Survey

Assignment: Each student must prepare a survey or research paper on a topic to be determined by the student. This paper can be a case study of a pervasive system or it can focus on a concrete problem in the realization of ubiquitous systems (such as privacy, human-computer interactions, systems and networks, mobility, etc.). A paper must be at least 6 pages long (single-spaced, 10pt font, no more than 1 inch margins) and is expected to provide information that goes beyond the information provided by the lecture and reading materials.

Survey Proposal: The survey proposal should be between half a page and one page long (same formatting requirements as the final document) and describe the following components:
  • Title of your survey.
  • Importance and significance of the topic.
  • Expected classification of the approaches.
  • Sample list of relevant references (at least 3).

How to Find Papers: Many online digital libraries and search engines will help you find papers and documents in the area you are surveying. Your survey should be based on about 10-15 "relevant" papers in the topic area. You can also try to identify research groups in a specific area and if you are successful, you can dig into their work and find pointers on their websites, etc. Once you have identified the core works, then take some time to discover their relationships with respect to each other and with respect to your topic area.

Organization: The paper organization will depend on the topic you have chosen. Read a few relevant papers before you start writing and before you plan your organization and structure of the survey. Make sure your survey addresses the following issues:
  • Importance and significance of the topic.
  • Basic approaches and mechanisms.
  • Classification of approaches.
  • Draw a table or tree to show your classification.
  • Describe some examples of solutions and explain their advantages and disadvantages.
  • Identify open problems and difficulties or possible future research issues.
  • Provide a list of references and pointers to websites, etc.

Submission: The survey paper will be graded in two stages, a draft will be due November 16 and the final version will be due December 2nd. Both draft and final version must be placed on the wiki (in either pdf, ps, or doc format) to allow other students to access, read, and review them. The survey paper will be graded according to thoroughness and scope of survey, classification, evaluation and description of approaches, and reference information.