SUMMATIVE ASSIGNMENT
Individual Written Project 2
Introduction
This document details instructions to support the development and preparation of a big data project and the associated research paper that represents a substantial proportion of your coursework marks. This document also outlines this term’s optional topic. Alternatively, you are permitted to undertake a suitable research project that makes use of the supervised and/or unsupervised learning techniques covered in the module. In addition, the details of requirements for the research paper including the main objective, the format of the research paper and a marking scheme, and submission requirements with deadlines are also given.
Objective
This big data project provides the opportunity to do in-depth research on an aspect of the risk management of financial institutions. This year’s optional big data topic is shown below for your guidance.
• Credit Scorecard Development using a German Dataset. This is an applied project where you develop a credit scoring models using the German dataset. Your credit-scoring model should be developed using your classification algorithm (e.g. ANN, SVM etc). Bonus: You should also develop this model with and without use of dimensionality reduction.
German Credit Scoring Dataset
Research Paper Format
Papers should be formatted using the template provided; however, the following should serve as a generic format for your ease of reference. The marking scheme is also linked to the format. Please note that the range for the word limit is 1,000 to 1,500 words written in Standard English.
Overall word limit: 1,500 words

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Your completed assignment must be uploaded to DUO
no later than 12:00 midday on 29th April 2021.
A penalty will be applied for work uploaded after 12:00 midday as detailed in the Programme Handbook. You must leave sufficient time to fully complete the upload process before the deadline and check that you have received a receipt. At peak periods, it can take up to 30 minutes for a receipt to be generated.
Assignments should be typed, using 1.5 spacing and an easy-to-read 12-point font. You should use double-sided printing, and ensure that assignments are securely bound. Written assignments and dissertations/business projects must not exceed the word count indicated in the module handbook/assessment brief.
The word count should:
? Include all the text, including title, preface, introduction, in-text citations, quotations, footnotes and any other items not specifically excluded below.
? Exclude diagrams, tables (including tables/lists of contents and figures), equations, executive summary/abstract, acknowledgements, declaration, bibliography/list of references and appendices. However, it is not appropriate to use diagrams or tables merely as a way of circumventing the word limit. If a student uses a table or figure as a means of presenting his/her own words, then this is included in the word count.
Examiners will stop reading once the word limit has been reached, and work beyond this point will not be assessed. Checks of word counts will be carried out on submitted work, including any assignments or dissertations/business projects that appear to be clearly over-length. Checks may take place manually and/or with the aid of the word count provided via an electronic submission. Where a student has intentionally misrepresented their word count, the School may treat this as an offence under Section IV of the General Regulations of the University. Extreme cases may be viewed as dishonest practice under Section IV, 5 (a) (x) of the General Regulations.
Very occasionally it may be appropriate to present, in an appendix, material which does not properly belong in the main body of the assessment but which some students wish to provide for the sake of completeness. Any appendices will not have a role in the assessment – examiners are under no obligation to read appendices and they do not form part of the word count. Material that students wish to be assessed should always be included in the main body of the text.
Guidance on referencing can be found in the programme handbook and on DUO.

MARKING GUIDELINES
Performance in the summative assessment for this module is judged against the following criteria:
• Relevance to question(s)
• Organisation, structure and presentation
• Depth of understanding
• Analysis and discussion
• Use of sources and referencing
• Overall conclusions