Chapter 6 of 8 · 3 checks · 2 min
Keep evidence of contribution
If marks are individual or a dispute arises, you need records of who did what. Build them as you go, not after a problem appears.
Keep a simple contribution log updated every weekMust
Why it matters and how to check
A shared document or spreadsheet where each member adds a line per week: what they worked on, hours spent, and links to the commits, pull requests, report sections or documents.
It takes five minutes a week and is invaluable when the supervisor asks who built a feature, when individual marks are assigned, or when a teammate's contribution is questioned. Check it is done: every member has a weekly entry for each of the last four weeks.
Do
- Add a weekly line per member with links
- Review the log at supervisor meetings occasionally
Avoid
- Reconstructing contributions from memory at the end
Make work visible in the tools: commits, pull requests, issues and document historyShould
Why it matters and how to check
Most of your contribution evidence already exists if the team uses its tools properly: commits and pull requests in Git, assigned issues on the board, and version history in Google Docs or Overleaf showing who wrote which part of the report.
This only works if each member does their own work in their own account. Check it is done: each member's work appears under their own name in the repository, the board and the document history.
Do
- Each member works in their own accounts
- Use issue and pull request links in the contribution log
Avoid
- One member pushing everyone's code
Keep meeting notes, drafts and decision records until results are finalShould
Why it matters and how to check
Meeting notes, earlier drafts of the report, design sketches and experiment logs show how the project developed and who contributed what. They also help if the originality of any part of your report or code is questioned.
Keep them in the shared folder or repository, and do not delete them until the final results are published. Check it is done: the shared folder has dated notes, drafts and experiment records from across the year.
Do
- Keep dated drafts and notes in one shared place
Avoid
- Deleting old drafts to tidy up before submission