Overview
This unit is specifically designed so that students can apply the processes of research investigation through the analysis of, reflection on and critique of, an area of their professional practice. The unit uses a problem-based learning approach within an authentic workplace learning environment. This ensures students are undertaking an investigation that is relevant to the needs of industry. Students will apply an appropriate research methodology that suits their research problem. At the end of this unit, students will have developed a project plan that they will implement in the follow-on unit Engineering Research Project Implementation.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must have completed a minimum of 36 credit points and approval of head of course or delegate is required. Students must have a project topic and academic supervisor before they can be enrolled.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2018
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
Supervisor gave time when required, unit profile was clearly defined, happy with the unit.
This practice will be maintained.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
Difference in expectations between unit supervisor and unit coordinator.
More interaction between supervisor and coordinator will be arranged for maintaining consistent expectation from students.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
Regular class for this subject and on-going monitoring needed.
More frequent lectures and workshops will be taken for on-going monitoring of progress.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
Information should be given in the early weeks.
The delay of providing information was due to delay in an enrolment issue and process. Early classes/workshops will be provided in the coming years.
- Identify a suitable problem related to the study discipline
- Develop a research question including identifying key words
- Conduct an indepth review of related literature
- Select an appropriate research methodology to investigate the problem
- Regularly communicate professionally with all stakeholders in formal and informal reports
- Professionally present the project plan in a seminar and defend the methodology adopted.
n/a
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Report - 10% | ||||||
| 2 - Literature Review or Systematic Review - 20% | ||||||
| 3 - Presentation - 20% | ||||||
| 4 - Portfolio - 50% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||||
| 4 - Research | ||||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1 - Report - 10% | ||||||||
| 2 - Literature Review or Systematic Review - 20% | ||||||||
| 3 - Presentation - 20% | ||||||||
| 4 - Portfolio - 50% | ||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
e.palmer@cqu.edu.au
a.mazid@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Overview of unit, enrollment requirements, assessment, expectation of continual documented contact with supervisor. Choosing a project and supervisor.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Scoping the project.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Finalising the scope documents, review of progress in choosing topic and supervisor.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to the literature review: purpose, sources of information, referencing, reviewing a document.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Review of engineering databases: types of documents, peer reviewed conferences, journals, books, standards. Assessing the quality of a reference. Keeping it relevant., Review of progress and draft literature reviews
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Writing the methodology section: What to include, connection with the scope and literature review.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Draft literature review due
Draft Literature Review Due: Week 6 Friday (20 Apr 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Review of progress, review of draft methodologies, presentation techniques, what makes an effective presentation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Review of progress, practice methodology presentations
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Presentation of methodology
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The portfolio,what is expected, the format. Risk assessments, The Gantt chart.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Review of draft portfolios, review of progress
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Planning portfolio due
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
You need to have found a supervisor and project BEFORE enrolment is approved. A list of projects will be circulated and presented in week 1.
1 Report
This is a draft of the scope of your project. This needs to introduce the topic and define the area you will work in, the stakeholders, and the deliverables. Lectures will be given on scoping and it is crucial that you attend.
Week 4 Thursday (29 Mar 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 6 Friday (20 Apr 2018)
1. Clarity of the scope, identification of stakeholders, inclusions and exclusions, introduction to topic and importance.
2. Spelling, grammar, professional formatting.
- Identify a suitable problem related to the study discipline
- Develop a research question including identifying key words
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
2 Literature Review or Systematic Review
This is a draft of the literature review of the planning portfolio. It needs to reference relevant sources of high quality and should drive the project methodology.
Week 6 Friday (20 Apr 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 8 Friday (4 May 2018)
1. quality of sources
2. relevance to project
3. synthesis of sources into forming methodology
4. formatting, spelling grammar
- Conduct an indepth review of related literature
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Research
3 Presentation
Oral presentation of draft methodology to be used in the implementation phase of your project.
Week 9 Wednesday (9 May 2018) 2:00 pm AEST
Exact timing of the presentations will be confirmed during term but it will be in week 9
Week 10 Monday (14 May 2018)
1. technical correctness of methodology,
2. risk assessment
3. realistic timeline
4. presentation skills - within 10 minutes, clarity of slides, competence in answering questions
- Select an appropriate research methodology to investigate the problem
- Professionally present the project plan in a seminar and defend the methodology adopted.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
4 Portfolio
Report giving
1. abstract
2. introduction
3. scope
4. literature review
5. methodology based on literature review
6. Gantt chart
7. risk assessment
Week 12 Friday (1 June 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Exam Week Monday (11 June 2018)
Feedback will be given after marking and moderation.
1. clarity of the scope, identification of stakeholders, inclusions and exclusions, introduction to topic and importance.
2. quality of sources in final literature review
3. relevance of sources to project
4. synthesis of sources into forming methodology
5. technical correctness of methodology,
6. risk assessment
7. realistic timeline
8. formatting, spelling grammar
- Identify a suitable problem related to the study discipline
- Develop a research question including identifying key words
- Conduct an indepth review of related literature
- Select an appropriate research methodology to investigate the problem
- Regularly communicate professionally with all stakeholders in formal and informal reports
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
