Assessment and examples
The assessment of the projects and examples from previous years.
Project reports
All project reports are worth 80% of the total marks. The most important principles are:
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Quality is more important than quantity (25 pages of well-presented analysis can get a very high mark).
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You must show your work and present an understanding of the subject.
Two academic staff, including your supervisor, assess your report. Since 2018-2019, the markers use the new Marking Grade Descriptors:
Marking grade descriptors for Reports [password protected].
Project talks
All projects have a presentation worth 20% of the total marks.
The aim of the talk is to provide enough information to understand the basic sense of the project.
The mark depends on preparation, structure, presentation, use of audiovisual resources, and engagement with the audience.
Two academic staff assess project talk using the following
Marking grade descriptors for Presentations [password protected].
Grade-related marking criteria
| A1 (90-100%) | An outstanding report showing an exceptional degree of insight and independent thought. |
| A2 (80-89%) | An excellent report that develops a highly innovative methodology to address research questions. |
| A3 (70-79%) | An excellent report that maintains a sophisticated level of analysis throughout. |
| B (60-69%) | A very good report that shows qualities beyond the merely routine. |
| C (50-59%) | A good report, though showing elements of the routine and predictable. |
| D (40-49%) | A satisfactory report, which displays familiarity with relevant literature and the issues under investigation. |
| E (30-39%) | A report which demonstrates some understanding of the research enterprise, but is not sufficient for a pass. |
| F (20-29%) | A report which clearly falls short of the standard expected. |
| G (10-19%) | Work that displays serious weaknesses in methodology, aims, and familiarity with basic concepts. |
| H (0-9%) | A report containing little evidence that the author understands the nature of the research enterprise. |
References and plagiarism
Providing appropriate references and avoiding plagiarism is very important.
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If you use someone's work, result or idea, it must be clearly stated in the report.
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The reader must be able to check claims made by you that are derived from work done by other people.
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It is dishonest to use other people's labour without mentioning it explicitly.
The University information on plagiarism that you should study is linked below:
Information Services - Plagiarism prevention and detection
In particular, the pages linked below provide guidance for students:
Student guidance on avoiding plagiarism
School of Mathematics academic misconduct information
Project supervision
Projects vary in their nature:
- some rely on materials that provide substantial guidance,
- others require substantial input from the supervisor at particular points.
General guidelines
- Supervision of students begins at the start of Year 4, no later than the end of Week 2.
- Students should meet regularly with their project supervisor: normally weekly through the period of the project.
- Students on a group project, combined honours project or dissertation should expect at least 30 minutes per week of supervision.
- Students on an individual project should expect at least 15 minutes per week of supervision.
- Supervisors are not to be expected to read a complete draft of the project report.
- Supervisors are expected to discuss the project report's structure and comment on matters of style.