Table of contents

Individual Project Questions & Answers
Where to ask questions
Project choice
Supervisors
1. Choosing a supervisor
2. Contacting your supervisor
  1. I can’t contact or meet my supervisor
Project Execution
Maths and CS
1. What are some practical differences between the 40 credit projects and the 20 credit M&CS short project? How do the expectations differ and how are they marked differently? How does “half as much work” translate?
Accessing equipment/software/services
TB1
1. Is it up to us to download and prepare any code frameworks required for our dissertation before TB2, or will our supervisors provide additional help in some way?
2. I have an idea for a project that would require a lot of design. Should design be done in TB1, allowing me to spend the 12 weeks in TB2 implementing? Or should all the work be done in TB2?
Dissertation
Ethics
Innovation Case (COMSM0052 only)
1. What is the expected workload for the Innovation Case?
2. Are some project proposals on the spreadsheet more suited to building a successful innovation case than others? If so, is there a way to tell?
Timetabled Events
1. Poster Day
2. Writing Retreats
  1. What are the Writing Retreats?
Submitting your work
Marking
Vivas

Individual Project Questions & Answers

Where to ask questions

The first and fastest place to ask questions and to see if your question has already been answered is the Q and A channel in the Projects Team, where Mike and Sarah will be replying as quickly as we can. We will periodically add answers here throughout the year.

Project choice

When do I have to have decided a supervisor by?

You must have agreed with your supervisor that they will supervise your project and completed the projects specification form by the end of Week 5 - 17:30, Friday 18th October. There is more information about the process on the Finding a Project page.

Which type of project will give me higher marks?

Any of them! The most important thing in picking projects is you pick a topic you enjoy, because it will be a lot easier to do 15 weeks of intensive work and stay focused on a subject you’re interested in. There are sometimes rumours that particular topics are easier or harder to get good marks in, but this is not the case - every year the highest marked projects are in different subjects. Of course it’s better to pick a subject you are doing well in and understand, but choose something you genuinely want to research.

Can I make my own project topic?

Yes, you can approach supervisors with a concrete proposal or with the beginnings of an idea that they can help make into a proposal. You can either approach staff you already know, find staff from the spreadsheet, or contact Mike and Sarah who will help you identify possible supervisors.

I want to do a project that crosses disciplines - is this possible?

Yes, you can have two Supervisors in different disciplines, as long as one is in Computer Science, and they both agree.

I’ve been working on a personal project - can I use this for the unit?

Yes, as long as you make it very clear in the dissertation what work was done before the project started, because you won’t get marked on previously completed work, just the work that you did during TB2.

I’m struggling to choose a project, what do I do?

Talk to your personal tutor in the first instance - or if they can’t help you, reach out to Mike and Sarah.

I’m really excited about my project - can I start work on it now?

We don’t recommend it, as you’ll have a lot of work on your TB1 units. You can take notes and read around it (taking notes as you go) but don’t plan on starting proper work on it until the beginning of TB2.

When should final project titles be decided (or roughly decided) by?

You will need to submit a rough project title to the projects specification form by the end of Week 5 - 17:30, Friday 18th October. However, your project title can change right up to hand-in date, so you don’t need to worry too much about it.

Why do I have to pick my project now when it doesn’t start until TB2? I want to wait to pick a project until I’ve had more experience of the units

Students will have exams in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, and the Coursework in Weeks 9-11, and we don’t want you to have to think about the projects at the same time as you’re revising and taking assessments. While some students may only have exams in 1 week of 6-8, there will be unit exams in each of those three weeks.

For any general project, is the grade (the amount of marks expected if implemented fully) set in stone, or will it be more flexible across TB2 as you research and discover more pitfalls/ ideas you can add to the project?

Generally it depends on how far you go - all projects would be able to get a very high first or a fail, depending on how well you write it up. It doesn’t matter how much work you’ve done, if you don’t write it up well, you will fail. The thing you get marked on is the writing.

