During the project

This is your project! You run the show and I support you. I won’t micromanage you, in return you need to be self-driven and self-organized. The aim is that every project can be published or presented at a conference. That means that every project should be novel and properly conducted. I am aware that this is a high expectation and not all projects will need to reach is goal.

In the first month of the project

Please read the rulesregarding theses at DTU on DTU Inside (https://www.inside.dtu.dk/en/undervisning/regler/afsluttende-projekter).

You have to submit a project plan at the end of the first month (see assignment on DTU Inside). The project plan should include at least the following:

-Project description including literature (this could become your thesis introduction)

-Research question(s)

-Data management plan (see below)

-Timeline, e.g., Gantt chart (include milestones)

The timeline does not need to be extremely accurate, in fact there is a high propability that you won't follow the timeline. That is normal in most research projects. If you worry that you diverge too much, talk to me during our regular meetings.

Challenges

For many problems/challenges that you will face during the project, I might not have the answer/solution for you. In research we want to understand things that nobody knows yet. That is one thing that makes research so exciting but also difficult. Embrace the fact that you will run into walls and feel stupid. But do not worry or get overly frustrated, even distinguished scientists have that feeling. I can recommend this short essay from Martin A. Schwartz on the feeling of stupidity in research. Try to find a mixture between finding solutions to problems yourself and asking others (including me). Even though I might not know the answer we can discuss potential ways of solving the problem.

Meetings

We will schedule a kick-off meeting in the first week. During that meeting we will schedule a weekly recurring meeting. This meeting will be 30 minutes long. You decide what we do during that meeting, i.e., you make the agenda and lead the meeting. We can schedule additional/longer meetings whenever needed. For example for a lab introduction, to discuss methods, or to look more closely at the data.

Availability & Working hours

I don’t expect you to be available or work at certain hours or at certain locations. You don’t need to respond to messages/emails immediately, but please do so timely. I might send you messages/emails at unconventional work hours. I do not expect that you will have the same work hours as I do. If I miss responding to one of your messages, please just remind me after a couple of days.

Data management

Data protection

Most projects deal with some kind of personal data. We need to be specifically careful in handling this data. Never publish any data before discussing with me. Below a couple additional things to keep in mind:

• Do not store data in unsecure places (see storage options below)

• Never store CPR numbers digitally!!!

• Make sure to collect ethics and data agreement forms before starting data collection (all informations on ethics are on the HEA wiki)

• If unsure about rules or if any mistakes happen, always contact me immediately.

Date storage/backup

All collected data (from experimental studies, measurements, or modelling) and code from the project need to be stored/archived at the end of the project. There are multiple ways to do that. The bare minimum is to send me an email with all code and data. Better is to handle and backup data already throughout the whole project. If you would like to know more on any of the services/tools and their advantages/disadvantages do not hesitate to get in touch!

• Git version control: I suggest using the Hearing Systems git lab where its easy to link you to my other projects but you can use any other service too.

• DTU's OneDrive: Microsoft promises to host all data on EU servers. At least something I guess.

• DTU network drives: DTU offers multiple network drives such as the O: and the M: drive.

• My groups' own storage: I have availability to a large local drive that can be accessed via the network. Here your data will also live after the end of your project.

Tools and AI

It is allowed to use tools and AI in your project as long as you state and/or discuss with me which tools you use. If you need access or assistance to a tool, please get in touch.