to time, do not rush nor arrive late.
 Keep good eye contact with the audience, and avoid talking when not facing the
audience.
 Do not read directly from your notes, you are not giving a speech, use the bullet points on
your slides as your cues.
 Express your enthusiasm for the topic of the presentation (i.e. your project).
 Does your final slide present a summary of all your main points?
3.4.3 Project Work Assessment

Your project progress will be assessed towards the end of the Autumn term by your supervisor and
second assessor. A final assessment of all the work you have done for your project will take place at
the end of the Spring term. Your progress is assessed by the Project Supervisor and a minimum of
one other member of the Moderation Group. The final project work mark is then agreed by the
Moderation Group. It is an opportunity for the Supervisor to give an assessment of the student's
performance independently of any opinion before the project report is submitted.
3.4.4 Project Report Assessment

The Project Report is a major piece of work written individually and unique to each student. THE
LENGTH OF THE MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT MUST NOT EXCEED 50 PAGES OR 15,000
WORDS, excluding appendices and this limit must be strictly adhered to.
The report should be a self-contained document that completely describes the project. When writing
the report the student should consider that any subsequent reader should be able to gain valuable
knowledge from it.
The complete brief for the Project Report is given in Chapter Five.
The following points are considered when your report is assessed:

Evidence of an original contribution
 Are the objectives of the project clearly described?
 Are the results obtained compared with the results of any similar work, with similarities
and differences stressed?
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 Are the nature and the extent of the original contributions clear?
 Are the final results compared against the initial objectives?
Evidence of competence in independent project work
 Is the method used appropriate? Is its use justified and is the way it is applied adequately
described?
 Is there evidence of care and accuracy in carrying out the work?
 Is evidence displayed of the ability to use all relevant sources?
 Are limitations inherent in the work recognised and stated?
 Are the conclusions reached justifiable in the light of the way they were analysed?
An understanding of appropriate techniques
 Given the facilities available, did it seem that the best possible techniques were employed
in the project?
 Is reasonable justification given for the use of the techniques selected and were they
adequately described? In particular, were they properly related to the stated objectives of
the project?
Ability to make critical use of source material
 Is the literature referenced relevant to the project? Is the literature review just descriptive?
 Are the references to the literature sufficient?
 Is due credit given for other people‟s ideas and techniques used by the student?
 Is evidence displayed of the ability to identify key items in the literature and to compare
and review them?
Originality of the method employed
 To what extend was the method (or technique) selected novel?
 Is there evidence of innovation in research method?
Distinct contribution to knowledge
 To what extent would the new material be perceived as a valuable addition to a field of
knowledge?
 To what extent do the conclusions challenge previous work?
 Are the findings compared with the findings of any similar work?
 Is the new contribution clearly delimited and prospects for further work identified?
Please note; common weaknesses in project reports are;

 poor writing skills, poor grammar, syntax, general lack of ability with usage of language.
 little evidence show of setting objectives, planning or costing,
 no evidence of how progress related to initial plans or how changes to the plan were dealt
with,
 no discussion of how the final outcomes relate to the original objectives.
Students naturally consider that reaching a conclusion is the main objective of a project, whereas for
the purposes of judging a students‟ ability it is probably more important to know how the conclusion
was reached.
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4 Your Project Work
 Every student MUST keep a Project logbook which must include notes and details of all
project work. The logbook must be updated every week, as work progresses.
 The logbook must be signed by the Project Supervisor at regular intervals.
 All students must keep an on-line project journal which is accessed from the Plato web site,
http://plato.herts.ac.uk/ and must be updated weekly. The entries made in the on-line journal
will allow each Supervisor to monitor progress and provide feedback.
 All email communications between students and their supervisor must be via UH email
addresses only.
4.1 Backing up work

You are reminded to make regular back-up copies of your work to prevent total loss of data and a
setback in your project schedule in the event of such mishaps as a hard disc “crash” or theft of a
computer. Backing-up of data is particularly important in cases where several persons may share the
same computer.
LOSS OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND DATA WILL NOT BE ACCEPTABLE MITIGATION FOR
INCOMPLETE OR THE UNTIMELY COMPLETION OF PROJECT WORK.
4.2 Planning Your Project

Considering the limited resources, limited time and the amount of work involved, you will find it difficult
to achieve your aims without prior planning. It is unlikely that you will be able to keep rigidly to a
timetable, but an attempt has to be made to devise a schedule so that the work can be completed in
the specified time. It is, therefore, important that you begin with a plan and be clear about what you
intend to achieve.
You may consider the following planning outlines:
 Determine the objectives.
 Identify and list the activities that need to be carried out.
 Order the activities.
 Estimate the time needed to complete each activity.
 Check the resources available and draw up the schedule taking account of holidays, time to
obtain materials, equipment and other work (use the Gantt chart you prepared for the Feasibility
Report and include project milestones).
 Re-plan as necessary.
It is important that you identify any components or items of software which are difficult to obtain, or
those with long delivery times, as soon as possible. All components and software must be ordered
before the end of November. You should let the technical staff know if you will be requiring help from
them, for example in the School‟s mechanical workshop.
4.3 Project Budget

If the agreed requirement for your project includes the purchase of materials or components then the
maximum available budget you may spend is £50 per project. Cost is an important part of any project
and should form part of the initial specification. You must not order privately materials, components or
items of software that are not available in the University as you will not be reimbursed for the cost. No
student may seek to gain an advantage by using their own money to purchase items for their projects.
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4.4 Timetabling of Laboratory Space

Depending upon the programme you are studying, your timetable may show that specific laboratory
space has been allocated for the exclusive use of project students at certain times each week.
Students are expected to come to an arrangement with their supervisor, the laboratory technician, and
any other persons that share lab equipment, as to when they will be working in a particular laboratory.
4.5 Part-Time Students

For part-time students project work is generally undertaken at their place of work. However a
University based project can be arranged provided the student‟s employer sanctions the time required
to carry out the necessary activities. Part-time students are normally expected to meet the same
deadlines as the full-time students.
4.6 Industrially Based Projects: the Industrial Guarantor

