In our professional lives, our ability to search, locate and appropriately engage with credible knowledge and research literature are key skills. These skills can be broadly described as research literacies. Their utility beyond university life (and your assignments) means having finely honed research literacies is essential for the modern-day workforce.  

In assessment task one, you will demonstrate your ability in three (3) key research literacies. This includes 1) searching a library catalogue for literature, 2) locating appropriate literature, and 3) analysing that literature. To assist you in demonstrating your research literacy knowledge and skill, this assessment task has been broken into multiple (but linked) parts, which are based on your engagement with the unit content (e.g., unit Learning Guide and eReading list) plus the academic literature (e.g., from the CQUniversity library catalogue).

Part 1) conducting literature searches 

For Part 1), you will conduct and document an academic literature search using the CQUniversity library catalogue. The topic of your search is outlined below (see Literature search topic Part 1). For this search, you must use the CQUniversity seven (7) step literature search process and you must conduct your search in the CQUniversity library catalogue. You will document your search in the provided table (see Assessment Task One Template in the Moodle Assessment tile). You must use the Assessment Task One Template. You will be assessed on your ability to use the search techniques available in the seven (7) step process in order to maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of the search. 

Literature search topic Part 1): Your literature search is looking for peer-reviewed literature that has been published in the last 5 years about organisational resilience in the face of disasters.  

There is no set word count for Part 1). 

Part 2) critiquing literature searches 

For Part 2) you will identify search techniques from within certain steps of the CQUniversity seven (7) step literature search process that could be used to maximise the search results for the below literature search topic (see Literature search topic Part 2). For part 2), you do not need to conduct or document a full search; simply document your response to the three (3) items below (based on the literature search topic Part 2). You will document your responses in the Assessment Task One Template (see Moodle Assessment tile). You must use the Assessment Task One Template.

Literature search topic Part 2): Peer-reviewed literature published in the last 10 years about the recruitment and retention of volunteers in emergency service or disaster management agencies. Based on this topic, respond to the following four (4) elements:

1)      Provide one (1) example of a search technique from Step 2 of the CQUniversity seven (7) step literature search process (formatting key words for searching) that could be used to maximise the results for literature search topic 2. 

2)      Provide one (1) example of a search using Boolean Operators from Step 3 of the CQUniversity seven (7) step literature search process that could be used to maximise the results for literature search topic 2.

3)      Provide one (1) example of a filter or limit from Step 4 of the CQUniversity seven (7) step literature search process that could be used to maximise the results for literature search topic 2.

4)      Using a GenAI tool, e.g. ChatGPT or Microsoft Co-Pilot, create a list of search terms for the Literature search topic Part 2). Provide a short critique (approx. 50 words) comparing the outcome of the GenAI process as compared to the ones you created for Part 1), which used the CQUniversity literature search process. 

There is no set word count for Part 2). 

Part 3) Using the literature 

Part 3 is about analysing literature, plus analysing its relationship to the different phases of emergency and disaster management. As such, you are asked to read the below article and provide responses to the following points:

Article: Crawford, T., Yen, I., Chang, K.J., Llewellyn, G., Dominey-Howes, D. & Villeneuveb, M. (2023). How well prepared are we for disaster? The perspectives of informal carers of people with disability. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. (93). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103785

1)      Identify one (1) finding from the research reported in the above article.

2)      Provide an overview of the actual or potential implications of that finding on one or more of the four (4) phases of emergency and disaster management (that is, how the identified finding does or could impact disaster prevention, preparedness, response and/ or recovery). 

Your Part 3) response will be up to approx. 250 words in total. You must document your responses in the Assessment Task One Template (see Moodle Assessment tile). A copy of the peer-reviewed article is located in the eReading List. Alternatively, it can be found in the CQUniversity library catalogue. 

Presentation requirements
You must use the Assessment Task One Template located in the Assessment Tile in Moodle. 
You must submit the document as a Word file or PDF. 

The assessment criteria for this task are contained in the rubric, which is available from the Moodle unit site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:

• Using standard academic processes and practices for searching academic repositories
• Locating appropriate academic literature
• Analysing literature, including in relation to specified concepts (e.g., emergency and disaster management)
• Communication and presentation

In assessment task two, you will expand upon the three (3) research literacies from assessment task one and demonstrate your emerging knowledge and skill in research approaches and ethical issues related to research. Your ability to recognize and understand different research approaches and the ethical (or otherwise) conduct of the research will underpin your ability to make judgements about the veracity and credibility of knowledge, and thereby, support you to engage with appropriate sources that can support robust actions and decisions. 

Like assessment task one, this task consists of multiple parts, and these parts are based on your engagement with the unit content (e.g., unit Learning Guide and eReading list) plus the broader academic literature (e.g., from the CQUniversity library catalogue).

Part 1) Research approaches

The terms ‘quantitative research’ and ‘qualitative research’ are commonplace in the research literature. Part 1 of the assessment task affords you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of these. With that in mind, you are asked to:

a)      Write a 200-250 word analytic summary about quantitative research. In particular, what it is, how it is defined in the academic literature, plus an example of a research question that could be answered using a quantitative research approach.  Note: You must support your analytic summary with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of peer-reviewed literature.

b)      Write a 200-250 word analytic summary about qualitative research. In particular, what it is, how it is defined in the academic literature, plus an example of a research question that could be answered using a qualitative research approach. Note: You must support your analytic summary with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of peer-reviewed literature.

Your Part 1) response will be approximately 400-500 words in total (note: the example research questions are not included in total). 

