CS 54701: Information Retrieval

Final Project Proposal

Due 07:00 AM EST Saturday, 26 March 2016

The final project (which will be due April 29) is to identify an issue in information retrieval, and to address it. While I do not expect original research, you should think of this as a research project - identify a problem, discuss how you will go about solving it, and how you will evaluate your success.

What you need to do right now is write a one to two page proposal (not more than two pages, minimum 11pt type.) I will read this and provide feedback. Questions you should address in your proposal (adapted from Heilmeier's Catechism):

1. What is the problem you are trying to solve?
2. How is it done today? E.g., what is a good baseline (which could be done manually, but explain what this means.)
3. What is your approach, and why do you think it will be successful?
4. How long will it take? Include a brief timeline for what you expect to have done when - at least include a mid-April "progress check". Also describe potential roadblocks/risks and how you will mitigate those risks.
5. What is the measure for success? In other words, how will you measure how well you've solved the problem you defined?
6. How will YOU be evaluated - what are the deliverables? Possibilities could include a web-accessible system that can be tested, an on-line live system demonstration, a written report, a (taped) oral presentation, or some combination of the above.

Projects could involve implementing and testing a novel idea, comparing existing ideas from the research literature (including a implementation/experiment), or something as basic as validating an existing approach from the research literature (reproducibility) - for example, showing that the result in a paper holds on different data.

Turning In the Proposal

Please submit the proposal through Blackboard by 7amEST on 3/26. My goal is to provide feedback (through blackboard) by 3/30, so you will have over four weeks to work on the project.