For industrially based projects there must be an industrial guarantor, in addition to the UH staff
supervisor. As the name suggests, the role of the industrial guarantor is to guarantee that the work
described in the project report was actually carried out by the student at the place of work, and without
any excessive assistance. The industrial guarantor should be the student's main point of contact at the
work place. Students undertaking their project in industry should choose their industrial guarantor
carefully.
Part of the ratification of an industrial project proposal is to ensure that the 'industrial guarantor's
agreement' (Appendix F) has been completed. Without a signed agreement, the project will not be
allowed to run. Completed agreements must be submitted along with the Feasibility Study to the
Project co-ordinator.
4.7 Your Project Logbook

You are required to maintain a project log which must be in the form of a book such as a laboratory log
book not loose-leaf sheets. Electronic-based log-books are NOT PERMITTED. Your log-book must
be handwritten.
You should keep a record in this book of all times when you work on your project and what you do.
You should take the log-book with you whenever you visit your supervisor so that you can show what
you have been doing and be reminded of any problems you may wish to discuss.
You should also make notes in the logbook of what you plan to achieve before the next meeting
together with any information or explanations your supervisor may give to you. The main benefit of
keeping a record of your work is that the log-book allows you to use your time in the most effective
way, by avoiding the duplication of work and the losing of important ideas or information. You will find
it helpful to make a note of any references you use (books, technical journals, papers, etc). The
keeping of logbooks is standard practice in industry and will be of invaluable help when writing the
project report.
Use your project logbook to record the following important information:
 The date of each meeting with your supervisor.
 An outline of the work that you have done since the last meeting and a note of the approximate
number of hours you have spent on project work since the last meeting.
 An outline of the work that you plan to do before the next meeting.
 The date of the next meeting.
 This should be signed by both supervisor and yourself at regular intervals.
4.8 Your on-line Project Journal

All students are expected to submit weekly progress reports to their supervisor via the on-line journal
facility via the Plato web-site. The purpose of the journal is to allow students to inform their supervisor
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of progress on a regular basis. The on-line journal also allows supervisors to send feedback to
students.
Whilst journal entries are not assessed directly, the journal will be used to inform the moderation team
of how well each student has coped with the day-to-day management of his or her project.
4.9 Testing
You must allow plenty of time for testing and debugging any hardware or software that you design. Do
not expect it to work first time! In many cases more time is require for testing and debugging than for
any other activity. Make notes and include in your Project report a description of how you overcame
your difficulties
It is often said that testing is only 10% of a project but takes 90% of the time!
4.10 Completion of Practical Work

You should aim to finish work on your project to allow sufficient time for writing the report. Your project
supervisor will assess your practical work on the basis of what you have demonstrated to him or her
by the week given in the project schedule (Figure 1). You should not continue to work on the practical
aspects of the project beyond this cut-off date, as you will not get credit for it. You should be working
on the report instead.
4.11 Learning Resource Centre

The University Learning Resource Centre is an excellent centre for undertaking research into a project
area. An inter-library loan facility exists that can be used (with the permission of the project supervisor)
to locate books and articles not available within the University's library. The budget for the inter-library
loan is limited and hence this facility should be used conservatively. The LRC subscribes to various
online databases for conducting literature searches.
You must do a literature search by computer and save the results to disc or print them out and show
them to your project supervisor before the project seminar. Your literature search will be assessed.
Although general purpose Internet “search engines” such as Google can be useful they are no
substitute for a proper academic literature search.
4.12 Plagiarism
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and is against University regulations. The large-scale insertion of
material straight from the Internet is not acceptable: any such material must be specifically referenced.
This includes the flagrant copying of circuit diagrams from sources such as the Farnell catalogue or
any diagram from an on-line source. When work undertaken by other parties is incorporated into a
project, it must be referenced accordingly in the reports.
A signed statement that the project and report is all your own work except where specifically
referenced must be submitted with the project report. A copy of this statement can be found in
Appendix G.
The School uses plagiarism detection software to scan all project reports and anyone found guilty of
plagiarising the work of others will be disciplined according to University regulations.
4.13 Personal Difficulties

The project makes considerable demands on your personal ability, initiative and dedication. You may
experience periods of doubt and uncertainty, particularly if things do not seem to be going well.
Keeping in touch with other project students can provide mutual help and encouragement. If you feel
particularly worried or depressed (or see fellow students in this state) you should seek help from your
Project Supervisor and/or FYP Tutor.
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Remember that the role of your supervisor and other members of staff is to help and support you.
Obviously such help and support should stop short of actually doing the job for you!
Please remember to acknowledge any help that you may receive from other people.
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5 The Project Report Brief
Before writing anything, you must obtain a copy of the project report template file (via Plato) and then
use it as the starting point for the creation of your project report. Using the template will ensure that
your report complies with the standard of layout required. You must not change the template in any
way. Your report will be marked down if you do not use the template.
5.1 Project Report Specification

The following specification will be used when your report is assessed. You will be asked in your poster
session to explain how your report meets this brief.
The report should be written for:
 An experienced engineer or technologist who is not a specialist in the field of the project
but who has a need to know in detail the final technological and scientific state reached
in the project and how the project developed from its initial conception to final
conclusion. You must remember that, by the end of the project you have become an
expert on the subject and might find it difficult to put yourself in the place of a non-
expert.
 An experienced engineer or technologist who is a specialist in the field of the project and
who wishes to discover rapidly what the conclusions are and whether they need to read
the report in detail.
The length of the main body of the report should not exceed 50 pages or 15,000 words, not
including appendices. You should take extreme care not to infringe the copyright of other
authors by not copying sections from books and by acknowledging the work of others in the
references section.
Credit is given for clear and concise reports in which words are used economically. No credit
will be given for undue "padding" or inclusion of mundane data sheets. Only data sheets for
unusual or 'exotic' devices should be included and these should only contain the relevant
pages.
5.1.1 Writing Style