Part 2) Ethics in research 

Research such as that reported in the peer-reviewed journal article from assessment task one (and Part 3 below) is governed by strict ethics requirements. These requirements are outlined in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct of Human Research, 2023 (see eReading list). Based on your reading of the National Statement and other literature sources, respond to the following:

1.      Identify and discuss one (1) ethical issue that a researcher would need to consider if they used interviews to collect research data. Note: You must support your answer with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of literature. One (1) piece of literature must be a peer-reviewed journal article.

2.    Identify one (1) strategy that could be used to mitigate the impact of the identified ethical issue for interviews. Note: You must support your answer with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of literature. One (1) piece of literature must be a peer-reviewed journal article.

Your Part 2) response will be up to approx. 750 words in total.

Part 3) Research literature analysis 

Academic journals publish guidelines about what researchers can and what researchers must include in journal article manuscripts. That means that for the most part there is a level of consistency in what we can expect to see in such sources. In Part 3) you will demonstrate your skill in analysing such information.  Going back to the journal article from assessment task one, please re-read the article (see below) and provide responses to the following four (4) points:

Article: Crawford, T., Yen, I., Chang, K.J., Llewellyn, G., Dominey-Howes, D. & Villeneuveb, M. (2023). How well prepared are we for disaster? The perspectives of informal carers of people with disability. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. (93). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103785

1.      What was the aim of the study published in the above article?

2.      Identify and define the research design used in the article. Note: You must support your answer with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of peer-reviewed literature.

3.      Name at least one selection and recruitment criteria potential participants in the study needed to meet in order to be eligible to participate in the research. 

4.      The study used a convenience sampling approach. Define the term ‘convenience sampling’ in the context of research. Note: You must support your answer with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of peer-reviewed literature.

Your Part 3) response will be up to approx. 750 words in total. 

Presentation requirements
You must use the Assessment Task Two Template located in the Assessment Tile in Moodle. 
You must submit the document as a Word file or PDF. 

The assessment criteria for this task are contained in the rubric, which is available from the Moodle unit site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:

• Knowledge of research and the research process
• Knowledge of ethical issues and frameworks underpinning ethical practice
• Application of knowledge and skills related to accessing research and evidence;
• Interpretation of literature and its utilisation in emergency and disaster management context;
• Communication and presentation

Assessment task three expands on the research literacies covered in assessment tasks one and two and moves onto the issue of research utilisation. Research utilisation is a key issue. If research is not effectively communicated, it cannot be utilised, nor can evidence-informed decisions about future directions be made. With this in mind, for assessment task three (3), you are going to present your ideas for implementing and utilising research, plus communicating future research directions. This presentation will be based on a fictional opportunity being offered by a key emergency and disaster management research body.

You will develop and deliver a short 7-minute presentation pitch to the CEO of Natural Hazards Research Australia (NHRA), who is offering funding to individuals who have creative ideas for implementing research. The successful individual will be awarded $150,000.00, which will be used to fund the implementation of an aspect of research from the Crawford et al. (2023) study (from assessment tasks one and two) within an identified community. As part of the implementation, you must also identify at least one additional piece of research. Your presentation pitch, what we will call a ‘7-minute Sprint’, will include five (5) key sections, including:

1)        The name and description of a community context (of your choice) that would benefit from the implementation of the Crawford et al (2023) research. You are strongly encouraged to select your discipline community (e.g., paramedicine, public health and so forth), but you are free to select any community (see examples below). You must be able to describe your community, and that description must be referenced. So carefully consider your choice. Note: You must support your answer with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of literature. Grey literature is acceptable for one (1) of the two (2) pieces of literature, but the grey literature source must be a credible source and directly linked to the community of choice, for example, an official community-aligned website, annual report, strategic plan or the like. You are strongly encouraged to select your discipline community (option a), but you may select any community, such as: 

a.       a discipline community, for example, the paramedicine discipline (and its workers), public health discipline (and its workers) and so forth

b.      a geographic community, for example, Brisbane, Melbourne, Rockhampton or another defined geographic locality

c.       a community of faith or a community of interest. 

2)         One (1) key finding from the chosen peer-reviewed journal article. 

3)         Summary statement about the importance of that key finding. Note: You must support your answer with a minimum of two (2) different pieces of peer-reviewed literature.

4)         An implementation plan for the identified finding. As part of the implementation plan, you must outline: 

a.      Specific strategies you will use to implement the research findings within your chosen community

b.      Rationale for the chosen strategies

c.      Potential implementation issues and strategies for managing or mitigating these

d.     Strategy for how you will measure the success of the implementation.

5)         One (1) recommendation for a future research project that will further enhance the body of knowledge related to the chosen peer-reviewed journal article.   

Your assessment submission will take the form of a PowerPoint presentation, which includes both a written and an audio component plus a script containing the text/ words read out as the audio component. See the presentation requirements below:

Presentation requirements written component 

• The PowerPoint presentation will have a maximum of 9 slides. 
• The first slide must include as a minimum:

o   the assessment title

o   your name and student number 

• The last slide will be your reference list. The remaining 7 slides are for the body of the ‘7-minute sprint’.
• The slides must be visually appealing and contribute to successfully communicating the key messages of the presentation pitch. 
• The PowerPoint presentation template is provided in the Assessment section of the Moodle site. While you may add text, diagrams, images and so forth to your PowerPoint slides, you must use and     not materially change the provided template. 
• A copy of the script (text/words) that you read out and recorded as the audio component. The script can be either a Word document or PDF.

Presentation requirements audio component 

• The audio component is an expanded discussion of the PowerPoint slides. 
• The audio component must be recorded directly onto the PowerPoint slides using the recording feature in PowerPoint. 
• The audio presentation will be a maximum of 7 minutes in length.

The assessment criteria for this unit are in the form of a rubric, which is available from the Moodle unit site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:

• Knowledge of research and the research process
• Skills in interpreting and communicating research findings
• Skills in applying and utilising research and its findings
• Communication and presentation