Results and contributions Assessment criteria

10.7 Top ten tips for successful projects 267 well. The tips are not presented in any particular order as no tip is better than any other and the extent to which you follow their guidance is up to you, your project and your circumstances. n Choose a project that interests you Section 3.2. It is difficult to motivate yourself and produce a good project if you have little interest in the topic area. If you choose a pro- ject that interests you, you will be far more committed to it and keen to undertake the work than you would otherwise be. n Have a clear goal and objectives Section 4.2. If you understand clearly in your own mind the ultimate goal of your project and can define some intermediate milestones, objectives or sub-goals to achieve this aim you will know where you are going with your project and what you should be doing. n Try to get a client for your project. At an undergraduate level, projects that have real clients for example, for a software system you are developing or a case study you are undertaking generally turn out better than those which do not for example, devel- oping a web site for an imaginary company, etc.. A real client will provide you with more motivation and perhaps clearer requirements than you could obtain from your supervisor alone. In addition, a real client and users will provide valuable feedback when your project nears completion. Although your project may have been suggested as an academic exercise by your supervisor you could still make the effort to find a client for the project yourself. You could use friends, relatives, industrial placement contacts, etc. to help identify a suitable client. n Put together a project plan and follow it Chapter 4. There is an old saying – ‘fail to plan, plan to fail’. With a project plan in place you will have some idea on what you should be doing on your project and some means of tracking and controlling your progress. However, do not spend so long planning your project at intricate levels of detail that you fail to get on with any real work. You should spend no longer than around 10 of your effort on project management activities. n Identify risks to your project and put contingency plans in place Section 4.4. You should have some idea of the key risks to your project and risk triggers and their impact on your project. Make sure that you are aware of these risks and have some ideas on how you will deal with those risks if they should occur. Don’t assume that everything will go well – consider problems that might occur and be prepared to deal with them. n Be well organised. Put together a project folder, establish a working area and good working practices, keep your references up-to-date and organised, arrange data and files on your computer logically and make regular back-ups. Failure to follow these guidelines will lead to sloppy work and inefficiency as information is lost and you are unable to keep track of everything you are doing. n Start to write early. Get into the habit of writing up notes and work you have com- pleted as you go along. This will prevent you having to write your reportthesis from scratch towards the end of your project when time is limited. It will also get you into habit of writing and will improve your writing skills. n Undertake a literature survey Chapter 5. Make sure you have ‘read around’ your sub- ject area thus ensuring you do not complete your project in a vacuum and you are aware 268 Chapter 10 n Final considerations of the subject areas that it draws from and the context in which it resides. At postgrad- uate level this is essential but it can also be important for undergraduate projects too although many undergraduates ignore this point. This will enable you to show what contribution your project is making, show that it is not repeating the work of others, assist you with different aspects of your project and provide justification for any decisions that you make. n Have regular meetings with your supervisor. Your supervisor is there to help you and they are experienced – so make sure you use this resource as much as possible – and follow any advice she gives you. Students who rarely see their supervisor often fail. n Aim to finish your project early. It is always a good idea to aim to complete your project one or two weeks before the actual hand-in date for a six month project this should be achievable. This will provide you with some contingency time that may be needed if things don’t go quite according to plan. •

10.8 Summary

n Although you have finished your project, there are still ways to continue your work further in the future; seeking funding for further research, developing commercial software from your project, seeking patents and copyright on the material you have produced and publishing your work in academic journals and conferences. n You should have learnt a number of skills from your project that will come in useful in the future – for either a job in industry or further academic work: independence, the ability to ‘think’, learning skills, technical skills and communication skills. n Your degree course and project may provide you with exemption from and accredi- tation for membership in such professional bodies as the IEEE or the British Computer Society and Engineering Council. Your own department will be able to advise you on this. •

10.9 Further reading

Browning, B.A. 2005 Grant writing for dummies 2 nd Edition, John Wiley, New York. Day, A. 2008 How to get research published in journals 2 nd Edition, Gower, Aldershot, UK. Day, R.A. 2006 How to write and publish a scientific paper 6 th Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Gustavii, B. 2008 How to write and illustrate a scientific paper 2 nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Lester, J.D. and Lester, J.D. 2008 Writing research papers a complete guide 12 th Edition, Pearson Education, Essex, UK.