The style in which the report is written should be clear, concise, accurate and direct. There is no
reason to make the wording of a report pompous, contorted or complex. The aim of writing a report is
to convey information and ideas to the reader, not to impress them with obscure vocabulary or jargon.
Do not use long phrases when a shorter ones will do. Avoid superfluous words as they are distracting
and often irritating to the reader. Use of correct English is essential.
Write in a passive impersonal style. Do not use phrases such as 'I did', 'you did', 'he did'. For example
instead of stating '...what I discovered during the work..." it is better to write '...it was discovered during
the work...'. However, resist the temptation to sacrifice clarity. Do not make excessive use of jargon.
Avoid using too many adjectives and adverbs. For example the phrase '...the TMS320C40 processor
is extremely fast' is better written as '...the execution speed of the TMS320C40 processor is fast
compared to other common processors'. Remember a project report is a technical document, not a
novel. At times, it may be necessary to use a similar form of expression several times. To avoid exact
repetition, use the thesaurus provided with WORD (Tools; Language; Thesaurus) to find alternative
words and phrases.
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5.2 Report Format

A report template for WORD can be down loaded from the Plato web-site and the formatting dictated
by this template must be followed or you will be marked down for poor presentation.
Your report must consist of the following items in order:
1: A printed soft cover which should be obtained from the School stores.
Your name and the project title are to be added to the front cover as detailed below: -
Top Degree Title Lower Case
Middle TITLE OF PROJECT Upper Case
At Bottom Name Lower Case
Month and year of completion of report Lower Case
The front and back covers should then be laminated. A template for the soft
cover will be available on StudyNet.
2: A Title Page should be laid out as detailed below.
At the top UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE Upper Case
Middle Faculty of Engineering & Information Science Lower Case
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING/SCIENCE
DEGREE/DEGREE WITH HONOURS
IN ….. add your degree name…. Upper Case
Project Report Lower Case
TITLE Upper Case
Name Lower Case
At Bottom Month and year of completion of report Lower Case.
3: Abstract
The abstract is a short summary describing the work done as described in the report and should
not normally be longer than 120 words. This should enable a reader to decide whether the
report might be worth reading in detail. The abstract is not intended to replace any other
sections of the report e.g. the introduction.
Remember that abstracts are often published separately as part of a report database and
should be succinct enough to allow a reader to assess whether it would be worthwhile to obtain
a copy of the full report.
4: Acknowledgements
This section includes thanks to all the people who have helped you.
5: Contents
This is a list of every major item in the report, including Chapter headings and paragraphs, each
with its page number given. Microsoft “Word” can generate contents lists automatically.
6: Glossary of terms
This section consists of a list of all specialist vocabulary or acronyms with a brief explanation of
their meanings.
7. Main body of the report:
The main body of the report should typically contain the following sections. Students should
consult their project supervisor about the most appropriate structure for their individual projects.
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Chapters may start with an introduction - number all paragraphs - do not use more than three
levels - e.g. 1.2.4, but not 1.2.4.1. Use alphabets, bullet points etc. if you feel it is absolutely
necessary to have further sub-sections. The conclusion chapter is particularly important.
Remember that the first page of chapter 1 is designated page 1 of the report.
The Introduction: this contains a brief statement of the background of the subject, the reasons
for undertaking the work, the aims and objectives and the methods employed to achieve these
objectives. The introduction may also contain details of project cost, feasibility and product
marketability. Note that the final conclusion at the end of the report should refer back to the
objectives set out in the introduction.
Subject Review: a review of the history and background plus the present state of knowledge of
the subject area of the project work should be contained as a stand-alone chapter and should
be written for a „non-expert‟ in the field. A definition of a non-expert would be someone who is a
practicing, professional engineer or technologist but not someone who is a recognised expert in
the specific area of your project. The key assessment objective for this section of the report is
for you to demonstrate that you can adequately describe a technical topic for readers who work
in the fields of Engineering or Technology.
Description of the project work: this must describe what has been achieved throughout the
period of project work. If there are several distinct subject areas then it may be better to split this
several chapters. Besides covering the work that has been done, this section should also
discuss other areas that were considered but not necessarily used in the project. The reasons
why these unused areas were considered and the reasons why they were not utilised in the
project should also be included.
The particular arrangement of the sections will depend on the individual characteristics of the
project, but the following general points can be incorporated.
Results: this section should present and discuss results and measurements that have been
generated throughout the project. Very detailed table of results should be in the appendix. The
details in this section form the underlying material that will be presented in the final section, the
conclusion.
There are many ways of expressing results in a useful and informative manner, including graphs
charts, diagrams etc. Make the best use of these methods to present the results in the most
appropriate fashion. The extensive graphical tools provided with Excel will help you here. The
results and discussion section may re-examine the cost aspects and marketability of the project.
Conclusions: these form arguably the most important chapter and should provide a concise
summary of the major findings of the report together with comments and recommendations.
These should enable the reader to decide whether to read the report more fully, to recommend
an extension of the work, or to decide not to pursue a similar investigation. The conclusion must
contain both qualitative and quantitative appraisal of the subject of the report; words like 'good',
'bad', 'inadequate' are in themselves uninformative and should be avoided. The conclusions
should be readable on a "stand alone" basis by someone who has not read the rest of the report
yet can understand what you have done. Hence start your conclusion with a brief outline of the
project work, then provide a critical outcome of the investigation based on a discussion of all
your results. References should be made to the aims and objectives as stated in chapter one of
your report, during the introduction.
Further Development: this is very often included as part of the conclusion chapter, in which
details about any further development, improvement and future direction of the current project
are discussed. Any discussions of the commercial viability of the project can be included here.
Other Points: in addition to a description of the technical aspect of your project, your report
must demonstrate an awareness of time management, costs and market needs. The nature of
this part of the report will vary from project to project, but examples of the sort of material which
should be included are: -
 A time plan showing timescales for major project activities and comments about any
modifications that may have been needed to ensure the smooth running of the project.
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 A detailed costing of the development work you have undertaken during the project
(including materials, manpower and overheads) together with estimated costs for volume
production, where appropriate.
 A discussion of potential applications of your work.
8: References
Information obtained from books or journals must be referred to in the text by a superscript
reference number. The back page of 'Electronics Letters' gives examples of the standard format
for references, which is used to enable computer searches to be carried out.
An example is:
[1] PITT, C.W. „Sputtered Glass Optical Waveguides‟, Electronic Lett.1973 9 pp 401-
403.
[2] BLOGGS, J. „Combustion Engines‟, Automotive Lett. 1975 9 pp 100-103.
Note that references must be specific. Non-specific references should be given in the
Bibliography. References to text books should include the author, title, edition number or year,
name of publisher and page numbers or section numbers. Each reference must be refered to at
least once in the main body of the report.
References to web pages should include the title of the page, date of when the resource was
last accessed, not just the URL.
9: Bibliography
Books and other reading matter not specifically referred to in the text but considered useful
reading matter should be listed in the Bibliography. The format of the items in the bibliography
should be the same as for references, i.e. there should be full information to allow a reader to
obtain a copy of the text book or journal article
10: Appendices
Detailed mathematical derivations, component data, software listings and general detailed back-
up material should be outlined in the appendices, to enable the main text to flow smoothly. The
appendices should not form the bulk of the report.
IC manufacturer‟s data sheets should only be included for unusual devices and even then, only
a few relevant pages should be included or better still a web address.
The contents of appendices should be chosen with care. Unnecessary software listings and a
surplus of data sheets should not be included. No merit will be given for unnecessary
appendices.
Large software listings may be included as a disc file rather than hard copy.
5.3 Report Presentation and Layout

