Weight:
Software projects: 45%
Research Projects: 55%
Please prepare two final paper copies
of your thesis report: one for me, and one for your supervisor.
Remember to send me a PDF file as well.
Note: My copy of your Final
Report must be signed by your supervisor(s) to indicate approval of the project
content.
Your Final Reports will, of course, vary
as much as your projects are varied! However, here are some "loose"
ideas as to the content and form of the Final Reports.
Final Report for Software Projects
The Final Report should be a single
document, in the following format:
- Title Page (see
Report Format and Style Guidelines)
- Acknowledgments (where
applicable)
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures and Tables (optional, but useful for the reader)
- List of Abbreviations, Symbols, Nomenclature (optional, but useful for the reader)
- Introduction
(brief description of project)
- Main Body of Report:
What goes in here? It depends on your project, but here are some possible
subheadings (not all will necessarily be in all reports, and your project
may lend itself to completely different subheadings) :
- Background/Motivation/Goals
- Architectural Overview (main components, etc.)
- Implementation Discussion
(Note: do not put actual code here. If you wish to include some code, put
it in an Appendix.)
- Testing Discussion
- Results
- If you revised your Design from the one
submitted in the Design Document, discuss this.
- Conclusions (and
maybe further discussion, future possibilities, etc.)
- References
- Appendices (if
applicable)
Final Report for Research Projects
Research reports should show an in-depth
understanding of the topic.
The Final Report should be a single document, in the following format:
- Title Page (see
Report Format and Style Guidelines)
- Abstract : The abstract provides a brief (no longer than 250
words) summary of the project for potential readers, and should include
- a statement of the research problem
- an indication of the research method(s) used
or theoretical orientation taken
- findings or major discoveries made
- conclusions and significance.
- Acknowledgments : You
may wish to acknowledge anyone who has helped you in a meaningful way,
including your supervisor, other faculty, students, staff, etc.
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures and Tables (optional, but useful for the reader)
- List of Abbreviations, Symbols, Nomenclature (optional, but useful for the reader)
- Introduction
(brief description of project)
- Main Body of Report
- Conclusions (and maybe
further discussion, future possibilities, etc.)
- References (make
sure there is enough detail so that a reader of your report can check a
reference)
- Appendices (if
applicable)
Approximate length:
I hesitate to suggest a
page size, but .... A software project report will probably be in the neighbourhood
of 20-25 pages, depending on the layout. If it works out to be shorter, you
don't need to "pad" the pages! A research report will probably be
longer, maybe 30-40 or more pages.
Evaluation:
- Your supervisor(s) will assess the report for content, accuracy,
and originality.
- The Course Administrator will assess the report for structure,
style, and readability.