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-This is to describe how to submit any deliverables for your final +====== Submission Guide ======
-year project. All deliverables have to be submitted via PATS, except +
-for physical artefacts (for details see below). For details on what +
-needs to be included, please see the following topics: +
-   * [[Initial Plan]]: Usually a single PDF file containing the tile, project description, aims and objectives and a work plan. +
-   * [[Interim Report]]: At least one PDF document for the written interim report about the deliverables, but more files may be required, as agreed upon in the initial plan. +
-   * [[Final Report]]:: At least one PDF document for the written final report about your project findings, etc., but usually more files providing additional deliverables, as agreed upon in the initial plan.+
  
-====== Online Submission ======+This explains how to submit the deliverables for your final year project. For what to submit, check the relevant deliverable section for your project module.
  
-The PATS online submission system allows you to submit a range of different +All deliverables must be submitted via PATS, except for physical artefactsSome larger datasets, videos or similar that are only for general support or context may be provided elsewhereAll submissions must contain at least one PDF file in the document files section, or PATS will not allow you to complete the submission.
-files for each submissionNote that, of course, not all file types need to +
-be included for each submissionEach submission consists of a collection of +
-files under the following sections: +
-  * **Document files**: These must be PDF files and each submission must have at least one of these files - this section for the normal written report. +
-  * **Appendix files**: These are additional PDF files, not part of the main document files, that form an extended appendix of your report. Including these here is optional and you can instead add a normal appendix to the document files. +
-  * **Archive files**: These are file archives to provide the sources or any other content collections for your project, that are relevant to your report. The archives can contain any file type and can have any arbitrary hierarchy. You can upload zip, tar.gz, tar.bz2 or tar.xz archives only. But for compatibility any non-zip file will be converted to a zip file. Providing files here is optional, but at least final report submissions are likely to require an archive as well. +
-  * **Other files**: Here you can upload any other files to support your submission. This is provided to enable you to submit any special files for your project in special formats, etc. as an alternative to submitting these in an archive.+
  
-To add files to these sections, press the related [Upload] link which opens a separate  +Submission generally consists of **two** main steps: (i) **upload and check all files** for the submission; (ii) **complete submission** by clicking the "Complete Submission" button. Do not forget step (ii). You can submit as many times as you wish before the deadline (as long as PATS lets you submit)but only the last submission archive is marked, and at most, the last two submissions are kept (if you do not delete them)Any files left in the submission area are not marked, and it is best not to leave any to avoid confusion. You can keep the submission files in the submission area and keep updating them and only perform the second step once you are sure all files are complete.
-upload dialog. You can select more than one file at once to upload into a section. +
-Once you have uploaded a file you can view its typefile sizeMD5 and SHA1 checksum +
-via the provided linkYou can use the M5 or SHA1 checksum to verify the integrity of +
-the file (also see MD5 checksums below). You can further rename, delete and move the +
-file up or down in the list for each section. You cannot exchange files between sections.+
  
-After you have uploaded at least one document file you can complete the submission. This +After completing step (ii), we suggest downloading and checking the contents of your submission archiveIn particular, the files in the PDF section are merged into a single PDF fileprotected/encrypted to avoid modification and completed with any missing fonts as far as possibleDuring uploadPATS provides tools to check the contents of the files and also merge the files. You may want to check the resulting submitted PDF files for any issues which can, for instance, be caused by missing fonts in the original files (this means that even the original files may also not show up correctly on your markers PDF viewers). We are trying to create an archival PDF format (PDF/A) from what you submit to minimise any issues with viewing later on as much as possible.
-will generate a zip file containing all the files you've uploaded in all sectionssorted +
-by these sectionsOnly after you have done thisyour files count as submitted. You can +
-resubmit at any time before the deadline (all deadlines are by midnight on the +
-day shown).+
  
-A resubmission will completely replace the previously submitted files and not +In a submission on PATS, we usually expect a report with sufficient evidence to back up your claims such that they can be verified and reproduced in principle. Often the report with sources is adequate for this. Sometimes you may have some extra data filesvideos or images for demonstrations. You only have to submit files you created yourselfNo need to submit any files automatically createdsuch as compiled object files or binariesThere is also no need to submit files from a framework or development suite or otherwise obtained assets you are using (these can easily be referenced - they do not have to be freely available). Some extra data files may be useful to document computational and analysis resultsetc. We do not have to be able to execute your code from what is submitted, as it only serves as evidence of what you have done.
-extend the previous submissionso always submit all files. Howeverthe system will +
-keep the current and the previous submissionYou can delete these archives at any time +
-before the deadline and also download the archives to verify their contents. If you wish +
-to check the archive before submissionselect the "Preview Submission" button.+
  