It is your responsibility either to find a typist or to type the report yourself using the down-loadable
template file posted on the Plato web-site. The template will dictate font sizes and general text layouts.
You must use the template as the starting point for your write-up.
If you are sponsored, your company may be prepared to help. In any event (and particularly where
your company is providing the service), it is essential that your typist clearly understands the
commitment and the time scale involved.
The use of MICROSOFT WORD, with a UK English spelling and grammar checker installed, is highly
recommended.
When you print out your report use good quality white A4 paper. Print on one side of the paper only,
using a 35 mm margin on the left hand side to enable the text to be read in the bound report. Other
margins should be approximately 25 mm.
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5.3.1 Diagrams, Drawings, Photographs and Parts Lists

Most reports will include diagrams, and it is your responsibility to see that these are of acceptable
standard. Diagrams must be fully referenced in the text using figure numbers. Printer/Plotter outputs
will normally be acceptable, provided that they are legible in all submitted copies of the report.
If you wish to include photographs then the costs of such photographs are your responsibility and the
photographs must be included in each submitted copy of the report.
The ability to draw good diagrams (e.g. CAD drawings, circuit diagrams, flow charts, block diagrams)
is an important written communication skill. If your project involves any electronic circuitry or structures
which you have designed, constructed or modified, it is important that you include the following in your
project report:
5.4 Software
If your project has involved the development of significant software content then this must be clearly
documented. Your report should provide sufficient information for someone unfamiliar with your
software program to install and make use of it.
Your report should contain details of the overall structure of your programs, in terms of the source files
used and the organisation of the program functions within them. A top-level structure diagram, such as
a flow chart, should be provided, along with a description of each function used within the program.
Some evidence of program testing is required. During the design of your software, a series of tests
should be developed to allow operation at various stages to be verified. These tests should be
documented and included as an Appendix. It is not acceptable simply to submit a program as working
with no accompanying evidence of any testing and verification.
Software listings should be properly commented and well organised so that they can be understood by
someone who is not an expert on your project. All your listing should be included in a specific directory
on the CD ROM and included along with the submission of your final report.
5.5 Final Report Check List before Submitting

 Use the WORD spelling and grammar checking tools to correct all spelling mistakes and
grammatical errors.
 Check that the template has been used correctly, particularly if there are layout problems,
e.g. a heading at the bottom of a page.
 Check that all appendices have page numbers.
 Schematic diagrams or CAD drawings (if applicable) are included and have been
carefully checked.
 A Parts list is included (if applicable).
 A chapter is included which provides a subject review.
 A chapter is provided which includes the results and their analysis
 Your Conclusion can be read as a „stand alone‟ chapter.
 All references have been referred to in the text.
Copying and collation may be arranged through the University Reprographics Centre. You are
responsible for all costs involved in producing the Report.
5.6 Submitting Your Report for Marking

The University requires, in soft bound form, the top typescript of the report and two copies to be
submitted by the published deadline. The top copy should be a laser printed original. The other two
may be photocopies or laser printed originals. The top typescript may be sent to the External
Examiners and will be held in the School Library. One copy will be retained by the project Supervisor.
The other copy will be used by the second assessor and will be returned to the student after the poster
session. It is your responsibility to obtain this copy at the end of your poster session.
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As in industry, it is your responsibility to meet the deadline for submission of the report and CD.
A late submission will be penalised in line with Faculty policy, so you should allow several days for the
final copying and collation of your report.
5.6.1 Submission check list:

i. two bound copies of the project report
ii. one CD containing the report, all appendices plus the poster
iii. an on-line submission of report and poster
iv. project log book.
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6 Poster Session
After your report has been read by your supervisor and second assessor, the final stage of
assessment is the poster presentation. This session will last approximately 20 minutes. Its purpose is
to allow the fairest possible assessment of the whole of the project work and to allow you to show your
ownership of the project to the panel.
Each poster session is led by a member of staff but students may be asked questions about their
project by all members of the Moderation Group.
Failure to present and defend your work for moderation at the poster session will result in a
mark of 0 awarded for your project work and will severely affect your project report mark.
You are therefore required to produce a poster on one page of A1, which presents a summary of your
entire project. The poster must include a brief introduction to your project with the aims and objectives
clearly stated followed by a summary of the actual work you have done. Your results and conclusions
should then be summarised, with selected examples of diagrams and/or screen shots or photos to
illustrate your achievements. Finally, there should be a brief discussion of future work.
The session will normally follow the following structure:

