Innovation, Research and Development (IRD)

Website Development
Vickery Kumar - 2021299
Suyash Kumar - 2021293
Pourav Surya - 2021271
April 29, 2024

BTP report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the De-
gree of B.Tech. in Computer Science & Engineering

BTP Track: Engineering

BTP Advisor: Dr. Puspendra Singh

Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, New

Delhi

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 Student’s Declaration
I hereby declare that the work presented in the report entitled “Innovation,
Research and Development (IRD) IIITD Website Development” submitted by
me for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of
Technology in Computer Science & Engineering at Indraprastha Institute of
Information Technology, Delhi, is an authentic record of my work carried out
under guidance of Dr. Puspendra Singh. Due acknowledgements have been
given in the report to all material used. This work has not been submitted
anywhere else for the reward of any other degree.

Vickey Kumar
Suyash Kumar Place & Date: 29-04-2024
Pourav Surya

Certificate
This is to certify that the above statement made by the candidate is correct to
the best of my knowledge.

Dr. Puspendra Singh Place & Date: 29-04-2024

Advisor

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 Abstract
Our project offers a specialized platform for IIITD, streamlining research pa-
per management within the IRD department. It empowers professors, students,
and other stakeholders to seamlessly oversee their research endeavors by offer-
ing functionalities such as research paper creation, editing, deletion, and content
management. Users can easily access and modify essential paper details includ-
ing author information, publishers, and titles, year and organization within the
database. Our project aims to enhance the research paper management effi-
ciency, as user can easily collect all the research done by any author at IIIT
Delhi.

Keywords
Dashboard, Table, Upload citation.txt, Form, Editing and upgradation / Delete,
Search the keywords

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 Acknowledgments
I express my deepest gratitude to Pushpendra Singh (Professor, IIIT Delhi)
for providing me this opportunity and their guidance throughout the project.
Their continuous guidance and expertise have taught me a lot and helped in
the project. I am also grateful to Kapil Dev Garg (IRD Manager) for guiding
us throughout the project. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all the
college authorities that helped by providing various resources required for the
project.

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Contents
1 Introduction 6

2 Problems 7

3 Architecture 8
3.1 Technologies Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2 Stack Overview: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.3 Module Overview: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4 Workflow & Website Development 10

4.1 Login / Sign up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.2 Add New Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.3 Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.3.1 View the data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.3.2 Edit the Row in the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3.3 Delete the particular Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3.4 Searching by keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

5 Implementation 13
5.1 Implementation Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

6 Future Plan 15
6.1 Security Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.2 Deployment Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.3 DevOps Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.4 Codebase and Technology Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.5 User Interface and Usability Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.6 Upgradation and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Chapter 1
1 Introduction
The Innovation Research Development (IRD) department at IIIT-D handles
operations related to sponsored research projects, consultancy jobs, and other
R&D related activities. We have developed a centralized online platform de-
signed to streamline the management of research papers and associated data.
This centralized system allows for the storage of comprehensive information re-
lated to research documents, including authors’ names, paper titles, journals,
and more. Key features of this platform include secure authentication, the abil-
ity to update existing records, and the functionality to add or delete research
papers as needed. It supports multiple users, ensuring that individual contrib-
utors can only modify data they have uploaded, while administrators have the
authority to edit any information across the system. Additionally, our platform
offers a robust search capability, allowing users to efficiently locate data based
on various criteria such as authors, publishers, and other relevant fields. This
integration of advanced features aims to enhance accessibility and management
of academic research documentation efficiently.

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Chapter 2
2 Problems
• Data Fragmentation: Research data was scattered across multiple plat-
forms, making it difficult to access and manage.

• Inconsistent Access Controls: There was no unified system for man-

aging user permissions, leading to potential security risks.
• Limited Search Functionality: Searching for specific papers or authors
was cumbersome and often inefficient.

• Manual Data Management: Updating, adding, or deleting information

required manual intervention, which was time-consuming and error-prone.
• Limited collaboration opportunities: Lack of a research paper shar-
ing platform hampers collaboration among students, professors, and fac-
ulty by limiting awareness of ongoing projects and findings.

• Lack of transparency: Users lacked access to their peers’ research

projects and publications, which restricted knowledge sharing, reduced
awareness of the latest research developments, and hindered collaboration
within the academic community.

• Inefficient paper management: Users faced difficulties in managing

their own research papers, including organizing them, updating informa-
tion, or making revisions, leading to potential confusion and duplication
of efforts.