Talk to your supervisor and your Second Marker at Poster Day what they would expect to see in a project of the mark you are aiming for. They can’t tell you what mark you are likely to get, because it depends on your writing, but they can tell you what they would be looking for in a project like yours.

Who owns the Intellectual Property (IP) of my project? Should I choose a different project because I want to develop it into a startup?

From the Intellectual property policy for Students 2024-2025: “Students own the intellectual property they create through coursework or research whil registered as students at the University…There are, however, some important exceptions to this basic principle”. These exceptions are generally very specific in the case of individual projects and are likely not to apply:

The research is funded by the University or another third party and a condition of the funding is that the intellectual property rights belong to the funder.
Completing a research project - note that this isn’t a normal individual project - but a project for a research group. You will have to sign a form in this case and it should be clear.
If you are employed by the university or another organisation whilst doing the project, then those parties might claim ownership.

Otherwise, under Section 5 of the student agreement, the University is allowed to use of student-owned intellectual property for non-commercial purposes such as educational use, research use, promotional materials etc. See Section 5.3 of the student agreement.

Supervisors

Choosing a supervisor

See the Finding a Project page for more information

How do I choose a supervisor?

You should choose your supervisor based on the area of the project you want to work on as well as someone that you are interested in working with. Think about the kind of person you want to work with. For example, what kind of person makes you want to work harder? Would you like to meet weekly or fortnightly? How do you prefer to communicate?

I know what I want to do and who I want to work with - can I approach them now, or do I have to wait for the spreadsheet?

You don’t have to wait - if you know who you want to work with, go ahead and email them!**

Is it ok to approach more than one supervisor?

Yes, we encourage you to do this, so you can so you can make the choice that’s best for you. We will have a Projects Matching Day where you can meet multiple supervisors in the same session.

If a supervisor has no slots left, can I still approach them?

Yes, but bear in mind they might say no. It’s worth a chance, though!

How many supervisors can I approach at a time?

All of them, if you like! There’s no limit!

If the supervisor slots say N/A in the spreadsheet, can I still approach them?

Yes: N/A means the supervisor is volunteering to supervise, so may say no - ask them anyway because they may take you on.

Can I have a supervisor from outside Computer Science?

Yes, they can be your Second Supervisor, but you will need a Supervisor from within CS as well. If you’re not sure who to approach, come and talk to Mike and Sarah.

How should I approach a supervisor?

Email them with a brief introduction of why you’re interested in working with them/on their project and about you - what you’re interested in, and if you’ve taken classes with them. Ask if they can meet you, and give them some ideas of days and times you’re free.

Try to sound interested in their work. If they don’t respond in a few working days, send a reminder - and if they don’t reply to the reminder in 3 working days, contact Mike and Sarah.

How do I tell a supervisor I approached that I want to work with someone else?

Just send them an email along the lines of “Thanks for your time and the discussion we had, but I’ve chosen to work on a different project?”. Supervisors won’t mind at all about this - we’re used to it, and what we really want is for students to find the project that suits them most.

What are supervisor slots?

Each year supervisors are allotted a certain number of projects that thy have to supervise. Most supervisors will refuse to take on any more students if they have already filled up their allotment - which they are perfectly allowed to do.

The supervisor I want to work with has no more slots left - what should I do?

On the projects spreadsheet there is a tab with staff’s supervision interests - look to see who else works in the areas you’re interested in, and ask them. If you want advice on who else you can approach, ask your personal tutor and if they can’t help, ask Mike and Sarah.

There are no supervisors interested in working in the area I’m interested in

The list of areas is not exhaustive, and we can usually help you find supervisors for most interests. Talk to your personal tutor or Mike and Sarah.

Contacting your supervisor

I can’t contact or meet my supervisor

Please wait 3 working days after sending an email to your supervisor before sending another email. If after another 3 working days you have had no reply, email Mike and Sarah.

Project Execution

How much help can I get for my project?

