COSC 5050 Research Writing for Computer Science

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COSC 5050Research Writing for Computer Science

• Spring 2004
• Dr. Rex Gantenbein
• Lecture 5 Writing the prospectus

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Course information

• First script due 17 February
• See course home page for specification

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What is a prospectus?

• A proposal for (or summary of ) a research
  project or paper
• Targeted at the audience that will approve the
  project
• Instructor
• Thesis advisor/committee
• Editorial board
• Supervisor or board of directors

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What is a prospectus?

• Goal convince the approval group of the value
  and feasibility of the project
• Not an abstract or summary, although some
  understanding of the methodology and possible
  results is necessary
• Emphasis is on the expected results and the
  approach that will be used to attain them
• A good prospectus will head off criticisms early
  and avoid major problems later

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Structure of the prospectus

• Length typically 1-3 pages depending on
  complexity
• Some fields expect a thorough literature review
  as part of the prospectus
• Most view it as a proposal and methodology outline

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Structure of the prospectus

• Organization (may not need to explicitly identify
  subsections in a short document)
• Background
• Description
• Procedure
• Significance
• Problems
• Requirements

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Structure of the prospectus

• Background
• States the research hypothesis explicitly
• Defines why the project should be undertaken
• Examples
• Extend results from previous work
• Find a solution to an unsolved problem
• Lay a foundation for further study
• Improve properties of previous solutions
• Should include a brief review of previous work
  (no citations needed)

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Structure of the prospectus
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Structure of the prospectus

• Description
• Defines the approach or research plan
• Explains the design or principles to be followed
• Provides the road map into a new territory
• A complete review of possible approaches isnt
  needed in the document, but one should be chosen
  to present

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Structure of the prospectus

• Procedure (may be part of the description)
• Can include a timetable (if necessary)
• Defines the environment for the project
• Outlines the steps to the proposed results

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Structure of the prospectus

• Significance
• Defines why the hypothesis is worth pursuing
• Background material should support reasons
• Convinces the audience the project should go on
• Assume a mildly skeptical audience
• Remember, you are the expert!
• Note that this can be combined with the
  hypothesis statement (shortens document)

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Structure of the prospectus

• Problems
• Discuss problems that might occur and possible
  solutions
• Seek advice from reviewers
• Avoid last-minute disasters
• Convince the audience you are prepared

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Structure of the prospectus

• Requirements
• Defines what is needed to complete the project
• Equipment, software, support
• Expertise (if you have it, say so!)
• Avoids surprises and roadblocks
• Describes possible effects on schedule and
  results
• This can be combined with description Using C
  under Linux on a Pentium III, I plan to

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Writing the prospectus

• Voice is very important here
• Formal voice is required
• First person is OK, however
• Be confident, not arrogant be optimistic, not
  naïve
• Correctness is also very important
• You are trying to demonstrate competency
• Can you write a one-page document without errors??

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Writing the prospectus

• In addition to a thesis, this outline is often
  used in research proposals
• Funded research in academic setting
• New product or project in industry
• The prospectus is a sales pitch to get the go
  ahead for a project
• The approval group must be convinced of the value
  in the project and your ability to make it work