 You will be expected to explain your project achievements stressing the positive aspects
but also describing how you overcame any difficulties encountered.
 You will be questioned in detail on the project and the report.
 You will be invited to summarise any other points you feel should be considered in order
that a fair assessment of your project can be made.
 You may be required to demonstrate your project work.
In general, questions from the assessment panel will focus mainly on your written report. You will be
asked to explain how the report meets the Project Brief given in chapter 5 of this document.
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7 General Advice for your Project

This section contains a series of bullet points that you can use as a check list throughout the project
period.
7.1 General Recommendations

 All previous project reports are stored on Plato which is the main portal supporting project work
in the School.
 Plan ahead and adhere to your schedule.
 Set yourself short-term goals, ask yourself if tasks are really worth doing.
 Keep clear notes of your work in your Project Log Book. Keep file reference details.
 Evaluate and analyse; do not just describe.
 Label your diagrams, graphs, and tables properly.
 Allow plenty of time for writing up.
 Remember that reading just a few references may not solve all your problems.
7.2 Guidelines on marking

Note that when marking your report the assessors will consider points such as:
 are the objectives of the project clearly described and are they justified?
 does the report contain a suitable literature survey? Is the survey just descriptive? Is the link
between the literature and the project's work explicit?
 is due credit given for ideas and techniques used by the student?
 is evidence presented of analytical skills in searching the literature and are the references to the
literature sufficient?
 has the student reported all the significant aspects of the development and progress of the
project?
 to what extend is the method/technique selected novel?
 is reasonable justification given for the use of the techniques selected and are they adequately
described? In particular, are they properly related to the stated aims of the project?
 is the development of the project adequately illustrated by photographs and/or block layout or
circuit diagrams, and flowcharts?
 is the presentation of the report logical and are the illustrations neatly and carefully presented?
 Are the spelling and grammar correct?
 does the report contain a complete account of all the work carried out by the student?
 are similarities and differences with any similar work stressed?
 are limitations inherent in the work recognised and stated?
 has the student drawn valid conclusions based on the interpretation of the results?
 are the conclusions reached justifiable in the light of the way they were analysed?
 is the contribution clearly delimited and prospects for further work identified?
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7.3 Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions

This section is based on the experience of projects run over many years. It is included to alert you to
the many potential pitfalls which may affect the successful completion of your project.
“I have plenty of time so l can leave the bulk of my project work until later”. This is a sure fire recipe for
falling behind. You can never start soon enough: Time management is an important ingredient in the
successful accomplishment of a project. It is very easy to get behind schedule but hard to catch up.
“I will plan the project activities exactly on a day to day basis”. Although this sentiment is laudable,
there are two points to be made. Firstly, the nature of the project is such that the unexpected will arise
and your investigations will take you into areas not fully anticipated at the beginning of the project.
Secondly, even if you can plan some activities, things will go wrong. Examples are: the equipment
doesn't work on the vital day, a part takes longer to arrive than the delivery time, the supervisor or
Technical Officer is unavailable on a vital day, and so on
“To give me the maximum time for project work/writing up, I will get the project printed and bound on
the morning of the day I need to hand it in”. You must plan against things going wrong: the computer
attached to the printer has the wrong version of the Word Processor or lacks some 'support' files, the
printer toner has run out (and it's the technician's lunch hour/the technician's wife has just had a baby),
the reasonably priced binding shop is completely overloaded.
“I can use the Easter break to get the results”. This is far too late. In any case all project activity should
finish in March and the supervisor's performance assessment is made at the end of the Spring Term.
“I will brighten up the report (or interim report) by using a good style”. Although a pompous style is
irritating, an overly light-hearted style will give the impression of the project not being taken seriously.
It also creates a bad impression with outside people like external examiners.
“This is easy: I can get loads of stuff from the Internet”. A project based on the wholesale inclusion of
material from the Internet will be marked down and you may be accused of plagiarism.
“I can leave the bulk of the work until the Christmas/Easter break”. Staff and laboratories are not
guaranteed to be available over that period. (The University closes over Christmas and New Year).
“It does not matter that the report is submitted a day or so late”. You report has to be read and poster
sessions organised so all reports must be handed in on the day stated. Late submissions will suffer a
penalty.
The following must be avoided:

 Believing that quantity is a substitute for quality. (Adhere to the maximum 50 pages)
 Poor grammar and spelling (there‟s no excuse, use a spell checker!)
 Diagrams or tables not referred to in the text.
 Graphs without axes marked or scales included.
 No indication in the text of where drawings and diagrams may be found.
 Use of abbreviations without indicating the full text at least on the first occasion they are used.
 Plunging straight into technical detail with an inadequate introduction and no prior explanation of
the principle behind the project or design.
 Cluttering up the main text with design or mathematical detail which, is distracting to the reader
wishing to understand the design process. Such material should be put in an appendix for use
by anyone wishing to repeat, or build, on the work.
 Not treating mathematics as part of a sentence and neglecting to provide commas and a full
stop.
 Inconsistent use of tense. (Technical reports are normally written in third person past tense)
 A flippant or frivolous style. This has to be extremely well done to succeed. Even then you may
offend some readers. It is not worth taking the risk.
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 Not making references to texts or papers from which material has been taken. You may be in
violation of copyright law if you do not acknowledge the contribution of the original author. You
may also be guilty of plagiarism if you use diagrams or text from other sources without
acknowledging the source.
 Inadequate tests, results, evaluation and conclusions. Remember that these are the most
important chapters of the report.
 Padding of the report with inappropriate material such as data sheets.
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APPENDIX A: Final Year Project Assessment Proforma
UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
FACULTY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE ARTS
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
Student Name _______________________________ Course Code _________
Project Title _____________________________________________________
Please use this proforma to record marks as these become available throughout the year. The
Supervisor and Second Assessor should agree the final mark after the student‟s poster session.
Assessment Element Maximum Mark awarded (see reverse for details) %
Mark %
nd
Supervisor 2 Moderation Final
Assessor group
FEASIBILITY STUDY 10% N/A N/A
SEMINAR 10%
PROJECT REPORT 50 % N/A
PERFORMANCE IN PROJECT 30 % N/A
WORK
FINAL PROJECT MARK 100 %
FINAL PROJECT MARK