-Your supervisor and moderator will be able to see any of the files you have in the +===== File Submission =====
-submission area and your current and previous submission archive (unless you delete them).+
  
-====== Physical Artefacts ======+For each deliverable, PATS has two sections to submit files: 
 +  * **Document files**: These must be PDF files, and each submission must have at least one of these files - this section is for the written report, including any appendices. See the **[[PDF Guide]]** for information on creating PDF files. 
 +  * **Support files**: These are any additional files you wish to submit for your project. They are not part of the main report but form supplementary material or extended appendices. Often these are archives (we try to convert some of them to zip files for compatibility) containing code, data or computational/experimental results. Generally, uploading files here is optional, but check what you should provide with the main report carefully. For final reports, in most cases, we expect to see at least the code. Usually, we do not require any binary files generated from sources, etc. 
 +What is suitable to submit often depends on your project and your report. Please discuss with your supervisor what you should include if you are unsure. Your supervisor and moderator can see any of the files you have in the submission area and your current and previous submission archive.
  
-Some projects may also produce physical artefacts without any digital +To add files to these sections, press one of the related upload buttons, which opens a separate file selection dialogueYou have a choice to use the resumable upload function, which allows you to continue interrupted uploads, but may not work with all browsers and is particularly suitable for larger files. Instead, you can use the standard direct upload, which should work with all browsers, but cannot be resumedOnce you have uploaded a fileyou can view its typefile size, and checksums (to check if your upload was successful). You can further rename, delete and move the file up or down in the list in each section. You cannot move files between sections.
-versions of themHardware or similar physical objects do not need to +
-be submitted, but should be available for demonstration at the oral +
-examination and your report should contain sufficient information to +
-rebuild theseAny manually created documentation necessary for your +
-project shouldhoweverbe included in the archive in a digitised +
-format.+
  
-Anything that fits on an A4 page or smaller can be scanned and +For the files in the document section, you can check if there could be potential issues with the PDF files. You can also combine all files in this section into a single file (PATS will do this automatically upon submission completion).
-directly included in the report as a figure. For documents larger than +
-A4 we recommend taking photos of these and including the image files +
-in the archive. If a single photo is insufficient due to resolution +
-limitations you can take multiple overlapping photos of the document +
-and combine these into a single image. This applies in particular to +
-large soft system models drawn manually.+
  
-In addition to the digitised versionthe documents larger than A4 +After you have uploaded at least one file to the document files sectionyou can complete the submission. This will generate a zip file containing all the files you have uploaded in all sections, sorted by these sections, and in order they are displayed in the submission area. The document files will be combined into a single PDF file. **Your files count as submitted only after you have completed the submission**. While files in the content area are visible to your supervisor and moderator, they do not count as submitted nor serve as extensions to the submission; they will be ignored.
-should also be handed in by the submission deadline to the COMSC +
-office in an envelope. On the envelope clearly write your namethe +
-title of your project and the names of your supervisor and moderator. +
-The document will not be archived, but used by your supervisor and +
-moderator to decide your mark and will be available at the oral +
-examination. It will be returned to you after the oral examination.+
  
-Assistance is available to create digital versions of such large +You can resubmit at any time before the deadline (all deadlines are by 23:00 on the day shown). A resubmission will completely replace the previously submitted files and not extend the previous submissionso always upload all files into the submission area and then submit them all at once by completing the submissionYou can delete the archive at any time before the deadline and also download the archive to verify its contents.
-documents from Frank Langbein. If you cannot take any suitable images +
-of the document, contact him for assistance (to take one or multiple +
-photos and merge them, etc.). If you can take the images, but cannot +
-merge themplease send the images to him by e-mail indicating how +
-they are spatially relatedHe will merge these images for you.+
  
 +**Make sure you check the contents of any files you upload in the file submission area and especially the contents of the final submission archive. Files uploaded via the network may sometimes be corrupted, and downloading them again to verify their content avoids any problems. To verify the files, you may also use the checksums.** See **[[Checksums]]** for further information. (Some PDF files and archives are modified for compatibility and so the checksums are not the same as your local files).
  
