Project Cost Log
Cross-cutting log C2. Track every project expenditure to stay within budget and to report actual costs in the publication's methods section (reviewers increasingly ask for this in LLM-based studies).
Hard ceiling: $500 USD total Target: $350 USD total Primary anticipated cost: LLM API usage for mutation generation (Phase E3)
Budget Breakdown (Projected)
| Category | Projected | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LLM API usage | $250–$320 | Mutation generation; provider TBD (see OQ-0001) |
| Infrastructure | $0–$30 | Cloud compute if needed; local execution preferred |
| Domain registration | $0–$15 | Optional; GitHub Pages may suffice |
| Miscellaneous | $0–$20 | Conference fees, preprint server, etc. |
| Total projected | $250–$385 | Below $500 ceiling; targeting $350 |
Expenditure Log
| Date | Category | Vendor | Amount (USD) | Running Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | $0.00 | No expenditures yet (pre-lock protocol phase) |
Notes
- Log every expenditure at time of payment, not when the invoice arrives.
- For LLM API costs: log per-phase (E3 mutation generation, E4 evaluation if applicable), not per-run. Save per-run breakdowns in the execution-phase cost appendix.
- If running total approaches $400, flag in OPEN-QUESTIONS.md before incurring more costs.
- Report actual total in paper methods section under "Computational Costs."