M0: Group Formation
The M0 submission in the NHANES worked example shows one illustrative version of this milestone. Use it for structure and depth — your project must be your own.
Purpose
Project groups are 3–4 students. M0 makes sure every project team has a working collaboration setup before analytic work begins. By the end of this milestone, each group should know who is on the team, where the shared repository lives, how communication will happen, and how the team will handle reproducibility and AI use.
Your shared repository starts as a fork of the group project template linked from Canvas — do not build it as a blank repository. The fork steps are walked through on the Week 4 group repository page.
Due Timing
Submit by the Week 4 deadline posted in Canvas.
M0 is marked complete/incomplete. There is no point score; this milestone is meant to unblock the project work that follows.
Required Deliverables
Create a submission/ folder in this milestone directory:
Add these files. All five are required; tags follow How To Read Submission Lists.
group-formation.md[required]repo-access-evidence.md[required]communication-plan.md[required]codespace-check.md[required]ai-use-note.md[required]
What To Submit
Submit your GitHub repository link on Canvas after committing and syncing the files above. In the Canvas comment box, include the latest commit hash for the submission.
File Guidance
Every bullet below is a required field, not an example. One short line per field is enough.
group-formation.md should include:
- group name
- student names
- GitHub usernames
- one-sentence project area or dataset interest
- primary repository owner
repo-access-evidence.md should include:
- shared repository link
- confirmation that all group members can view the repo
- confirmation that all group members can open the repo in Codespaces or a local equivalent
communication-plan.md should include:
- primary communication channel
- expected response window
- weekly check-in plan
- how the group will document decisions
codespace-check.md should include:
- who tested the repository
- what command or render was tested
- whether the test passed
- any setup issue and the planned fix
ai-use-note.md should include:
- whether AI tools were used to draft the group plan
- what the group verified independently
- what the group will not outsource to AI
Reproducibility Expectations
Use relative paths and keep project files inside the shared repository. If a group member needs a package, script, or external file to reproduce work, document it in the repository README before the next milestone.
AI-Use Expectations
AI tools may help draft communication norms or check clarity. The team remains responsible for verifying repository access, Codespaces setup, project scope, and all submitted claims.
Grading Checklist
This milestone is marked complete when:
- all group members are listed with GitHub usernames
- shared repository access is documented
- communication norms are specific enough to use
- Codespaces or local setup has been tested
- AI-use expectations are acknowledged
- files are committed, synced, and linked through Canvas
Definition Of Done
M0 is done when every group member can reach the shared repository, knows the team communication plan, and can explain how the project will be kept reproducible from this point forward.