Prepare a literature review framework (~1000 words) that defines the scope of your literature search and provides a clear description of the criteria used to select literature relevant to your area of research. Explain the criteria for selecting the literature, search engines used, journals searched, search terms used, date range, inclusion/exclusion criteria. Develop a diagram showing how the search was conducted and the number of articles it returned. It would be expected that the literature sourced for this assignment would be relevant to assessment items 2, 3 and 4 in this unit. You can choose any standard referencing style, but it must be consistent throughout the entire assignment. Check with your Research Supervisor(s) about which referencing style you should be using for your thesis. Gaining the assistance of CQU Library staff is expected for this assignment.

Title Page

Please ensure that your assignment has a cover page with the unit code, assessment number, proposed thesis title (no more than 25 words, which should be descriptive and unambiguous), your name, student number, student email address, name of the course you are enrolled in (e.g., Masters, Professional Doctorate or Doctor of Philosophy), assessment due date, name(s) of Research Supervisor(s), and Unit Coordinator. If you have an approved assessment extension this needs to be noted on the title page. Add acknowledgements of re-using previous work if applicable.Specify the referencing style you are using (e.g., APA, Harvard, Turabian, Vancouver, IEEE, AGLC, etc.) and provide a short justification for why you are using that style. For example: Supervisor recommended, Style mainly used in this discipline, (or similar). Include the date/s you shared the draft of your assignment with your supervisors and the date you had an appointment with the Library.

Make sure that you send a draft of your assessment to your supervisors well before the Due Date so they have time to provide you with feedback to improve the final draft of your assessment. Include on the assignment cover page the date you first provided a draft of the assignment to your supervisor and any other subsequent dates. Also include the date you had a meeting with a librarian to discuss your search strategy.

Introduction to the assignment

In this section briefly introduce your proposed research project to provide the context for your literature search. Provide a brief discussion on why a search strategy would be needed for finding relevant literature and the benefits of a structure behind your search. Outline assistance provided by the library to assist your search.

Scope of the literature search

Define the scope of your literature search. Provide a clear description of the criteria used to select the literature (data bases searched, journals searched, search terms applied, any date range limitations, and your inclusion/exclusion criteria). Explain the type of sources used including "grey literature" such as industry or government reports. Develop a diagram that demonstrates your search strategy and quantifies the number of articles your searches returned. Include how many articles you retained for review after applying your inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Conclusion

Provide a conclusion that briefly summarises your research topic, the purpose of your search and the benefits of using a literature search strategy, and the main points covered in your assignment.

Reference list

Provide a list all references cited in-text. Format this list according to the referencing style indicated on your title page.

Overview of the assessment criteria. (Note: All assessments will be checked for plagiarism)

Title page:

• Includes all required information
• Justifies the choice of referencing style
• Lists the date of your appointment with a librarian
• Provides the date/s assignment was shared with supervisor/s

• Briefly introduces your proposed research project to provide the context for your literature search
• Discussed benefits of using a search strategy
• Outlined assistance provided by the Library

Scope of Literature search:

• Search engines used
• Journals searched
• Search terms used
• Limitations and inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Alerts set on specific journals

Search framework:

• Diagram demonstrates scope of the literature search
• Quantifies the different articles returned and how many retained for review

Conclusion:

• Provides a succinct summary of the research topic, the purpose and benefits of using a literature search strategy, and the main points covered in your assignment.

Referencing and formatting style:

• Must be consistent with stated referencing style

Writing style:

• Academic writing that is clear and concise
• Correct grammar and spelling

The assignment will be assessed as 'Satisfactory' or 'Resubmit'. Re-submission is due within seven days of notification.

Write an initial literature review (~3,000 words) focusing on previous research related to your proposed study topic. Use the literature to support the identification of your research problem and to highlight the gap/s in the existing research that needs to be filled. It should document the connections you have made between the source texts that you draw upon and where you position your research among the extant literature. It should demonstrate to the reader that you have engaged with, understood and responded to the relevant body of knowledge underpinning your proposed research project. This initial literature review is more than just documenting relevant information and what other researchers have discovered about your topic. You need to demonstrate your ability to critically evaluate and analyse the literature and explain how it is relevant to your proposed research topic. It should go beyond being a descriptive annotated bibliography. It should synthesise the literature into themes.The initial literature review should summarise, critically evaluate, synthesise, identify gaps in the knowledge on your topic, and provide a justification for your research project. The review of the literature should be conducted within an appropriate analytic framework to provide new knowledge (for example, a systematic, integrative, or meta-analysis review), rather than a simple descriptive summary.