(AFTER GROUP MODERATION)
Supervisor‟s Overall Summary Moderation Group‟s Comments
Signatures:
___________________ ___________________ _____________

Supervisor Second Assessor Date
* Please enter as many details as possible regarding the reasons for your decisions. These help to ensure
consistency of marking and enable external examiners to see how marks were arrived at.
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Assessment Criteria and Grades for ‘level demonstrated’: marks are arrived at by awarding a set of grades against each set
of criteria to indicate an overall level of performance. These indicative grades are then used by all members of the moderation
team to arrive at final marks for each element of assessment.
FEASIBILITY STUDY MARKS
Criterion Level demonstrated

A B C D Fail
Presentation
Clarity of statement of aims and objectives of the work to be done
Analysis of work stages
Clarity of estimation of times required for work stages
Analysis of capital resources
Supervisor’s Comments:
Mark awarded by supervisor for feasibility Report (max. 10 marks)

Marks greater than 7 should be reserved only for outstanding work. /10
SEMINAR PRESENTATION MARKS (SUPERVISOR)

A B C D Fail
Interim demonstration: Progress on project so far **

Literature search
Analysis of future work
Quality of technical competence displayed
Standard of presentation
Mark awarded by supervisor/assessor for progress ** (max 5 marks) /5
Mark awarded by moderation group for seminar (max 5 marks) /5

Moderation Group’s Comments:
Final mark awarded after moderation (max 10 marks)

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PROJECT REPORT MARK (SUPERVISOR) Level demonstrated
1: Does the Report conform to the Brief? FAIL
(as described in chapter 5) PASS (the report must be
resubmitted)
2: Does the work described in the Report reflect the original FAIL
objectives of the Project as described in the initial PASS (the project module
must be repeated)
Feasibility Report?
A B C D Fail
1: General Presentation, Structure and Layout

Subject Review: discussion of the literature related to the
work
Quality of Referencing (both text and diagrams)
2: Description and discussion of work done & how quantitative
Quality of Results obtained
Quality of analysis and discussion of results/outcomes **
Comments:
Level demonstrated
PROJECT REPORT MARK (SECOND ASSESSOR)
1: Does the Report conform to the Brief? FAIL

(as described in chapter 5) PASS (the report must be
resubmitted)
2: Does the work described in the Report reflect the original FAIL
objectives of the Project as described in the initial PASS (the project module
must be repeated)
Feasibility Report?
A B C D Fail
1: General Presentation, Structure and Layout

Subject Review: discussion of the literature related to the
work
Quality of Referencing (both text and diagrams)
2: Description and discussion of work done & how quantitative
Quality of Results obtained
Quality of analysis and discussion of results/outcomes **
Comments:
Mark awarded by Supervisor (max 50 marks) /50

Mark awarded by Second assessor (max 50 marks) /50
Final agreed mark awarded for project report (max of 50 marks)
** Reports should have at least a chapter headed ‘Results and Conclusions’ or an appropriate equivalent, in which
results should be critically and constructively analysed.
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PROJECT WORK MARKS

A B C D Fail
Regularity, punctuality and productivity of meetings with

supervisor.
Degree of initiative shown
Management of the Project
Quality of outcome: Technical standard of hardware/software
performance or experimental results, etc.
(including a statement of exactly what was demonstrated at the end)
Mark awarded by Supervisor (max 30 marks)

/30
Moderation Group’s Comments after Poster Presentation:
Final Moderated Mark after Poster Presentation (max 30 marks)

Marks greater than 24 should be reserved only for outstanding work.
Mark of 0 awarded in the event where a student fails to present and defend their work for
/30
moderation at the poster session.
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APPENDIX B: Code of Practice for the Use of Human Volunteers in
Project Work
The following section has been taken from a memorandum issued by the University Ethics Committee
relating to the use of human volunteers in research and teaching. Bear in mind this code of practise
when it is applicable to your project work.
Code of practice for the use of human subjects in research projects & teaching exercises in
undergraduate & taught postgraduate courses
The remit of the University Ethics Committee is to consider and approve projects where there are
ethical issues arising from research projects or teaching exercises involving human subjects. As part
of its work, the Ethics Committee has produced the document "Regulations and Guidelines for the use
of Human Volunteers in Research Projects and Practical Classes".
These regulations are mandatory requirements of the University and all lecturers, researchers and
students using human volunteers in their work must comply with these.
This Code of Practice is a summary of these regulations and is intended to assist when setting up
research projects in undergraduate and postgraduate courses where it is thought that ethical issues
may be involved. For example, such issues may concern the administration of a substance, sampling
of body fluids or assessing the fitness of a participant during physical exertion. Concerning issues that
are mainly psychological, examples may include the amount of distress that might be caused by
questions or procedures, and the measures to cope with that distress should it occur. Thus, the prime
aim of this Code of Practice is to maintain ethical standards across the University and to involve
supervisors and students in the ethical assessment of their own projects.
The main points to consider are:
 Will the volunteers be recruited in a manner that allows them either to give consent or refuse to
participate? Particular care should be exercised when the researcher has disciplinary or
supervisory control over the volunteer, or controls the academic progress of the volunteer. The
right of a volunteer to withdraw from the project at any time must be respected.
 Does the volunteer have an appropriate knowledge of his/her involvement in the nature of the
study to the investigation (i.e. informed consent)? However, it should be noted that in some
cases too much knowledge can interfere with the investigation.
 Will the confidentiality of the volunteer be maintained at all times? If the viewing of case notes is
a necessary part of the study, will the confidentiality of the subject (and the institution) be
maintained?
 Has the volunteer's written or oral consent been obtained? If children are involved, has the
consent of a teacher or parent been obtained?
 Is distress (physical and/or emotional) likely to be caused by participating in this study? Have
adequate measures been taken to look after the volunteer should this occur?
If the answers to the above suggest that the proposed research is unethical, it will be necessary to
amend the investigation. Where you are undecided, you may wish to talk this through with a member
of the University Ethics Committee before making a formal submission for approval.
page 26
APPENDIX C: Project Risk, Ethics and Threat Assessment Checklist
(Two copies required) – with feasibility study
Please PRINT all information CLEARLY
Student Name ....................................................................... Date ..………............
Project title...........................................................................................................
Supervisors Name.........................................................................
Please enter below your BEST ESTIMATES for the information requested.
1 Is your project likely to involve either deliberate, or possible accidental use or Yes No
contact with:
Voltages above 30V
High currents at low voltage (eg lead acid batteries)
Rotating machines
High temperatures
Hazardous fluids or gases
2. Will your project involve attaching electrodes to yourself or someone else In such a Yes No
way as to produce low impedance contact?
3. If the answer to 2 is Yes, has an assessment of the risk in the planned procedure Yes No
been carried out?
4 If the answer to 2 or 3 is Yes, does the analysis show an acceptable level of risk? Yes No
5 Are any substances classified as being 'Hazardous to Health' likely to be used in Yes No
the course of your work?
6 Are any flammable substances likely to be used in the course of your work? (eg Yes No
volatile cleaning agents, paint, etc)
7. Are there any other aspects of your projected work which might impose a danger to Yes No
yourself or to others? (Please specify):
Notes: If the answer to any of these questions is YES, it is the responsibility of the Supervisor to
ensure that the risk established is evaluated and brought to the attention of the Head of School before
work proceeds.
Ethical Issues
8 Will your work involve measurements on human subjects or their behaviour? Yes No
9 Will your work involve asking human subjects to answer questions of a personal Yes No
nature?
10 Could any aspect of your work cause distress to human subjects participating in Yes No
your work either knowingly or unknowingly?
If the answers to any of questions 2, 8, 9, or 10 are YES, the proposed work must be submitted for approval to the Faculty
Ethics Committee before work proceeds. If you are in any doubt, please consult a member of technical and/or academic staff.
page 27
Please provide a critical assessment in identifying events or situations that may pose a threat to the
successful completion of your project. Examples include loss of a memory stick containing vital data,
delays in obtaining materials, etc. Please extend the table if you need more space.
Other Risks / Threats Severity Mitigation
(H/M/L)
11
12
13
14
15
page 28
APPENDIX D: Project Resources Checklist
(2 copies required) – with feasibility study

