CN 810: Timetable of deliverables for research report, Spring, 2003

Students taking the course for credit will submit a written research paper and present an oral summary of their research to the class in the last weeks of the semester. The topic or content of your project can be anything having to do with vision, and the dominant modality can be any one or more of (1) computer simulations, (2) formal analyses, (3) design of a psychophysical experiment, or (4) a critical literature review. Note that a psychophysical experiment does not have to be fully executed in the course of the semester, though collection of at least preliminary data would ordinarily be expected. Note also that a "critical" literature review must contain an original point of view, in the form of a hypothesis concerning which evidence is being gathered, or a sketch of a model for which design constraints are sought. The review cannot, in other words, be a list of "A said this, B said that, and C said this other thing." The research report is expected to be the product of an individual student's efforts, but students are not precluded from reporting on some aspect or extension of a collaborative project, provided the collaborator or collaborators are agreeable. Interim reports on progress are due as follows:

Wednesday, January 29, 4:00 pm:

Turn in a written pre-proposal, consisting of a brief outline of your topic, methods, and goals, on the order of 2-3 pages.

Wednesday, February 12, 4:00 pm:

Turn in a formal proposal that will serve as a basis for a "contract" between you and me, stipulating precisely the nature of the problem that you have been investigating, and what will be deemed "worthwhile progress" by the end of the semester. You should provide sufficient articulation of the background literature to clarify why the problem you have chosen is an interesting one, and why the solution that you are investigating holds promise. You should also state what you anticipate will be the most difficult or time-consuming aspects of your research, and provide a realistic time-table for achieving specific interim objectives. This report should be on the order of 6-8 pages in length.

Monday, February 17, 4:00 pm:

You MUST turn in a complete draft of your talk -- to be delivered on Feb 20 as explained below -- in the form of "thumbnails" of your visuals. STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT TURNED IN A TALK DRAFT BY 4:00 PM ON MONDAY, FEB. 17 WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO PRESENT TO THE CLASS ON FEB. 20 and will not receive credit for that course requirement.

February 20:

You will provide an ORAL report to the class describing your progress on your project. Presentations will be informal, lasting approximately 10 minutes, including time for questions. Note that "informal" does not mean "unprofessional;" any audiovisual aids you use will be expected to be of high quality. In place of our usual Tuesday discussion period that week (i.e. on Tuesday, Feb. 18), I will meet with you individually to make suggestions on a draft of your talk.

Thursday April 24 and Thursday May 1:

You will give a final oral report of your findings to the class. The format will be that of a formal and "timed" presentation, not more than 20 minutes long, including time for questions and discussion. Once again, you will be required to turn in a complete draft of your talk at least 5 days in advance of your presentation.

Tuesday, May 6:

Final written reports are due. Reports are to be in polished form, and in a style that conforms to "instructions to authors" for some internationally recognized journal.

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