Note: If you are using Grounded Theory or another methodological approach where literature reviews not usually undertaken, then please complete this assignment by choosing references about the methodology itself. For example: sources and analyse articles and/or book chapters on the various types of Grounded Theory methodologies and use this to justify your approach.

Make sure that you send a draft of your assessment to your supervisors well before the Due Date so they have time to provide you with feedback to improve the final draft of your assessment. Include on the assignment cover page the date you first provided a draft of the assignment to your supervisor and any other subsequent dates.

Introduction (~10% of word limit)

Introduce your proposed research project, define the purpose and scope of the literature review, and outline the structure of the body of the literature review. Highlight the gap/s in the literature that provides the justification for your study. Include a summary of the analytical framework used to search for literature that your prepared for Asst. 1 which should be a description of the criteria used for your literature selection. You can attach the diagrams demonstrating your framework as appendices. The end of your introduction should include a short paragraph that indicates the structure of the literature review document and describes how you determined the themes used to structure the literature review.

In the body of the literature review you should use appropriate headings and sub-headings to break the text into sub-sections. Each sub-section should identify and discuss a different theme identified from your readings that is relevant to your research project. To do this, you will need to synthesise several of your references into each sub-section by critically analysing and describing how each reference contributes to the theme you are discussing. Consider the main agreements and disagreements between the different authors. Each theme should conclude with a clear link and an explanation of how the findings in the theme will inform your own research project. The literature review should be written in academic prose (paragraph structure). Avoid dot points unless listing information.

Conclusion: (~5-10% of word limit)

Conclude by reminding the reader of your research topic and the purpose of conducting a literature review. Summarise the major contributions in the literature and the themes identified, gaps or areas for further research and your overall perspective on the topic. Identify the significance of your research topic in relation to the literature and how the literature will inform your proposed research project.

Reference list

Provide a list all references cited in-text. Format this list according to the referencing style indicated on your title page. Reference list commences on a separate page.

Overview of the assessment criteria. (Note: All assessments will be checked for plagiarism)

Title page:

• Includes all required information
• Justifies the choice of referencing style
• Provides the date/s assignment was shared with supervisor/s
• Acknowledges use of previous work (if applicable)
  

Introduction:

• Briefly introduces your proposed research project to provide the context for your literature review
• Defined the purpose of the literature (identifying gaps on the literature or justifying the study and establishing prior background on the topic area)
• Summarised the literature search strategy and framework
• Outlined the structure of the body of the literature review

Literature review:

• Divided into logical themes highlighting key aspects or background studies
• Demonstrated critical analysis of the literature presented in your own words
• Identified influential studies and/or mainstream versus alternative viewpoints
• Discussed agreements and disagreements among the reviewed literature
• Used strong topic sentences to begin each paragraph clearly identifying the theme being discussed
• Concluded each theme with a clear summary of the main arguments presented and links made to your proposed research project

• Summarises succinctly the major contributions in the literature with respect to your topic, the main agreements and disagreements and any gaps or areas for further research signalling the significance of your project and your overall perspective

Writing:    Clear, concise academic writing style with correct grammar and spelling

Referencing and formatting style: Must be consistent with stated referencing style and use appropriate referencing conventions

This assessment item (~4,000 words) requires you to build on the research foundations, research processes, research methods and practices that you have explored in this unit. Guided by theory, and in consultation with your research supervisor(s), apply a research methodology to formulate a clearly described research design for your proposed project. In this assignment you need to outline the overall research strategy that you will employ to integrate the various components of your proposed research project in a logical and coherent manner. The research design must ensure that you will effectively address the research problem you have identified. It must include the research aims and objectives, the research questions and/or hypotheses you propose to answer, and your philosophical positioning. Explain the research paradigm, methodology, research methods and techniques you intend to use to collect and analyse data for your proposed research project. If your project involves animals and/or human participants please address the ethical statement.