-====== Submission Problems and Peace of Mind ======+===== Physical Artefacts =====
  
-After you submitted your files on PATS as an archive (not just uploaded +Some projects may also produce physical artefacts without any digital versions of them. Hardware or similar physical objects need not be submitted but should be suitably demonstrated via videosimages or similar material showing their functionYour report should contain sufficient information to rebuild these. Any physical documentation necessary for your project should, howeverbe included in the archive in a digitised format.
-them into the submission area) your project counts as submitted and  +
-you do not have to do anything elseWe do not expect any problems  +
-with the network connectionthe server or the integrity of your submitted +
-fileHowever, to avoid any problems with the integrity of your submission +
-and to deal with any problems arising from the server, the Internet +
-connection or anything else that prevents you from submitting the project +
-in time (i.e. on the day of the submission deadline), please follow these +
-instructions:+
  
-  * Put all the files you wish to submit into some archive file. +Anything that fits on an A4 page or smaller can be scanned and directly included in the report as figureFor documents larger than A4, we recommend taking photos and submitting the image files via PATSIf single photo is insufficient due to resolution limitations, you can take multiple overlapping photos of the document and combine these into a single image.
-  * Compute an MD5 checksum of this archive file and store it in a separate file. +
-  * Carefully preserve the archive you have submitted or intend to submit in its original form and the MD5 checksum fileFor this you may for instance burn it on CD or DVD. +
-  * E-mail the MD5 checksum to LangbeinFC@cf.ac.uk in an e-mail with the title "Final Year Project MD5 Checksum" from your university e-mail account. The e-mail must be sent before the submission deadline and all e-mails will be acknowledged. If you do not have e-mail access, print out the MD5 checksum and hand it in at  the COMSC office with your name and project title.+
  
-While the procedure is optional it avoids any problems arising from the online +If you have any problems with thisdiscuss them with your supervisors and potentially with our IT Service Desk.
-submission. If you provide an MD5 checksumthen the following applies:+
  
-  * If you have submitted your project online, then you will receive an e-mail after the submission deadline with the MD5 checksum of the  archive (often this e-mail will arrive earlier, but we cannot  guarantee this for projects submitted shortly before the deadline) If this checksum does not match the checksum you send by e-mail you  will be contacted. In this case the submitted archive may be  replaced by the archive with that checksumThis is to ensure the  integrity of the archive. +===== Extremely Large Files/Archives ===== 
-  * If for whatever reason you did not manage to submit the project online by the deadline, the MD5 checksum (submitted before the  deadline) can be used to verify that the archive has been generated  before the submission deadlineIn this case you can hand-in the  archive (e.g. on a CD or DVDor upload the archive laterObviously  the late submitted archive must produce the same MD5 checksum. You  will automatically be contacted if you have send an MD5 checksum and  no archive has been submitted. This is to avoid problems that may  arise from server problemsnetwork connection problemsetc.+ 
 +We have no strict file size limitations for the submissions. But some projects may produce or use massive data sets (say >50GB) that are unsuitable for submission on PATS for various reasonsWe recommend discussing with your supervisor what to do with these and if they are needed. Often it may be more suitable to submit them to a public file sharing/archiving site than keeping them on PATS and reference them from your report instead. In some cases, they may also not be required. 
 + 
 +You may make larger files/archives available outside of PATS if they are mainly supporting or optional dataThese should be clearly referenced in the reportMake sure your supervisor and moderator can view these files and provide share links as references in the report so that other examiners (e.g. third markers, external examinersare able to access themIdeallyof coursethey would be provided via publicly accessible storage without any restrictions. 
 + 
 +====== Submission Problems and Peace of Mind ======
  
-===== Creating MD5 Checksums =====+After you complete the submission of your files on PATS, your deliverable counts as submitted, and you do not have to do anything else. You can verify your submission yourself by checking the provided submission archive. We do not expect any problems with the network connection, the server or the integrity of your submitted file. However, to avoid any problems with the integrity of your submission and to deal with any problems arising from the server, Internet connections or anything else that prevents you from submitting the project in time, please follow these instructions: 
 +  * Put all the files you wish to submit into some archive file (similar to the submission archive generated by PATS). 
 +  * Upload the archive on a private online file share, such as your onedrive linked to your university account (this is the best option, if possible), google drive, dropbox, etc. It is important that you cannot change the timestamp of this file yourself on the file-sharing site. 
 +  * Keep this file unmodified with a verifiable timestamp on the site (at least until you get your mark returned). As the timestamp can serve as a verification that you created the file before the deadline, you can later share this with your supervisor, moderator and project coordinator if there is a problem with your submission. 
 +  * If, for some reason, you cannot upload your files onto PATS, you can also share this file immediately (before the deadline) with the project coordinator, who will fix and complete your submission on PATS. Also, send an e-mail to the project coordinator with more information about the project, what happened, etc., so they can properly set up your project files on PATS. 
 +Generally, sharing files with the project coordinator before the deadline works well to resolve any issues. But note that it may take some time until we can get back to you to sort out the problem.
  
