Your starting point for Project Information Retrieval 2005/2006. General aspects of the course are discussed on this page. Details of individual projects are or will be made available on separate pages.

Set-up|Requirements|Projects|Aims|Schedule|Assessment|Material

Set up

The 2005/2006 edition of Project Information Retrieval is organized as a number of group projects. After introductory lectures during the first few days of the Project Information Retrieval, the groups or teams will set their own agenda to achieve their team project's task. Each team involves 6 to 10 people, and each team has its own coach with whom the team meets several times a week. Teams are formed on day 1 of Semester 1, block c, during the first morning. Please note that the composition of teams will be determined by the course organizers.

It is absolutely essential that you show up on day one when project teams are formed, and that you fully participate from the start. Students that fail to show up on day one for no valid reason (as determined by the studie-adviseur) will not be admitted to this course.

Entry level requirements

This course is primarily aimed at third year Informatiekunde students, who should have completed Java, Statistiek, Databases, Data Mining. This is a rigid requirement that will be enforced very strictly; only so-called "oude programma"-studenten who have been instructed to take Project Information Retrieval as a substitute course are exempt from this requirement; a list of exemptions will be made available.

Coaches and project themes

A set of 9 project themes has been defined; consult the projects page for details.

Course aims

Subject specific knowledge and skills:

  • To understand basic information retrieval concepts
  • To understand the principles and theory underpinning information retrieval models
  • To understand next generation information access methods.
  • To use and, where appropriate adapt and/or develop, appropriate software.

Cognitive abilities and non-subject specific skills:

  • To use appropriate computing tools to process data
  • To develop personnel communication skills, both verbal and written
  • To work in teams
  • To carry out, plan, organize, and document a complex and information-rich task
  • To enhance analytical skills
  • To research, summarize and present domain specific literature

Schedule

Details are available on the schedule page. Briefly, Project IR will start with a number of traditional lectures (hoorcollege's) during the first few days of blok c (January 9-11), after which project teams, as defined on day 1, organize themselves and set their own agendas and meetings. There will be weekly deliverables, as well as a final written report (due on February 2) and a final oral presentation (February 3).

Assessment

Project teams will be assessed based on a number of aspects, including team work, written reporting (both during the project and final), planning and project management, the extent to which the project's goals have been met, as well as final oral presentation. Details are available on the assessment page. In addition, one team will be given an award. Details are available on the assessment page.

Course material