The Turing research project provides the opportunity for students to engage in a substantial piece of research work. It is undertaken in groups. Unlike the individual project, it is not primarily concerned with software development, although software development may be involved as part of the process of carrying out the research, for instance, to construct the 'experimental apparatus' required for it.

Projects are suggested and supervised by School of Computer Sciences staff. Students form groups and choose a project which interests them (subject to the number of students registered), then refine the scope of the research by conducting a thorough analysis of the topic area and formulating a solution, also with the help of their supervisor. The project is developed under strong supervision, and appropriate interim reports are produced and presented. The project culminates with the production of a publication of the research findings and a full report of the work carried out, as well as a final conference-style presentation.

This module has the explicit objective of developing group teamwork skills. Participation in teamwork is mandatory and failure to participate will result in deduction of marks and eventually loss of credits. Passing this module is essential for being awarded a degree accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS). 

The general regulations for First Degrees do not permit an Integrated Master's Degree student to resit any failed units in Year 4. In the case of a student not passing the module due to extenuating circumstances, this module would need to be repeated with attendance the following academic year. 

Coursework

• Interim Report [20%]
• Final Report [40%]
• Project Performance [30%]
• Initial Presentation [5%]
• Final Presentation [5%] 

• Blackboard
• Unconfirmed practical marks when available

• Have a very good understanding of the process of conducting research.
• Conduct a complete and concise literature review of the topic area.
• Form a research proposal and attempt to solve it based on a thorough understanding of a topic area.
• Write a journal-quality scientific paper.
• Present research orally.
• Understand the process of working within a team.

• The course begins with sessions that outline how research projects are conducted and the resources available to students.

• Group Meetings. Following these, each group will meet the project supervisor for a full hour every week. These meetings are for the group to report to the project supervisor on progress so far, and to allow the supervisor to provide feedback on progress. These meetings should be minuted and those minutes should be available through PATS. Project milestones and interim deliverables will also be discussed or modified. Bi-weekly reports will be submitted at every other meeting and reviewed by the supervisor. These reports will reflect individual contributions to the main project and any particular sub-tasks an individual may have carried out.

This module is exempt from the University's Regulations relating to Intellectual Property which can be found in the University Calendar: XXIII: Regulations relating to Student Intellectual Property (PDF).