Unit information: Research Project in 2022/23

Unit name	Research Project
Unit code	COMSM0033
Credit points	60
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Awais Rashid
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	COMSM0030, COMSM0031, COMSM0032
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	School of Computer Science
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Unit Information

The individual research project is an open-ended investigation of a cyber security related topic with a focus on trust, identity, privacy and security in large-scale infrastructures. Each project is carried out under the supervision of a member of staff.

The precise nature of any project will vary depending on the research topic. However, any project will require a systematic review of the (relevant) literature that leads to an initial research question and possibly associated hypothesis. With this in mind, students will be guided towards choosing an appropriate methodology to tackling the identified open problem. Research question, hypothesis and methodology typically get refined over the course of the project as the students’ understanding becomes increasingly sophisticated. An important element of the individual project is to systematically evaluate this process, paying particular attention to responsible innovation, and eventually producing a clear and coherent write up. Projects may involve the design of hardware, software, experiments, a study, etc.

The aim of the unit is to develop independent research skills including:

• systematically identifying and studying a body of literature on a cyber security topic related to trust, identity, privacy and security in large-scale infrastructures;
• identifying an open research problem;
• undertaking research (e.g., a study, development of a novel prototype, experimental work) to address the research problem;
• systematically describe the process and outcome of the research in the form an original research dissertation.

Your learning on this unit

Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Work independently on a cyber security related project for which they have defined the objectives and rationale.
2. Apply cyber security knowledge a specific problem pertaining to large-scale infrastructures, which may be related to human, organisational or technical factors.
3. Effectively communicate their conclusions in terms of their motivation, methodology, results and relation existing work (both in written and verbal form).

How you will learn

The unit does not have any taught elements. Students meet weekly with supervisors to discuss progress.

How you will be assessed

Dissertation: (75%) (ILO 1, 2, and partially 3)

Viva voce: (25%) (ILO 3)

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. COMSM0033).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.