You can ask other members of staff or PhD students if you think they may be able to help out with your project. However, we would expect that because of this help you are able to go above and beyond what you would normally be able to do. For example, if a PhD student helps you with data collection, then you can do more interesting things with the data! It is also worth noting that you can thank people that do help you with the Acknowledgements section, which is always well received :).

Can I outsource work for my project?

Yes, but this won’t count as work done for you project, so you will have to do more accordingly.

Research

How can I find good papers/where can I get help researching my area?

The Computer Science Subject Librarian can meet with you, help you get started and even find you papers for you. Use that link to book an appointment.

How can I tell what is a good research paper?

It should have been published at a conference or in a journal. Ask your supervisor which conferences/journals are good, because the quality can change, but generally if you find a paper on Archiv check it has been published. If it hasn’t been published, it hasn’t been reviewed, so be careful.

If you find a paper, look at it on Google Scholar which will tell you where it’s been cited, and what it citess, so you can find more recent or older papers.

The Association for Computer Vision Digital Library is a great place to look for papers, especially from conferences.

How do I read research papers?

Start with the abstract, as this is a short, concise summary of the paper. If that’s relevant, read the introduction, and then only read the full paper if you think it will be useful. It’s fine to skim through the paper to see if it’s useful, rather than read the entire paper.

Some people put papers through ChatGPT/LLMs to get summaries - but be careful, as the LLMs can hallucinate, and make not pick up the most important information. If you do this, you MUST include this in the ‘AI tools’ appendix, mention it in the AI Declaration in the template, and if you use the summary in your dissertation you MUST cite it as coming from an LLM and not your own work.

Can I get research support in other topics?

Yes, contact the Computer Science Subject Librarian and they can get help from any of the other Subject Librarians in the University.

Can I get access to a book/journal that the University doesn’t already provide?

Yes, contact the Computer Science Subject Librarian who can order books and sign up to journals for you, or ask in the Queen’s Library.

Maths and CS

What are some practical differences between the 40 credit projects and the 20 credit M&CS short project? How do the expectations differ and how are they marked differently? How does “half as much work” translate?

The COMS30044 20c project should take a third of your time - so in a 40 hour working week, you should be spending 13 hours a week on it, as opposed to 26 for the 40c projects. It’s expected that you won’t have as much time to go into as much depth with experiments as the 40c projects.

The mark scheme is the same as the 40c project, but we’d expect the dissertation to not to be as long - something like 15-25 pages. The best thing to do is to talk to your supervisor, as we’ve all marked and supervised 20c projects - but make it clear it’s 20c.

We’ve got examples of the 20c projects in the unit Team - go to the top of the general channel -> Files -> class materials. The 20c projects start with COMS30044 and you can see what pervious students have done.

Accessing equipment/software/services

See the Accessing Equipment/Software page for more information.

If I buy something I need for my project, can I get reimbursed?

This is very hard - instead, if you need something, contact Mike and Sarah with what you need and why you need it, and ideally links to what you need, as we have a budget we can use to buy equipment and software for you. You should not have to spend your own money on the project.

It’s too late, I already spent money on my project - what do I do?

Email Mike and Sarah and do not spend any more money on it!

How do I apply to use Blue Crystal?

See the Accessing Equipment/Software page and scroll down to the Blue Crystal section.

TB1

Is it up to us to download and prepare any code frameworks required for our dissertation before TB2, or will our supervisors provide additional help in some way?

There is no requirement to do any work in TB1 - the projects are designed to be completed in TB2. We do not want you to be distracted from your TB1 units. You can ask your supervisor for reading suggestions or codebase to look at in TB1, but you’re not obligated to do so.

I have an idea for a project that would require a lot of design. Should design be done in TB1, allowing me to spend the 12 weeks in TB2 implementing? Or should all the work be done in TB2?

If you feel like you have time in TB1 you can, but we don’t expect you to - again, we expect all the project work to be able to be compelted in TB2. Remember you will not have supervision meetings in TB1, so if you do have time and start work, you won’t be talking to your supervisor about it.

Dissertation

There is more information about the structure and templates on the Writing Your Dissertation page.

