The course project will give you an opportunity to apply network analysis techniques to a real problem in one of four fields: 

1. sustainability,
   
2. biology,
   
3. policy, or
   
4. physics. 

Identify a problem within one of these fields that can be either formulated as a relational network or for which you can apply network analysis techniques.  Focus on choosing a problem that will have a measurable positive impact to society.  You must be able to articulate the impact that solving this problem will have to this other field and to society in general. 

You should work with 2-3 other students in the course.  A three-person team will be expected to do significantly more work than a two-person team.

There will be several deliverables required as part of the project:

• Initial proposal -- The initial proposal will describe (1) the problem your group plans to address, (2) the motivation behind the project, (3) its expected impact, (4) your initial data sources, (5) your initial approach, and (6) a bibliography of intended readings and related projects.  Since you may wish to use techniques that we haven't yet covered in class, it is your responsibility to read ahead and gain familiarity with these techniques in order to incorporate them into your initial approach.

• Specification/design report -- This report will provide significant details on the project, including details on the solution, breakdown of work, a timeline to completion, an annotated bibliography, and will demonstrate significant progress toward being able to carry out the project.

• Final report and project submission -- The final report will describe the project in detail, analyze its predicted or actual impact, and reflect on lessons learned.
  

On many of these components, you and your groups members will be required to document the breakdown of work for assignment of credit.  This will also include peer reviews of your work from your other group members.