PROJECT RESOURCES CHECKLIST Please PRINT all information CLEARLY
Student Name ....................................................... Date ………………..............
Project title...........................................................................................................
Supervisors Name.........................................................................
Please enter below your BEST ESTIMATES for the information requested. You will not be penalised
for small errors and later genuine changes - only for not bothering!
1 Will materials or components be ordered? Yes No
2 Will you be designing a PCB or drawing which will require manufacture during the Yes No
course of your project? (Note that this should only be contemplated where absolutely
necessary for the success of the project!)
3 Will PCB or drawing assemblies already designed and manufactured within the Yes No
School be required. Please specify:
4 Will a PC be required for work other than for report writing? Yes No
5 If the answer to 4 is Yes, will you require any special hardware installed/attached (eg Yes No
PROM emulation, USB interface). Please specify:
6 Will you require specific software, other than word processing? (Please specify): Yes No
7 Will your project require technical staff to make items requiring workshop facilities? Yes No
8 If the answer to 7 is Yes, which of the following workshop activities will be required
(please circle):
Drilling Sheet metal forming lathe work milling
Other (Please specify) ........................................
9 Are there other resources required, not covered above? (Please specify): Yes No
page 29
APPENDIX E: Project Registration Form
PROJECT REGISTRATION FORM (Copy to be kept by student)
Name of Student __________________________________ Signed _______________
Name of Supervisor ________________________________ Signed _______________
Date ________________
Project Title ____________________________________________________________
Final Year Project Supervision Agreement

Your individual final year project is an important part of your final year studies but a great deal of staff
time is required to supervise all the final year project students. You are therefore required to abide by
the following agreement. Please sign one copy and return to your Supervisor, keeping the other copy
for your own reference. When your project is assessed, your reliability in attending meetings with your
supervisor will be taken into account as part of your project management.
I ____________________________________ (Name) _________ (Course Code) agree that:
1. The choice of project title and supervisor is final and I will not seek to change it.
2. I will make every possible effort to attend regular meetings with my project supervisor on the
agreed day and will arrive promptly at the agreed time. If I am unable to attend, I will inform my
supervisor by phone or e-mail if possible.
3. I realise that my project supervisor may sometimes be unavoidably delayed after giving a lecture
or supervising a laboratory and will wait at least ten minutes for him/her to return. I also accept
that my project supervisor may occasionally need to reschedule my appointment due to other
meetings etc.
4. I will check my e-mail and pigeon hole every day when I sign in and will act promptly on any
messages from my project supervisor.
5. If I go to see my project supervisor at any time and he/she is not in the office, I will leave a note
under the door stating the date and time when I tried to see him/her.
6. If I miss an appointment with my project supervisor for any reason, I will make contact with
him/her as soon as possible to arrange another appointment.
7. If I am finding the project difficult, I will see my supervisor for advice.
8. If I am making adequate progress on my own, I will still see my supervisor regularly to report my
progress.
9. I understand that it is my responsibility to back-up all data relating to the project on a regular
basis. Loss of data resulting from technical problems will not be accepted as a mitigating
circumstance.
10. I will keep an online project journal and a logbook which I will bring to every meeting with
my supervisor.
page 30
PROJECT REGISTRATION FORM (to be included in feasibility study)

Name of Student __________________________________ Signed _______________
Name of Supervisor ________________________________ Signed _______________
Date ________________
Project Title ____________________________________________________________
Final Year Project Supervision Agreement