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Chapter 3
3 Architecture
3.1 Technologies Used
• Client-Side: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript, EJS (Embedded JavaScript)
• Server-Side (Web Server): Python, Node.js with modules
• Database: MongoDB

3.2 Stack Overview:

• On the client side, we utilize a combination of HTML, CSS, Bootstrap,
JavaScript, and EJS (Embedded JavaScript) to create dynamic and vi-
sually appealing interfaces. HTML provides the structural foundation
of our web pages, enhanced by CSS and Bootstrap for styling and lay-
out, ensuring a consistent appearance across different devices and screen
sizes. JavaScript adds interactivity, enabling dynamic content updates
and enhancing user engagement. EJS assists in server-side templating,
facilitating the dynamic generation of HTML content.
• On the server side, our platform leverages the strengths of both Python
and Node.js to manage a wide range of server functionalities effectively.
Node.js, with its essential modules, serves as the core of our server in-
frastructure, allowing us to handle HTTP requests, manage routing, and
execute business logic accurately. Express.js, a powerful web application
framework for Node.js, acts as the cornerstone of our server-side architec-
ture, offering a comprehensive set of features for building RESTful APIs,
integrating middleware, and performing server-side rendering.
• For our database needs, we have chosen MongoDB, known for its adapt-
ability, scalability, and performance. As a NoSQL database, MongoDB
adeptly manages both structured and unstructured data, making it par-
ticularly suitable for handling the varied data types involved in research
papers, user profiles, and system configurations. Its document-oriented
model supports flexible, schema-less data storage, promoting rapid devel-
opment and iteration. Additionally, MongoDB’s distributed architecture
and its capabilities for replication and sharding provide high availability,
fault tolerance, and scalability, making it an excellent choice to meet the
growing demands of our application.

3.3 Module Overview:

• Within our system architecture, we incorporate various modules to facil-
itate seamless interaction between Node.js and MongoDB, ensuring effi-
cient data management and retrieval.

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• Primarily, we employ Pymongo, a Python-based driver, for interacting
with our MongoDB database from the Python environment. This integra-
tion facilitates the execution of database operations such as inserting data
directly from our Python code, leveraging MongoDB’s robust capabilities.
functionality and flexibility of MongoDB.

• Additionally, for our Node.js backend, we use Mongoose, a MongoDB

object modeling tool designed to work in an asynchronous environment.
Mongoose allows us to handle database operations such as updating and
deleting data from within our Node.js applications. This setup enables
us to utilize the strengths of both Python and JavaScript in our system
architecture, enhancing our application’s functionality and efficiency.

• By integrating both Pymongo for Python and Mongoose for Node.js, we

establish a solid foundation for database interaction across different parts
of our system. This dual-driver approach ensures that we can harness the
full potential of MongoDB’s features, allowing our application to manage
data effectively, scale efficiently, and deliver a superior user experience.

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Chapter 4
4 Workflow & Website Development
4.1 Login / Sign up
The user login process involves authentication through MongoDB. Users cre-
ate a username and password, which are stored securely. When attempting to
log in, the system checks if the entered credentials match those stored in the
database. If the credentials match, the user is granted access. If not, they are
prompted to re-enter the correct username and password. This authentication
mechanism ensures that only authorized users can access the system’s features
and resources.

4.2 Add New Entries

Users have the option to upload and add a new research paper manually or
upload a citation file containing metadata. The citation file should follow a
specific format, which includes essential information about the research papers.
This format ensures consistency and accuracy in the metadata provided. By
offering these two methods, users can conveniently add their research papers to
the system, whether they prefer manual entry or bulk upload via citation files.
The citation format is the following:
@article{guo2008using,
title={Using immersive video to evaluate future traveller information systems},
author={Guo, Amy Weihong and Blythe, Phil and Olivier, Patrick and Singh,
Pushpendra and Nam, Ha and others},
journal={IET Intelligent Transport Systems},
year={2008},
publisher={Newcastle University} }

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 When a user submits a citation file, the system parses all the data and dis-
plays it for review. Users have the opportunity to edit the information before
final submission to the database. Similarly, during registration, users can fill
out a simple form with details of the research paper or edit the data from an
uploaded citation.txt file. On the backend, the file upload triggers the execu-
tion of the main.py Python code. This code reads the uploaded file, parses its
contents, converts them into JSON format, and then pushes the data into the
MongoDB database. This process ensures that the metadata from the citation
file is accurately captured and stored in the system for further management and
retrieval.

