Introduction to information systems T. Cornford, M. Shaikh is1 060 2013

2.1.1 Aims of the chapter
The aims of this chapter are to:
• introduce the two elements of coursework required to be submitted for 
assessment
• emphasise the need for you to choose suitable topics for this work from 
areas that are of interest to you
• indicate the methods and approaches we expect you to use in doing 
this work
• give guidance as to the content and structure of the reports you will 
prepare and the style of presentation we expect.
2.1.2 Learning outcomes
By the end of this chapter, and having completed the Essential readings 
and activities, you should be able to:
• develop and document small computer applications using basic 
packages (for example, word processor, database and spreadsheet)
• recognise the need to work methodically and to meet deadlines
• appreciate the distinction between analysis work and design work
• apply simple analytical and design techniques to systems development
• transform a paper design into a running application
• prepare a brief report on development work conveying a problem 
description, a design, and decisions taken with associated reasons
• reflect this experience back on to the other parts of this syllabus.
2.1.3 Background reading
To help you to appreciate the possibilities, it may be useful to look at the 
‘Hands on MIS Projects’ sections of the various chapters of Laudon and 
Laudon (2013). For example, at the end of Chapter 2, an example is given 
of a spreadsheet of purchasing data to be used to help inform supply chain 
management. 
It is very important for you to understand that the written report 
is what the Examiners mark. They do not receive any database or 
spreadsheet files to run on a computer. Examiners do not expect 
any accompanying discs or files with the project work, and 
if you submit discs and files, they will not be looked at. What 
Examiners do expect to receive, printed on paper, is a coherent account of 
the problem you tackled, the approach used and key details of how you 
analysed, designed and implemented your solution. Any accompanying 

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Chapter 2: Preparing for the project work
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printouts, screenshots, database tables, and so on are only intended to 
support the written report and should be carefully chosen and mentioned 
in the report. If you just rely on lots of ‘printouts’ and fail to write a 
coherent report, the Examiners cannot give you many marks. 
In the database project, there are two central requirements – first, a 
carefully developed class diagram to show those aspects of the world that 
your databases will store data about. Second, a normalised data model 
that serves as the design that you will implement in software. The class 
diagram is the result of analysis work – you studying the world. The data 
model, which leads on from the class diagram, is the result of design work 
– taking the class diagram as its starting point. If the data model is well 
executed, with entities identified, relations clearly expressed and attributes 
specified, then the rest of the project – its implementation using the 
software – will follow smoothly. In preparing the data model students must 
show evidence that they have explicitly considered issues of normalisation. 
The details of class diagrams, data models and normalisation are topics 
covered in Chapter 8 of this subject guide.
For the spreadsheet project, it is less easy to identify a specific or 
linked set of fundamental requirements. To achieve a good mark, you need 
to select an appropriate problem to tackle – one that has a reasonable 
quantity of data and an underlying computational model that you can 
implement. The best projects draw on real data that relate to some area 
that you really understand or have researched. Weak projects are based 
on made-up data or examples from books that provide models that are too 
simple or too generic. Remember too, good spreadsheets are designed