What’s the difference between a dissertation, a thesis and a report?

For these projects, nothing! They’re different words to describe the same thing.

Structure of your dissertation

How long should my dissertation be?

Dissertation lengths can vary depending on topic and project type. There are no hard minimum or maximum lengths for the dissertation, but we would be surprised if a dissertation is less than 25 pages or longer than 50 pages - this does not include front matter and back matter (i.e. table of contents, bibliography, appendices, etc.). Note that this is different for 3rd year Maths and CS students doing the 20CP unit COMS30044.

How should I structure my dissertation?

There’s a dissertation template in the Dissertation Templates Section which lays out the standard format, with details of what to put in each section. Start here, and ask your supervisor what they would expect to see in a dissertation in your area.

Is there a specific template I should use?

Yes, use the templates provided (LaTeX and word) in the Dissertation Templates Section.

Do I have to use LaTeX to write my dissertataion?

No, but talk to your supervisor about this as there may be field-specific norms you should use.

I want to change my dissertation title, is this ok?

Yes, this is fine.

One of the easiest ways to provide evidence of my project working as expected is via video. Am I allowed to link to one/multiple youtube videos in my project writeup?

Yes! You can provide these either as a footnote, or cited as you would a webpage. You can also use the viva to showcase your project working.

What is “frontmatter”?

These are the standard pages you must include in the dissertation - things like the title page, index, list of tables etc. These are provided in the templates and are not included in the page count.

Do I have to include Acknowledgements in my dissertation?

No, this is optional - if you don’t want to include them, delete the page.

Writing your dissertation

There is more information, including sources of writing, editing and planning support, on the Writing Your Dissertation page

When should I start writing my dissertation?

As soon as possible! Note that by writing, we don’t necessarily mean writing paragraphs and paragraphs of finalised text, rather you can start plotting out the sections, putting in bullet point lists of things you want to talk about in the future. This will make it much easier to write the final version later on.

How many pages of our dissertation we are allowed to give our supervisor for feedback?

It’s usually 2-3 pages, but talk to your supervisor. Remember to give them time to read and reply - it’s best to agree in advance when you will send them drafts for feedback.

Does the page count of 50 pages include figures? I have a lot of data visualisations which are required to be in the main body but increases the page count as a result.

Figures in the main body of the dissertation are included in the page count, but you can also include more in the Appendices, which are not included in the page count. Talk to your supervisor about what’s best for your project.

Can I use AI/Large Language Models/Translation software?

Please make sure you read and understand all the linked information on the Academic Integrity and Plagiarism page as this has everything you need. if you’re not sure you understand it, talk to your supervisor, and if they can’t help, email Mike and Sarah.

Can I use AI to define terms/help me understand topics?

Yes you can, as long as this is cited within the AI usage appendix. Note that it is probably better to google, or ask your supervisor as AI still hallucinates a lot. You will be questioned about key topics within your viva so you need to know these correctly.

Can I use AI to help with my structure?

Yes you can, just remember to cite this as you would normally for all AI usage.

How do I reference AI tools that I have been given as part of my Study Support Plan?

Please the name of these into the AI Prompts/Usage Appendix as you would other tools. If you are not sure whether they include AI technology, then you can mention them here regardless.

Is there anywhere to get help with writing? I’m worried about it!

Yes, see the Writing Your Dissertation page for details of Study Support help, including one-to-one writing tutorials.

How in-depth should I go with the explanation of techniques, theory, methodology, etc.?

You should ask your supervisor as they will be best placed to answer this for your area, however, a good rule of thumb is to write this aimed at a third year student who has just finished TB1. You should explain concepts enough so that they can remember them clearly and explain new concepts with enough detail that they can keep reading (or break to look up the theory from a textbook).

What is the contextual backround section of the dissertation?

This should contain both contextual background, i.e. what are the background technologies, theory, methodology behind the project area, and related work, i.e. what are the relevant papers that have worked in similar areas before? You should write this as if your second supervisor doesn’t know ANYTHING about the area, as it is very likely they know a lot less than you.

