The Data Murder: UEL Edition

1. The Discovery

It was a cold, grey morning when the body of Professor Evelyn Derby was discovered slumped over her desk in the University of East London’s data science department. The room was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of ARCHIVE, the university’s AI system, which had been left running on her computer. The police ruled her death as suspicious, but no clear evidence of foul play was found. However, ARCHIVE has flagged anomalies in the university’s HESA Student Return data, which Professor Derby had been working on before her death.

The first anomaly relates to postcode data. Professor Derby had been investigating a series of invalid postcodes in the student records, and it seems this was her starting point. Could these errors hold the key to understanding what happened to her?

Postcodes:

• BH16 5SR
• RM 15 5GS
• E1 6AN
• E16 1BJ
• NG24 2SZ

Clue: UK postcodes follow a strict format: the outward code (1-4 characters, including letters) and the inward code (3 characters with a mandatory space). Identify the invalid postcode.

2. The Locked Drawer

In Professor Derby’s office, you notice a locked drawer in her desk. The label on the drawer reads “Student Demographics – Confidential.” The lock is a combination type, and ARCHIVE flags an anomaly in the date of birth field in the HESA data. It seems Professor Derby had been investigating errors in student records, and the combination to the lock is hidden in these dates.

Dates:

• 12/05/2000
• 31/04/1999
• 28/02/2007
• 29/02/1980
• 15/08/2001

Clue: Check for impossible dates. Leap years and valid calendar dates are key. Identify the invalid date.

3. The Mysterious Note

Inside the drawer, you uncover a tattered envelope containing a handwritten note from Professor Derby. The note declares, “The truth lies in the date ranges. Align the cycles, and the hidden order will reveal itself.” In a subtle nod to the enigmatic things usually whispered by a department colleague Dr. Carter, the note hints that there’s more than meets the eye. Alongside it is a list of perplexing date ranges, each suggesting a pattern that defies convention. ARCHIVE marks this as yet another irregularity in the system’s records.

Date Range:

• 1st July – 30th June
• 31st July – 1st August
• 1st September – 31st August
• 1st August – 31st July
• 1st January - 31st December

Clue: Think about the discussion on academic and sessional periods, this should give you a clue.

4. The Library Clue

The note leads you to the university library, where Professor Derby often worked late into the night. The librarian recalls seeing her the evening before her death, poring over student records, and Ashby was with her as well for some of the night. ARCHIVE flags an issue with student entry qualifications in the HESA data. Some qualifications are missing, while others are incorrectly categorised.

Qualifications:

• A-Level
• BTEC
• GCSE
• Black Belt Lean Six Sigma
• Non-UK doctorate degree
• Higher National Diploma (HND)

Clue: Only recognised UK qualifications are valid. Identify the invalid qualification.

5. The CCTV Footage

The library’s CCTV footage shows Professor Derby meeting with a shadowy figure in the corner of the reading room. The footage is grainy, but it’s clear they were discussing something serious. ARCHIVE flags an anomaly in the student domicile data. Some students are incorrectly categorised as UK-domiciled when they are international students.

Domicile Classifications:

• DK - Denmark
• XK - United Kingdom, not otherwise specified
• GB – England
• US – United States
• IE - Ireland

Clue: HESA recognises specific domicile classifications. Identify the invalid classification.

6. The Hidden USB

The CCTV footage brings you back to Professor Derby’s office, where you discover a USB drive concealed in a hollowed-out book using the GB classification as it's the only one on the shelf. The USB is locked with encryption, and ARCHIVE hints that the key may be hidden in the student mode of study data. You can that Derby has been savvy, the encryption password is derived from official study categories.

Modes of Study:

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Accelerated Full Time
• Short Course

Clue: Identify the invalid mode of study to unlock the drive.

7. The Lab Report

The USB contains a lab report detailing Professor Derby’s research on data anomalies, and students. It appears she uncovered a deliberate pattern of errors within the HESA data, and ARCHIVE has flagged an anomaly in the student disability data as part of this scheme.

Disability Codes:

• 51: Learning difference such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
• 57: Deaf or have a hearing impairment
• 58: Blind or have a visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
• 94: Did Not Provide
• 95: No known impairment, health condition or learning difference

Clue: Disability codes must align with official descriptions. Identify the invalid code.

8. The Anonymous Email

You examine the student course record and notice that the student began on 21st September 2024 and is set to leave on 25th March 2025—an expected timeline for a full-time course. Yet, ARCHIVE flags an anomaly with the expected engagement end date in the record. You are starting to notice a pattern that students who seem to have no full official record are being hidden in the data.

Expected End Dates:

• 25th May 2025
• 8th December 2024
• 31st July 2025
• 31st August 2024
• 22nd September 2024

Clue: Think about the difference between the expected end date and the actual leaving date.

9. The Financial Records

The email leads you to the university’s financial office, where you find discrepancies in the student fee data. ARCHIVE flags an error in the fee statuses, which appear to have been tampered with. There seems to be several students receiving loans who don't seem to have valid data or addresses and they are being hidden with the coding on their fee status.

Fee Statuses:

• Eligible to pay home fees
• Not eligible to pay home fees
• Eligibility to pay home fees not assessed
• Partially eligible to pay home fees

Clue: Fee statuses must match official categories. Identify the invalid fee status.

10. The Final Meeting

You discover that Professor Derby was scheduled to meet with the university’s Vice Chancellor on the day of her death, after an appointment. ARCHIVE flags an anomaly in the student end date data, which might provide a timeline of events.

End Dates:

• 30/06/2023
• 31/12/2022
• 01/08/2024
• 15/09/2023
• 31/07/2024

Clue: Check for valid calendar dates and logical end dates for academic years. Identify the invalid end date.

11. The Confrontation

You confront the Vice Chancellor, who denies any involvement. She suggests that you look again at everything you've collected, and so you turn to ARCHIVE once more, noticing there are still data issues. ARCHIVE flags a final anomaly in the student sexual orientation data, which might expose the truth. Someone has been using wrong categories to try and hide students who weren't on any other record.

Sexual Orientation Classifications:

• Bisexual
• Other sexual orientation
• Non-binary
• Heterosexual or straight
• Gay or lesbian

Clue: Sexual Orientation classifications must match official categories. Identify the invalid classification.

12. The Final Data Clue

Derby’s last note: "If I’m gone, he’s behind it all." Name the culprit forging these data anomalies.

Suspect Options:

• Dr. Ashby Carter
• Dr. Donald Mallard
• The Librarian
• David Hilbert

Clue: [Implicit—name the culprit based on your investigation.]

Case Closed

Your puzzle solving reveals Dr. Ashby Carter manipulated data for personal gain, silencing Derby when she uncovered his sabotage. The data is restored, and Carter’s crimes are exposed.

The Data Murder is solved, ensuring HESA compliance and justice for Professor Derby.