So, you are an IT student and working on your final year project, huh? It’s good to hear that you have finally come to the end of a dreadful journey. However, do not feel comfortable yet because writing a system development dissertation is not a child’s play. It is such a hectic and arduous task that it can cause bewilderment during the day. Nevertheless, before going into the implementation phase, it is important that you develop the intended system and know its core features. Being aware of the fact you are a novice researcher and do not know anything about system development, today’s article is all about this topic. There will be a mention of what a system development dissertation is and its features. The core activities of this type of research will also be part of today’s discussion. So, let’s get started.
What Is System Development Research?
System development research, also known as system development life cycle, is a term used mostly in software development. In this research, you apply a set of processes, activities, and phases and develop a system. Due to advances in the IT industry, the system development process has undergone many changes. Different new methodologies have been tried and established to date. Although each method has been developed by taking different goals in mind, many of them share common features.
What Are The Core Features Of A System Development Dissertation?
Now, you are familiar with the fact that this dissertation is about developing computer systems. System development follows different ways to reach a conclusion. However, there are many features of this development which remain the same, no matter which way you take to develop the intended system. Hence, a brief description of all the core features is as follows:
1. Analysis
The first common feature of system development is an analysis. This feature aims to analyse, specify, and define the system that you want to build. The models described in this process tell what the system is to do. This feature of the system development dissertation commonly involves two models, i.e., the requirements model and the analysis model. Both models are logical and do not include any implementation details. But still if you feel any problems in the analysis process, you can get dissertation help online.
2. Construction of the system
The second and most important feature of system development research is the construction of the system itself. This phase lasts until the coding is completed and all the codes are tested against their intended use. So, this process can be divided into two more subprocesses, i.e., the design process and the testing process.
3. Implementation feature
The third and the last shared feature of every system development process is the implementation. This feature discusses how to implement the developed model. Along with this, it also sheds some light on the prevailing implementation conditions and the challenges. The implementation consists of implementing the actual code.
What are the core activities of a system development dissertation?
After reading the information above, you now have a pretty good idea of the definition of system development and its three features. Along with this, knowing the core activities involved in a system development dissertation is also mandatory. Hence, a brief description of all the activities is as follows:
1. Construction of a conceptual framework
The first thing that you need to do in this process is to construct a conceptual framework. This framework is the representation of the relationship that you want to see in your research variables. To develop a conceptual framework, you must specify the research questions you want to pursue. Defining the problem is also very important. However, ideal research is the one that is new, creative, and has significant importance in the field.
2. Develop a system architecture
The second activity you need to perform is building a system architecture. Such an architecture provides a road map for the system-building process. in this process, you put the system components into perspective, specify their different functions, and define the structural relationship among system components. Along with this, you must also define the system requirements and environmental constraints that can hinder the process.
3. Analyse and design the system
The third most important activity is the analysis and design of the system. Most of the time, a system’s requirements are designed by sponsors’ requests. Therefore, while analysing the problem, take them also into consideration. The reason is that such requirements have a very big role to play in the design process. So, understand the study domain, the application of scientific knowledge, and sponsor requirements when designing the system.
4. Build the system
After performing all the activities mentioned above, you have finally come to an end. Building the system is the second last activity. Often, prior to the actual building of the system, what do researchers do? They build a prototype of the system in order to test the system in a real-world setting. Implementation of the designed system is also a part of this activity. The reason is that implementation demonstrates the feasibility and useability of the system functionalities.
5. Experiment, observe, and evaluate the system
Finally, your system is developed. However, it is not the end. The last activity you need to perform in a system development dissertation is experimentation, observation, and evaluation of the system. Every developed system is not called a system until it is tested and achieves its defined objectives. For this, you have to run the system, observe it, and then evaluate it. In this activity, you have to take help from the conceptual framework once again. So, compare the experimental results with your developed framework and try to evaluate whether you have achieved the relationship you were trying to develop or not.
Conclusion
Building a system and documenting the process of its building is not an easy thing to do. Resultantly, you must have an idea of all the steps involved in a system development dissertation. This article has discussed the core features of system development. Therefore, read them carefully and develop your dissertation accordingly.
