Background

The goal of the project is different than that of homework problems. The project is a research assignment that has a general goal, but may not have a clear answer. You are supposed to use the knowledge acquired in the class, to think about the problem for several days, to ask new questions and to try to answer them, to stir your imagination, and to search for suitable references. Start as soon as possible, and let your subconscious work for you. Solutions will come to you at the strangest times!

Projects will be assigned to groups of two or three people, and there are four major components:

1. Written proposal: (due March 22)

The proposal for your project is a detailed plan stating what research question you will investigate and how you will carry out the research. Do not begin data collection until I have approved the project proposal. The proposal may be as simple as re-stating a project given to you and filling in the details. On the other hand, you may be interested in investigating an idea of your own, in which case the proposal will be very critical.

2. Written progress report: (due April 17)

This will be a short report on your progress. Discuss any unexpected problems and how you have resolved them, or any changes in the proposal and why they were needed.

3. Oral report: (May 1 - May 10)

There will be two presentations during each of our regular class periods. Near the end of the semester you will sign up for a specific date. Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long with about 5 minutes for questions. Each member of the audience will be asked to complete a short evaluation form about the talk.

The presentation should follow this outline:

I.: Problem description. If the project was given to you, do NOT copy the project as it was given to you. Summarize it in your own words. This should take 1-2 slides.
II.: Approach. Do not spend a lot of time going through the math. Just say, for example, we used the following method . . . This should take 2-3 slides.
III.: Results. You may want to show a lot of graphs or tables at this point. But make sure there is a summary slide which lists your conclusions about the graphs or tables.

Some general suggestions:

a.: Make the presentation simple, and do not include too many details. If someone is interested in your work, they can read the full report.
b.: Realize that your audience is the other members of the class.
c.: Do not put up a slide with very complicated drawings or millions of numbers. Less is More.
d.: Begin with a slide containing the title of the project, and the names of the people in the group.
e.: Use a large font, or write large enough so people can see in the back of the room. I would use no more than 12 lines per slide.

4. Written report: (due May 10)

The final research paper should include an introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections accompanied by tables and graphs illustrating the results. Use complete sentences, good grammar and correct punctuation in your mix of equations, formulas and prose. It should be written in such a way that it can be read and understood by anyone who knows the material in this course. You will be graded on your written presentation as well as the mathematical content.

A one page executive summary should also be included. Write this in non-technical language for the reader who has an interest in the research question but does not have any technical training. It must state briefly: (1) the research question and why it is important; (2) the m methods used to study the question; (3) the findings and what they mean; and (4) what action you recommend on the basis of your findings.