4.3 Table
The table is generated by retrieving data from MongoDB based on the username
of the user stored in the database. In this table, three actions are available to
the user: viewing, editing, and deleting table rows.

4.3.1 View the data

Data is retrieved from MongoDB using the "get" option through the view func-
tion, and then displayed in table format.

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4.3.2 Edit the Row in the Table
The data of a specific row is converted into a form format, allowing the user
to easily perform the "Put" option through a MongoDB query. This process
ensures that data updates are made accurately with the correct author attribu-
tion.

4.3.3 Delete the particular Row

The ID of the specific data is passed to the query through the delete function
to remove the paper. A confirmation notification appears beforehand, ensuring
user confirmation. Upon confirmation, the paper data is removed from Mon-
goDB through the deletion option.

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4.3.4 Searching by keywords
We search data in MongoDB by utilizing keywords related to the model used.
Through the JavaScript function "Search," the respective data is queried from
the database, and only relevant data is displayed based on the search criteria.
For example Author Name : Raghav

Chapter 5
5 Implementation
5.1 Implementation Details

Figure 5.1: The new hierarchy of models for Research Paper Management
• Upon successful login, users are granted access to upload the metadata of
their research papers into the College Research Papers Management Sys-
tem. The metadata includes essential information about the paper, such
as author name, publisher, publication year, affiliation, type of publica-
tion, issue number (if applicable), and journal details.

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• Each user’s uploaded metadata is associated with their unique user ID,
ensuring proper attribution and organization within the system. This
association allows users to manage and retrieve their uploaded metadata
efficiently while maintaining data integrity and security.
• The metadata is stored in a MongoDB database, utilizing a structured
schema to ensure consistency and ease of retrieval. The database design
facilitates efficient querying and retrieval of metadata based on various pa-
rameters, enabling users to search and access their research papers seam-
lessly.
• By incorporating this functionality into the system, users can easily cat-
alog and manage the metadata of their research papers, facilitating bet-
ter organization and retrieval of academic materials. This feature en-
hances the user experience and contributes to the overall effectiveness of
the College Research Papers Management System in facilitating academic
research endeavors.

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Chapter 6
6 Future Plan
For the future development of our online platform for managing research papers,
we have outlined several key areas of focus to enhance functionality, security,
and user experience.

6.1 Security Enhancements

Advanced Firewall Implementation: Integrate IPTables or NFTables for ro-
bust server protection against various network-based DOS attacks. Enhanced
Authentication: Expand our authentication framework by implementing and
testing an LDAP authentication system, automating user additions and im-
proving security. Secure File Transfer: Transition from FTPS to SFTP for safer
and more secure file transfers between backend and frontend servers, despite
potential trade-offs in speed.

6.2 Deployment Strategy

Staged Deployment: Plan for a phased rollout, initially deploying a beta version
to a selected user base to gather feedback and perform live environment testing.
Scalability Plans: Prepare infrastructure to scale efficiently as user base and
data volume grow post-launch.

6.3 DevOps Improvements

Expanded Testing Protocols: Develop a comprehensive testing suite that in-
cludes integration, functional, and security testing to ensure robustness and
reliability. Enhanced Logging and Monitoring: Augment the existing admin
dashboard to include more detailed analytics, such as server usage and crash
reports, to proactively manage system health.

6.4 Codebase and Technology Upgrades

Robust Form Handling: Utilize Django’s Forms and FormViews for automated
input sanitation, streamlining and securing the process of accepting user data.
Framework Updates: Consider general improvements in the user interface, po-
tentially updating or replacing existing frameworks (like Bootstrap) with more
modern solutions such as Tailwind CSS for enhanced flexibility and customiza-
tion.

6.5 User Interface and Usability Enhancements

Notifications System Overhaul: Completely redesign the notifications system to
ensure functionality and user-friendliness. UI Modularization: Reduce redun-

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dancy by modularizing common UI elements across pages, such as file attach-
ments, to improve maintainability and consistency. Component-Based Archi-
tecture: Transition to a component-based UI architecture, possibly integrating
with tools like Storybook to facilitate development and visualization of UI com-
ponents.
These planned upgrades and enhancements aim to solidify the platform’s
foundation while expanding its capabilities to better serve the needs of the
users.

6.6 Upgradation and Maintenance

We plan to work with Kapil Dev Sir (IRD Manager) on the upgradation and
maintenance of other websites - One IRD and Claps, enhancing their functional-
ity and ensuring they meet contemporary academic and technological standards

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