In general, Directed Research is a form of self-motivated research that we conduct in collaboration. As the professor, part of my responsibility is to manage the process, which includes bringing relationships between time and accomplishment into focus. Students registered for 485/691 have the following responsibilities and deliverables. Each of these must be submitted in written form, and through an oral presentation. We will need to negotiate an agreement about each plan.

• First week of class: submit project plan (a time line of connected deliverables+dates), including conceptual, software & hardware development milestones, studies to be performed, references to read, and conferences to submit results to. While the plan is obviously not cast in stone, it is a blueprint, which will set a level of expectations.
• Mid term report: during the 6th or 7th week of the semester. This includes a formal research paper on what has been accomplished so far, which should include an unusually long and detailed future work section. This paper is a first draft of the Final Report. It also includes a revised version of the project plan (all components).
• Final report. This should include a research paper about the work accomplished, in a form suitable for publication. Except in the case of graduating students, it should also include a plan for future work.

Thesis students should clearly express how the work to be undertaken will contribute to thesis deliverables.

It is the student's responsibility (and not the professor's!) to schedule these sessions. Note: failure to do this is likely to result in an unsatisfactory grade.