How much reasoning/explanation of what I’ve done should I give in the dissertation?

You should always give reasons as to why you used a technology/methodology/evaluation scheme/etc., though this can be basic, i.e. I used python with XX packages as they are the industry standard. Ideally, you should have thought about these during the project and the reasoning can be stronger, but sometimes you will have to give the reasons at the end. You don’t need to explain every decision if it’s not something you’re writing about in the dissertation (i.e. something that didn’t work).

Referencing

Which referencing style should I use?

It’s up to you, as long as you are consistent, but in general CS people recommend IEEE - there’s a guide on Cite Them Right which tells you how to reference almost anything you can think of.

How do I know what I should be referencing?

There’s a page on referencing in general on the University Library pages which we recommend bookmarking.

Do I need to reference papers/dissertations for how I structure my dissertation?

No, there is no need to reference wheregot ideas on how you structure your dissertation.

Ethics

You can find the full information about Project Ethics on the Ethics page.

If in doubt, ASK YOUR SUPERVISOR about whether your project requires ethical approval.

How long does it take to get an ethics application accepted?

This can vary, a lot. Depending on the project and application this can be granted quickly in a few weeks. Alternatively, the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC) could require changes in multiple stages taking three months or longer. You may notice that this scenario is longer than the projects unit so it is imperative that you discuss ethics with your supervier ASAP and submit the ethics application ASAP.

Can I use datasets used online in a project that requires no ethics

Yes, so long as the data has been released as part of a dataset for research and the project isn’t changing the data in a way that is unethical and/or goes against the original release.

Can I use photos/videos of myself without a full ethical review?

Yes, this is covered under the Blanket Ethics Agreement.

Will extensions be given if I fail to get ethical approval?

On its own, failure to get ethical approval will not be grounds for an extension. It is up to you to ensure that this happens in a timely manner. If there are delays, your supervisor will support you and help you change your project plans.

Innovation Case (COMSM0052 only)

What is the expected workload for the Innovation Case?

It’s roughly 10% of your time in TB2. It’s an extra piece of work about how you can communicate your project ideas in a different concept - for example writing a business case to turn it into a start up; write a PhD proposal; how it could be taken on in an exisitng business; how it could be incorporated in education and more.

The deadline is in Week 5, and there will be workshops and sessions on it, and you will write a short piece of writing. You’ll be given examples of previous good work.

Are some project proposals on the spreadsheet more suited to building a successful innovation case than others? If so, is there a way to tell?

No, the Innovation Case is run so that any project can be written about. They are all perfectly fine - and your Innovation Case can be about anything about how to communicate their ideas to a wider audience.

Our blanket advice for everything is that it will be easier if you pick a project you are enthusiastic about, as it will be much easier to write about.

Timetabled Events

Poster Day

What is Poster Day

This is a chance to meet your Second Marker for the first time, talk to them about your project and ask them what they expect to see in a project like yours. It’s also a chance to talk to other academics, students and guests about your project, and get valuable feedback you can use to make your dissertation even better, as well as see what other students have been working on.

Is Poster Day mandatory?

No, but we strongly encourage it! Students always say they get good feedback from it that helps them improve their dissertation.

Do you have examples of what posters are?

Yes - some of the posters that won prizes last year are on the wall outside MVB 1.11/a, and there is a folder of posters in the Class Materials pages of the Projects Team.

I’ve never made a poster before - how do I start?

Come to the Poster Workshop, and you can start with the templates in the Class Materials pages of the Projects Team.

Do I have to pay to come to Poster Day?

No, we will print your poster for you.

Can I keep my poster?

Yes, but if you leave Poster Day early, leave your poster up and you can collect it afterwards from the School Office.

Writing Retreats

What are the Writing Retreats?

Optional sessions to do some writing in a quiet space with other people around you. Mike and Sarah will be there, writing our own work, with snacks for you, so you can ask us questions if you need to.

Submitting your work

When is the deadline for submitting my dissertation?