Your individual final year project is an important part of your final year studies but a great deal of staff
time is required to supervise all the final year project students. You are therefore required to abide by
the following agreement. Please sign one copy and return to your Supervisor, keeping the other copy
for your own reference. When your project is assessed, your reliability in attending meetings with your
supervisor will be taken into account as part of your project management.
I ____________________________________ (Name) _________ (Course Code) agree that:
1. The choice of project title and supervisor is final and I will not seek to change it.
2. I will make every possible effort to attend regular meetings with my project supervisor on the
agreed day and will arrive promptly at the agreed time. If I am unable to attend, I will inform my
supervisor by phone or e-mail if possible.
3. I realise that my project supervisor may sometimes be unavoidably delayed after giving a lecture
or supervising a laboratory and will wait at least ten minutes for him/her to return. I also accept
that my project supervisor may occasionally need to reschedule my appointment due to other
meetings etc.
4. I will check my e-mail and pigeon hole every day when I sign in and will act promptly on any
messages from my project supervisor.
5. If I go to see my project supervisor at any time and he/she is not in the office, I will leave a note
under the door stating the date and time when I tried to see him/her.
6. If I miss an appointment with my project supervisor for any reason, I will make contact with
him/her as soon as possible to arrange another appointment.
7. If I am finding the project difficult, I will see my supervisor for advice.
8. If I am making adequate progress on my own, I will still see my supervisor regularly to report my
progress.
9. I understand that it is my responsibility to back-up all data relating to the project on a regular
basis. Loss of data resulting from technical problems will not be accepted as a mitigating
circumstance.
10. I will keep an online project journal and a logbook which I will bring to every meeting with
my supervisor.
page 31
APPENDIX F: Industrial Projects
Industrially based project proposals may be submitted by industrialists, part-time students and
sandwich students returning from their year in industry. For these projects, an industrial
guarantor is required.
Industry based projects are particularly important for part-time students who do not have official
timetabled project sessions at the University and are therefore expected to undertake the bulk of
their project at their place of work. Part-time students in their second year are encouraged to
make early investigations into the possibility of undertaking a project at their place of
employment.
Industrial guarantor's agreement
This form is relevant to those projects that are being undertaken in industry. For an industrial
project to run, this form must be completed and signed by the industrial guarantor and the
student.
The role of the industrial guarantor:
All final year students are required to undertake an engineering project as part of their degree.
Some students, particularly those undertaking a part-time course while working in industry,
choose to undertake projects in an industrial environment. For this group of students, each will
have an academic supervisor at the University and an industrial guarantor at the workplace.
The role of the industrial guarantor is to provide the student with technical support in the
workplace, and to guarantee that the student has undertaken the work as reported and without
undue assistance. The support will nominally require 10-15 hours per week for the duration of
the project for part time students.
Part-time students entering their final year who have not arranged a project and guarantor must
do so by the start of that academic session, at the latest.
Agreement:
Before completing this section of the agreement, the prospective industrial guarantor should
discuss the project with the student and broadly understand the terms of reference of the project
and the student's role in the project.
The letter on, company notepaper, should be posted to the School Project Tutor and should
contain the wording given below before the project work is started.
I (industrial guarantor name printed) agree to my role as industrial guarantor for the (student's
name printed)
Signed (guarantor): Date:

Contact address & telephone number of guarantor
Signed (student): Date:

Contact address & telephone number of student
page 32
APPENDIX G: Plagiarism Statement
I certify that the work submitted is my own and that any material derived or quoted
from the published or unpublished work of other persons has been duly
acknowledged.
(ref. UPR AS/C/6.1, section 7 and UPR AS/C/5, section 3.6)
Student Full Name:_____________________________
Student Registration Number:___________________
Signed:________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
THIS STATEMENT MUST BE INCLUDED IN YOUR REPORT AS THE FIRST

PAGE.
page 33

Guidelines For The Final Year Project

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Guidelines for the Final Year Project

BEng Honours Degree associated courses

Guidelines for the Final Year Project

7 General Advice for your Project................................................................................ 19

APPENDIX C: Project Risk, Ethics and Threat Assessment Checklist ............................... 27

APPENDIX D: Project Resources Checklist ........................................................................... 29

APPENDIX E: Project Registration Form ................................................................................ 30

APPENDIX F: Industrial Projects ............................................................................................ 32

APPENDIX G: Plagiarism Statement ....................................................................................... 33

Supervisor: Each student has a supervisor who guides him or her

1.1 Module Aims

1.2 Learning Outcomes

2 Project Allocation Process

2.1 On-line Registration by Students

The minimum details to be entered during the registration process are:

 Student name, student ID and cohort / pathway point group,

 Selection of relevant keywords,

 Indication of area of interest.

2.2 Project Timetable

Key Activities Timetable

1 Registration via the FYP Plato Web-site. Induction week (week 1)

2 Students informed of their allocated title and supervisor Mid of week 2

3 Supervision and Assessment

3.1 Project Supervisors

3.2 Second Assessors

3.3 Moderation Group

3.4.1 Feasibility Study

3.4.2 Project Seminar and Interim Progress Check

3.4.3 Project Work Assessment

3.4.4 Project Report Assessment

The following points are considered when your report is assessed:

Please note; common weaknesses in project reports are;

4 Your Project Work

4.1 Backing up work

4.2 Planning Your Project

4.3 Project Budget

4.4 Timetabling of Laboratory Space

4.5 Part-Time Students

4.6 Industrially Based Projects: the Industrial Guarantor

4.7 Your Project Logbook

4.8 Your on-line Project Journal

4.10 Completion of Practical Work

4.11 Learning Resource Centre

4.13 Personal Difficulties

5 The Project Report Brief

5.1 Project Report Specification

5.1.1 Writing Style

5.2 Report Format

5.3 Report Presentation and Layout

5.3.1 Diagrams, Drawings, Photographs and Parts Lists

5.5 Final Report Check List before Submitting

5.6 Submitting Your Report for Marking

5.6.1 Submission check list:

The session will normally follow the following structure:

7 General Advice for your Project

7.1 General Recommendations

7.2 Guidelines on marking

7.3 Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions

The following must be avoided:

FINAL PROJECT MARK

Supervisor‟s Overall Summary Moderation Group‟s Comments

___________________ ___________________ _____________

FEASIBILITY STUDY MARKS

_________ _ _____

I ____________________________ (Name) _ (Course Code) agree that:

I ____________________________ (Name) _ (Course Code) agree that: