FYP Advisor Preferences

When you write your FYP reports, remember that you not only have to satisfy the CSE Department requirements but also your advisor's personal preferences. After all, your advisor will be grading your paper. The following are some FYP preferences, as stated by FYP advisors in a survey. The information is intended to clarify expectations and help both you and your advisor save time. It is sorted by FYP group code. If your advisor has not commented on something or if you are still unsure about what your advisor wants, please try asking directly.
ACH1
Preferred Reference Style	Not yet available
AR1, AR2, AR3
Design vs. Implementation	In my view, a report can be organized in many different ways depending on the project.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically, as it makes it easier to search the list of references.
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Not encouraged. Wikipedia may be used for their initial search and information, but the references given should be to more formal sources, since Wikipedia cannot be treated as totally reliable.
Active vs. Passive	Whatever is natural in the context is acceptable. Generally, this will turn out to be active voice, but I am not too dogmatic about it.
No. of Report Pages	I suppose the number of pages may depend on the project size, which may in turn depend on the number of students involved in the project. I have no strong opinions on this--as long as the descriptions are clear.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Demonstrate either hard work or creativity (ideally, both!)
BL1, BL2, BL3
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically
Active vs. Passive	Active
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Technical contribution, deliverables/demo, efforts, reports and presentation
CD1, CD2, CD3
Design vs. Implementation	The design section is about system description, but the implementation section must use specific programming language.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference. Any style should do.
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Wikipedia is okay, but may not be the best, as information there is not refereed by experts.
Active vs. Passive	For scientific writing, passive voice is better.
No. of Report Pages	Proposal: 6, progress report: 10, final report: 20
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	The group must have their own ideas in the project. The project should have enough difficulty. The demo should be impressive. The final report must be well written.
CHAR1, CHAR2, CHAR3
Design vs. Implementation	Design needs justifications on why a particular choice is pursued. Implementation talks about how such choice is realized.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Unacceptable
Active vs. Passive	Use where appropriate
No. of Report Pages	Proposal: 8, progress report: 20, final report: 40
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Well motivated problem, thorough background investigation, structured writing and presentation, thorough evaluation.
CK1
See the preferences of PSAN1 below, since both advisors are pretty much on the same page.
CSB1, CSB2
Design vs. Implementation	Design must address the issues and solve the problems at hand. Implementation must address how the particular solutions are instantiated in the real system. For example, if I'm trying to design a system to provide fair access to the network, the design part should be addressing the scheduling as an abstract algorithm that deals with the fairness issue. It could be written in a mathematical form if need be. The implementation part depends on the system on which the algorithm is implemented. For example, if we use Linux we'll be able to use some specific data structures and some specific constructs that are available only in Linux, so the implementation part must describe the way we go from an abstract concept to a real system that can run on a machine.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE
Reference Sorting	Order of occurrence
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem whatsoever. I read an article saying that Wikipedia proved to have lesser or similar rates of inaccuracy as Britannica or Universalis.
Active vs. Passive	Personally I think it depends on the circumstances and the type of text but for our students and for technical writing and especially with their level of English writing, I believe active is easier on them. So let them first learn how to write in the active voice then they can explore the intricacies of the passive voice.
No. of Report Pages	Proposal: <= 10 pages, Progress Report: <= 10 pages, Final Report: <= 20 pages
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Completion of the project against the objectives set in the proposal or revised in the progress report. (I prefer an FYP with fewer realistic and achievable objectives and that is completed to one with a very fancy set of objectives of which may be less than half are achieved). Setting clear targets that are realistic with respect to the duration of the project. Proposing original and effective solutions to the problem (far away from anything too fancy) Concise and to the point presentation of the results with a well organized and readable report. Ability to adapt to the challenges during the course of the project. Mastery of the subject as demonstrated during the presentation and the Q & A. Attitude towards the FYP in general (some students take it as a bitter pill to swallow while others have fun doing their FYP and try to learn from it.)
DE1, DE2, DE3
Design vs. Implementation	This really depends on the type of project. The content and the logic of the argumentation is more important than the surface form chosen.
Preferred Reference Style	APA or other style not using numbering; not IEEE or other numbered styles
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically by author name
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Wikipedia should only be used for supplementary references; it is not a substitute for more dependable references.
Active vs. Passive	Active voice is fine; in fact it is preferable much of the time. Clarity of the communication is the most important thing.
No. of Report Pages	I would rather read a short, punchy, crystal clear report of only a few pages and lots of impact, than to read a long, vague, meandering tome full of meaningless minutes and self-evident dribble.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Mostly: innovativeness, crystal clarity, elegance, and impact. Also see answer to previous question (about no. of report pages).
DI1, DI2, DI3, DI4
Design vs. Implementation	It depends on the project.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem
Active vs. Passive	Active
No. of Report Pages	No preference. Avoid including too many details, screenshots or code just to increase the number of pages.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	(i) The topic (ii) The quality of the work / creativity / innovation of the students (iii) The clarity and consistency of the writing style (including good use of English) (iv) The oral presentation
DL1, DL2, DL3, DL4
Design vs. Implementation	Design should contain ideas, architecture (block diagrams), flow charts, pseudo codes and algorithms. Implementation should contain: system components used (OS, web server, database, application servers) to implement the system; functionality, testing, screenshots, experimental evaluation, etc.
Preferred Reference Style	I am used to IEEE and ACM
Reference Sorting	By authors and then by year of publication
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	It is fine, as long as they don't copy large chunk of texts and present them as written by themselves
Active vs. Passive	A mix is fine
No. of Report Pages	Proposal: 20, progress report: 20, final report: 60 pages (or as long as it takes to contain all the important results)
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	The group should go much beyond what I told them to do, having developed new algorithms, identified and addressed new problems, and the results should be substantial (evidence that the students had learnt a lot and spent a lot of time in carrying out the project.)
DY1, DY2, DY3
Design vs. Implementation	Design is the "what," and implementation is the "how."
Preferred Reference Style	APA, but any is OK as long as consistent
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically (by author's surname)
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Only when journals, conferences, etc. are not available
Active vs. Passive	Both OK. For active voice, "we" is better than "I."
No. of Report Pages	5-10, 20-30, 40-50, respectively
FYP Demos	Depends on the project and can also be integrated into the presentation
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	20-25
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	(1) Strong technical content (2) good technical writing and presentation (3) progress managed well
FL1, FL2
Design vs. Implementation	Design is about how one approaches the problem and has the high level structure of the proposed solution. Implementation is about how one actually implements it with a tool/programming language.
Preferred Reference Style	I'm not too picky about this, as long as it is done consistently.
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Can be a reference but should not be the only reference
Active vs. Passive	Both have their roles
No. of Report Pages	The number of pages is not important to me
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Good ideas, good writing, and technical depth
FR1, FR2, FR3
Design vs. Implementation	I usually do not make a distinction. Design needs to use some methodology, so the methodology can be described together with the design.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	O.K., as long as it is not overused or used exclusively. Wikipedia is OK as a starting point for learning about a topic, but other more scholarly references should also be consulted.
Active vs. Passive	Passive voice is preferred when discussing something that has already been completed.
No. of Report Pages	As many pages as you need to tell about what you did. I NEVER give students a page count.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Very subjective. Usually: (a) The overall quality of the work (b) Having a finished, working product (c) Going a bit beyond what I expected (d) Making the extra effort to polish the work
GCH1, GCH2
Design vs. Implementation	Design is more schemetic, while implementation should have more codes and actual implementation.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE
Reference Sorting	Order of occurrence
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Not preferred
Active vs. Passive	Active
No. of Report Pages	As long as it is necessary
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Innovation, writing and results
HA1, HA2
Preferred Reference Style	Not yet available
HE1, HE2, HE3
Preferred Reference Style	Not yet available
HO1, HO2, HO3
Design vs. Implementation	Not a big concern for me.
Preferred Reference Style	Any consistent method
Reference Sorting	No preference
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem
Active vs. Passive	Active preferred
No. of Report Pages	I don't have a strong opinion as long as reasonable (not too long or short)
FYP Demos	Depends on the project
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	15-20 (about 1/minute), but depends on the style
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Outstandingly attractive game and proposal that shows it.
JA1, JA2, JA3
All FYP report details	No particular preference
LEI1, LEI2, LEI3, LEI4, LEI5
Design vs. Implementation	Design is the basic idea, and implementation is about the details, i.e., coding level.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically (by author's surname)
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem
Active vs. Passive	Both are fine.
No. of Report Pages	I think content is more important. I do not have a page limit.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Some new ideas
LINGU1, LINGU2, LINGU3
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically (by author's surname)
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Unacceptable
Active vs. Passive	No objection to either. Students can choose what they feel comfortable with.
No. of Report Pages	5+, 6+, 10+, respectively
FYP Demos	At the end
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	15+
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Technical merits, good demonstration
LUO1, LUO2, LUO3
Design vs. Implementation	Design is about the general idea, an overview, and key technical issues considered and choices made. Implementation details how the design is carried out in a specific hardware and software environment.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference
Reference Sorting	Sorted by author's last name alphabetically
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem with it as long as there are only a few (less than 10) in the report
Active vs. Passive	I prefer active voice.
No. of Report Pages	Any number of pages is acceptable provided that the report gives a sufficient amount of details suitable for the stage.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Technical contribution and a complete, running system
LZ1
Preferred Reference Style	Not yet available
MA1, MA2, MA3
Design vs. Implementation	I believe Design is more about the high level framework for the implementation. In the Implementation Section, students should be more specific in the exact tools, setups, etc. that they finally use.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference
Reference Sorting	No preference as long as it's consistent
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Unacceptable, as Wikipedia info is not refereed
Active vs. Passive	No particular preference
No. of Report Pages	The most important thing is to have real substance.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	They really get something done. I don't mind if the project doesn't work, but they have to show that they have spent substantial effort on the project. Since I have regular meetings (once every 2 weeks) with my FYPs, usually I can tell if they work hard or not.
MU1, MU2, MU3, MU4, MU5, MU6
Design vs. Implementation	Design deals with architectural design, including the various components of the system. Implementation is about how we realize the design.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically (by author's surname)
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem
Active vs. Passive	Active voice is acceptable. Sometimes it's better to use active voice to express the ideas.
No. of Report Pages	6, 25, 40, respectively
FYP Demos	At the end
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	Max. 15
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Clarity of presentation besides the quality of work.
PSAN1, PSAN2, PSAN3, PSAN4
Design vs. Implementation	Design is the general idea and plan of attack; implementation is the details on how to program them.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE, but no strong preference
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically, but no strong preference
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	For FYP, it is ok, provided that it is clearly stated that it came from Wikipedia. If another more established reference exists, it is preferable.
Active vs. Passive	Indifferent, as long as it is consistent
No. of Report Pages	Usually, 20, 40, 60, respectively, but this highly varies from project to project, especially on the final report. For a results-heavy project, lots of additional pages are needed for detailed results analysis.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	1. Work hard throughout the year. 2. Get a complete system working. Even if they don't implement all the features, get a basic set that fully works and achieves the basic goals. It is better than going on multiple fronts and not having time to combine it all at the end (which happens quite often).
QYA1, QYA2, QYA3
Design vs. Implementation	Implementation should talk about problems encountered and solutions found in projects. Design is prior to implementation.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference but be complete
Reference Sorting	By authors' last name or by citation numbers as they appear in text
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	I think it is a great idea to use Wikipedia
Active vs. Passive	No preference
No. of Report Pages	20-30, 20-30, 30-50, respectively
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Innovation and references: students should be aware of prior works and clearly indicate what is new as compared to previous works w/ references.
RAYW1, RAYW2, RAYW3
Design vs. Implementation	Design corresponds to the conceptual idea for the project. Implementation corresponds to the concrete software/hardware for the project.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE, but no strong preference
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically (by author's surname)
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem. Since the content of Wikipedia must come from other sources like books, I suggest students should go to find the original sources.
Active vs. Passive	I have no special feelings.
No. of Report Pages	The total number of pages should satisfy the requirement set up by our department.
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	(a) The technical content should be good (b) The group should spend a lot of time on this project (c) The presentation of the report should be clear (d) The oral presentation should also be clear
RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4
Preferred Reference Style	APA
Reference Sorting	by order of occurrence in the report
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem if referenced
Active vs. Passive	Should be passive in general
No. of Report Pages	Unlimited in my opinion
FYP Demos	Mixed, depending on the project
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	Depends - rough guideline: 20-30
SC1, SC2, SC3, SC4
Design vs. Implementation	Design refers to the architecture by which the target system is to be implemented. Implementation refers to the techniques and approaches by which the FYP is to be carried out.
Preferred Reference Style	IEEE or APA
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically (by author's surname)
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Better to be complemented by formal sources
Active vs. Passive	It is fine to write some sentences in passive voice.
No. of Report Pages	10-20, 24-40, 30-60, respectively; larger groups should submit reports with richer content
FYP Demos	Alongside with the presentation
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	Keep the PowerPoint presentation less than 40 minutes
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Demonstrate good problem solving techniques, good presentation and well-written reports.
TA1, TA2, TA3
Design vs. Implementation	For most graphics projects (not game projects), there is no "Design" section. The students are asked to implement a system proposed in a recent research paper.
Preferred Reference Style	No preference
Reference Sorting	No preference
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	Why not?
Active vs. Passive	Active voice mostly - concise and easy to read
No. of Report Pages	~10, 20, 30, respectively
FYP Demos	Depends on the project; if possible show a captured video at the beginning to demonstrate what the project is about.
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	~20
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Accomplish something that is technically challenging or come up with an innovative idea.
WIL1, WIL2, WIL3
Design vs. Implementation	Design - system overview, data view, e.g.. ERD, DFD, etc.; implementation - approaches, plan of experiments, using the models
Preferred Reference Style	No special preference
Reference Sorting	Alphabetically (by author's surname)
Feelings on Using Wikipedia	No problem
Active vs. Passive	No problem for both but try not to use 'I' in active voice. In scientific work, we use 'we' in active voice.
No. of Report Pages	10-20, 20-30, 30-40, respectively (but it really depends on the nature of the topics)
FYP Demos	At the end
How Many Slides in PowerPt?	20-30
Key Factors in A or A+ Paper	Innovations, well-presented everything in demo, good command of English