It’s the first Monday after the Easter break: 13:00, Monday 28th April 2025. If you want a reminder of all the dates, they are on the [Welcome page]{/index} of this website.

Where do I submit my dissertation?

In the Blackboard for your unit, under Assessment, Submission and Feedback - scroll down to the submission points, which will be added in the last half of TB2.

What should I name the file?

It’s helpful to call your PDF [your name]_[dissertation title] but there is no standard naming convention.

Do I need to submit my code?

You can if you want to - there is a separate submission point called Auxiliary Materials, where you can submit a zip file with your code and any other materials. You can also include links to your GitHub within your dissertation. If you do submit code, make sure you add something in the dissertation to tell the markers you have done so. If there is part of the code you definitely want the marker to see, include snippets in the dissertation and longer parts of code in the Appendices.

Marking

There is more information about the marking and assessment processes on the Assessment Information page.

Mark Scheme

Is there a difference in the mark scheme for CS and Maths and CS?

No, it’s the same marking scheme. For the Maths and CS Short Project, your markers will know it’s a 20 credit project and mark it accordingly

Marking Process

What happens if my project cannot go public?

In this case, please talk to us before submission. We will require you to submit the dissertation to us via email (you can upload an empty pdf to the submission point) as otherwise the paper will go into TurnItIn’s public repository. We will ensure that only you, the supervision team, and the markers have access to the project and it will be clear that the project will be private.

How much detail will my markers read the papers I am citing?

Markers will spot check cited papers to make sure that they exist and are relevant. Otherwise, markers may not read papers if you have summed them up nicely in a way that relates well to your project, they may read only the abstract of a cited paper, glance through it briefly, or read it in detail if it is highly relevant to the project so they can understand what you have done.

First Marker

If I have a supervisor who is not in the School of Computer Science, can they be my first marker?

No, we require that first markers are those within the School of Computer Science.

If I have a second supervisor, who will be the first marker?

Normally, this will be the first supervisor, but it is up to your first and second supervisors to decide who will be the first marker.

How much help should my supervisor give me?

We expect students to take ownership of their project and direct this, and the mark scheme even has sections discussing this (e.g. 60-69: Some self directed work with significant supervisor input). Supervisor input is when they take an active role throughout the project, asking them for guidance or to help when you are stuck is not significant input and should not be considered stopping you from getting an 80+, you supervisor is a resource for you to use to make your project even better!

Second Marker

Who will be my second marker?

Your second marker will be someone who knows enough about your subject to mark your project. We will tell you who your second marker is halfway through TB2, and you will have a chance to talk to them about your project on or around Poster Day.

If I have a second supervisor will they be my second marker?

No, your second marker will be someone who is external to the project team (you and your supervisor(s)).

Vivas

What is the role of the viva?

See the viva information on the Assessment Information page.

Who will be in my viva?

Normally, the viva will be between you and the second marker. You may request that your supervisor is present, but they won’t ask (or answer) any questions.

What is the format of the viva?

Vivas are in person and are usually around 20 minutes long, startiung with a short introduction about your project (5-10 minutes) and then your second marker will ask you questions.

Do I have to make a presentation for my viva?

You don’t have to, but we recommend you bring some slides so that you can remember the key points you want to say.

Can I complete the unit without undergoing a viva?

Unfortunately not. University regulations require that everyone on the unit must undergo the viva to complete the unit. If you have a study support plan and/or uncomfortable/nervous about undertaking the viva, get in contact with us! We can structure the viva in different ways to accommodate everyone.

When will the vivas happen?

Most vivas will take place on 13th and 14th April 2025 in the exam period, although some will be on different dates, so you MUST be in Bristol for the whole of the exam period (28th April to 16th May 2024 inclusive).

How should I prepare for the viva?

See the viva section on the Assessment Information page.

For projects with implementations, must the code run on a lab machine for the viva or is it acceptable to run the demo on e.g. our laptops

You can run your code in any way you see fit (basically on whatever works).