-An MD5 checksum looks something like this: +If, for some reason, you are unable to submit your files online anywhere, there is a further offline alternative to this process as a last resort
-<code> +  * Put all the files you wish to submit into some archive file (similar to the submission archive generated by PATS)Store this somewhere safe so you can produce this file in person or later on via some file-sharing mechanism online from that storage. Ensure the file is not modified (in particular, after you created the checksum). 
-  5be5e4773e92dfb5b2add9b8d562c352 +  * Create a checksum of this file (see **[[Checksums]]**) and send this checksum to your supervisormoderator or project coordinator. It must arrive before the deadlineIt can be sent by e-mail or given in person with your full name and student idYou can also give this to someone at the COMSC office. Tell them to forward this to the project coordinator. Note that it may be hard to reach anyone in personso this does not work as a last-minute option (e-mailing the checksum before the deadline would, of course, work). 
-</code> +  * The project coordinator will then be in touch to arrange to receive the actual file from you and get the data onto PATS. The file must have precisely the checksum you submitted before the deadline, or it cannot be accepted. 
-Please make sure you submit the hexadecimal MD5 sumIn order to +So farwe have never had to use this approach.
-generate such a checksum you may use the following MD5 checksum +
-generators: +
-  * Linux: md5sum command in shell; +
-  Mac OS: md5 command in terminal; +
-  Windows:]three options, among many others: +
-    MD5sumshttp://www.pc-tools.net/win32/md5sums/ installed on COMSC computers as G:\md5sumscall as <code>G:\md5sums -u FILE</code>     from the command prompt to display the MD5 checksum +
-     FCIV--File Checksum Integrity Verifier http://support.microsoft.com/kb/841290 installed on COMSC computers as G:\\civ, call as <code> G:\\fciv FILE</code> from the command prompt to display the MD5 checksum or +
-    * FastSumhttp://www. fastsum.com/ (not installed on COSMC systems).+
  
-In exceptional circumstances alternative checksums that are at least +====== Recommended File Types ======
-as reliable as an MD5 checksum may be acceptable (e.g. SHA1 or +
-GNU-PG/PGP file signatures). But please contact Frank Langbein early +
-if generating an MD5 checksum is a problem for you.+
  
 +You can use any file type as long as they are suitable in the support file section. However, in general, we recommend the following file formats unless there is a good reason for your project to use a different format:
 +  * Documents: Whenever possible, use PDF. Note the main report must be in PDF format in the document files section.
 +  * Sources: Sources, interpreted files, HTML files, etc., should usually be plain text files encoded in ASCII, UTF-8 or ISO 8859-1 (latin1). Other standard text encodings may be used if necessary.
 +  * Jupyter, matlab, etc. notebooks: consider if these are really suitable for the purpose (e.g. PDF files generated from them may be more suitable for showing analysis results) and make sure you submit them completely, including any separate data needed. They may not be viewable by your markers in any case, so are best treated as optional files for completeness/evidence of your work only.
 +  * Images: The JPEG or PNG formats are preferred for compatibility. An image quality of 90% is usually sufficient for JPEG.
 +  * Video: Use MP4, MKV or WEBM container formats. The H.264/AVC and AV1 codecs are preferred for compatibility and quality. Usually the resolution does not have to be greater than 1080p (1920x1080); 720p (1280x720 pixels) is often sufficient; 1440p (1920×1440) or larger only if high resolution is needed. Large videos may be hosted outside of PATS (e.g. on panopto), but make sure they are accessible with the information provided in the report and are not just available to your supervisor and moderator (see extremely large files above).
 +  * Audio: Use OGG or MP3 for lossy compression or FLAC for lossless compression. For MP3, a sampling rate of 32kbps is sufficient for voice and analogue tape recordings, 128 to 192kbps should be used for CD quality and 192 to 320kbps should be used for complex audio sources (containing a broad spectrum of frequencies). For OGG, a quality 0 is sufficient for voice, quality 6 should give you roughly good CD quality, and higher qualities (up to 10) should be used for complex audio sources only.
submission_guide.1317572894.txt.gz · Last modified: 2011/10/02 17:28 by scmfcl