University of Sunderland

School of Computer Science

CET341 – ADVANCED DATA TECHNOLOGIES (2023/24)

Assignment One

The following learning outcomes will be assessed:

1. Demonstrate critical appreciation of current and new data models and database systems
for traditional and Big Data systems.
2. Appraise current and emerging trends in database systems and their application in the real
world.
3. Design and develop database systems using a range of different database development
tools.
4. Evidence of critical evaluation of the major developments and issues of databases within
the database arena and their support in various application areas.

Important Information
You are required to submit your work within the bounds of the University Infringement of Assessment
Regulations (see your Programme Guide). Plagiarism, paraphrasing and downloading large amounts
of information from external sources, will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely. You should
make full use of any source material, which would normally be an occasional sentence and/or
paragraph (referenced) followed by your own critical analysis/evaluation. You will receive no marks
for work that is not your own. Your work may be subject to checks for originality which can include
use of an electronic plagiarism detection service.

Where you are asked to submit an individual piece of work, the work must be entirely your own. The
safety of your assessments is your responsibility. You must not permit another student access to
your work.

Where referencing is required, unless otherwise stated, the Harvard referencing system must be used
(see your Programme Guide).

Please ensure that you retain a duplicate of your assignment. We are required to send samples of
student work to the external examiners for moderation purposes. It will also safeguard in the unlikely
event of your work going astray.

Submission Date and Time As specified on Canvas

Submission Location Electronic submission via Canvas

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CET341 2023/24 (A)
This is the first of two assignments for this module. This assignment is worth 35% of the overall
module mark.

All work must be done individually.

You are required to develop, and subsequently present, a poster and accompanying 5-minute
screencast which together provides a critical investigation of two current research papers for one
of the following general topics:

a) Use of NoSQL technologies in data warehouses.

b) Query optimisation for Big Data analytics.
c) Cybersecurity issues and solutions for Big Data systems in the financial environment.
d) Using Blockchain to store and process data in an engineering environment.
e) Use of data streaming technologies in a medical environment.

These topics are generic, and you must produce a focused presentation on a current specific
research problem in one of these general areas, in the form of an A1 poster. Your poster should
take the form of an Infographic. Note: If the software you use is unable to create an A1 poster, then
create the closest you can to A1 size.

To do this, you are required to consult current research articles (i.e., journal and conference papers –
you should use the library facilities to find up-to-date research papers) to find a novel research
problem within one of the above general topics, identify two papers which have been published
within the last three years on your chosen topic, and provide a brief comparative review of these
two papers.

It is not sufficient to give a generic discussion of one of the above research areas, you must identify a
specific research problem in one of those research areas that your two chosen papers each discuss.
Both papers should be solving the same research problem so that you can discuss and compare their
solutions.

The design of the Infographic is left to you to decide but you should consider visual impact, key
messages, examples and underpinning research. You must ensure that it includes the following
information:
- a title which clearly articulates the focused topic of your research.
- an introduction which clearly identifies the focused research topic that you are discussing and
a justification of the relevance of the two research papers that you have chosen.
- a critical review and comparison of your two up-to-date research papers in the context of the
focused research problem you have identified.
- a summary of your findings.
- a bibliography, clearly identifying which two papers you have reviewed. You are expected to
use other research papers within your poster and discussion to enforce your comparison of
the two papers you have chosen to review. Use the Harvard referencing style.

It is suggested that you make use of the Infographics tool available at the URL below to create your
poster:
- https://www.canva.com
- You are not restricted to using this tool and you can make use of any similar tool you wish.

You are then required to prepare and submit a 5-minute voice over screencast in which you
present your poster. It is recommended that you use a software tool such as ScreenPal or OBS

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CET341 2023/24 (A)
(either of which can be downloaded for free, or you can use any other appropriate tool) to record your
screencast. If your screencast exceeds five minutes, then only the first five minutes will be
viewed and assessed.

Ensure that you choose an appropriate screen size to ensure the size of your .mp4 file is not
excessive, i.e., ideally your file should be below 30Mb. You must also ensure that both the audio and
video are clear before you submit your file.

Submission Requirements

You must submit the poster and the screencast within one ZIP file to the appropriate submission link
in Canvas, by the given deadline. The ZIP file should be named Firstname_Lastname.zip, using
your own first and last name.

Staying within the bounds of University of Sunderland regulations, you should make full use of any
source material available to you (particularly journals, conference papers or technical reports). Any
academic misconduct such as plagiarism, collusion and paraphrasing will not be tolerated, and will be
dealt with under University Infringement regulations. If you are unclear about how to reference
correctly, please ask one of your module tutors.

Any late submissions will be dealt with as per the university’s assessment regulations which you can
find in the student handbook.

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CET341 2023/24 (A)
Marking Scheme for Research Presentation
The marks breakdown for your screencast and poster is:
Weight Exceeds expected
standard
Title and Introduction 10% Title and Introduction
clearly identify research
problem that is very
novel and has an
excellent fit within one of
the general topics
specified. Two high
quality up-to-date
research papers
identified and excellent
justification.
Critical review and 10% Excellent critical review
and comparison of the
comparison of the two
two research papers in
research papers context of research
problem identified.
Excellent use of a wide
range of high-quality
academic references
beyond the two
identified.
Summary of the 10% Excellent summary of
research findings which
research findings, and
clearly relate back to the
appropriateness of research problem.
reference list Excellent up-to-date
reference list including
the two papers plus
other high-quality very
relevant papers.
Harvard referencing
used appropriately.
Visual impact of 5% Excellent visual impact
which clearly articulates
Infographic
the information in a very
easy to follow manner.
The poster/infographic is
very appealing in terms
of design, layout and
neatness.
CET341 2023/24 (A)
Meets expected Just below Fails to meet Not attempted
standard expected standard expected standard
Title and Introduction Title and Introduction Title and Introduction do Not attempted or very
clearly identify research attempt to identify not adequately identify poor attempt.
problem that is research problem, but research problem, or
current/novel and fits research problem is not research problem is not
within one of the general adequately current/novel current/novel. Fit within
topics specified. Two and fit within one of the one of the general topics
good up-to-date general topics is unclear is unclear. Poor choice
research papers or not well explained. of research papers and
identified and justified. Choice of research poor justification.
papers is unclear with
limited justification.
Clear critical review and Some critical review and Review and comparison Not attempted or very
comparison of the two comparison of the two of the two research poor attempt.
research papers in research papers is given papers lacks critical
context of research and mostly in context of discussion and is not in
problem identified. Very the problem identified. context of research
good use of academic Good use of the two problem identified. Poor
references beyond the academic references use of academic
two identified. and some further references and no
references identified and further academic articles
may have been used in identified.
the discussion.
Clear summary of Summary of research Poor summary of Not attempted or very
research findings which findings partially relates research findings which poor attempt.
relate back to the back to the research do not clearly relate
research problem. problem. Reference list back to the research
Good up-to-date is supplied in Harvard problem. Reference list
reference list including format with some extra is not provided or is not
the two papers plus references added (but in Harvard format and
other relevant papers. not necessarily no other papers have
Harvard referencing academic references, been identified.
used appropriately. e.g.,
textbooks/websites).
Good visual impact Visual impact partially Poor visual impact which Not attempted or very
which clearly articulates articulates the does not articulate the poor attempt.
the information in an information in a partially content of the poster in
easy-to-follow manner. easy to follow manner. an easy-to-follow
The poster/ infographic The poster/ infographic manner. The
is appealing in terms of is partially appealing in poster/infographic is not
design, layout and terms of design, layout appealing in terms of
neatness. and neatness. design, layout and
neatness.
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