A research design (or methodological approach) is a detailed framework or plan to guide you through the research process with the aim of achieving your research objectives. Research designs can range from phenomenology, experimental, simulation studies, population studies, phased sequential mixed methods, narrative inquiry, ethnography to name just a few. Research methods are the different techniques used for collecting and analysing data. Examples are focus groups, interviews, observations that could be subjected to qualitative analysis. You might use experiments or collect quantitative data via a survey and then subject the data to statistical analysis. Your design will depend upon the research question and the discipline you are working in so it is important to work closely with your supervisors during development.

Make sure that you send a draft of your assessment to your supervisors well before the Due Date so they have time to provide you with feedback to improve the final draft of your assessment. Include on the assignment cover page the date you first provided a draft of the assignment to your supervisor and any other subsequent dates.

The document should be formatted using formatting style (margins, line spacing, font type and size, etc.) in accordance with the referencing style you are using. For example: Harvard has 1.5 line spacing and APA has double line spacing. Other styles are different again. Formatting manuals for the most popular styles can be found on the Moodle site. If using Arial then font size 11 is fine. Times New Roman needs to be 12 point.

Pages should be numbered in the footer as follows:

• Title page has no page number
• Table of contents page, and any other front matter, should have Roman numerals
• Pages containing the text of your assignment should have Arabic numerals commencing at 1

Structure

The structure of this assignment should be that of an academic report. There should be a title page, a table of contents, an introduction preceding the main sections of the report, and a conclusion at the end. As every candidate will have a unique project you should confer with your supervisors about an appropriate format that is suitable for your specific discipline area. A suggested structure would be as follows:

Title page

A cover page with the unit code, assessment number proposed thesis title (no more than 25 words, descriptive and unambiguous), your name, student number, email address, name of the course you are enrolled in (Masters, Professional Doctorate or Doctor of Philosophy), referencing style, assessment due date, names of your Research Supervisors and Unit Coordinator. Date/s on which you shared a draft of your assignment with your supervisor/s. If you have been granted an approved extension then note this on the title page. Also add acknowledgements if re-using previous work.

Table of Contents (and Table of Tables, Table of figures if applicable)

Auto-generated using styles in Word

Introduction

Present the research problem, and the context for your proposed project, with reference to the identified gaps in the literature. Include some background highlighting the significance of your project.

Research aims and objectives

Describe and explain the research aims and objectives of your proposed project. Aims are general statements of what the research sets out to achieve. Objectives are specific statements that describe how you are going to achieve those aims. This should lead into your specific research questions or hypotheses.

Research questions and/or hypotheses (whichever is appropriate)

The research questions should guide and focus your research and enable you to address the research problem. They should be clear, focused and feasible.

A hypothesis should offer a clear and concise statement of what you expect to find in relation to your variables, and what you plan to test. It is a statement of the proposition that you intend to verify through the application of statistical procedures.

Methodology, Methods and/or Research design (choose the heading appropriate to your study)

This section should provide the framework for your research design and include the rationale behind your chosen research approach (methodology). Discuss your philosophical positioning. This should lead into a discussion of relevant research methods that you propose to use to support your research design. Analyse the advantages and disadvantages of each one and describe how they will allow you to answer the research questions and/or confirm/refute the hypotheses. Justify the research methods by describing how they align with your research approach and research design.

Ethics (Human and/or animal)

Provide a brief statement regarding the need for Animal and/or Human Ethics clearance (but not the application). Include brief details of logistics, resources and compliance.If you believe you will not require ethical clearance then provide a brief statement justifying this.

Conclusion

The conclusion should remind the reader of your research question/s, provide a summary of your research design and discuss how the proposed design will allow you to address the research question/s and/or hypotheses to achieve your research aims and objectives. 

References

List all references cited in the text of your document (as per the referencing style stated on your title page). References should start on a new page.

Title page:

Includes all requested information

Table of contents (and/or Table of Tables, Table of figures as appropriate):

• Main headings sub-headings with corresponding page numbers
• Formatted so hierarchy of topics is clear
• Auto-generated using MS Word

Introduction:

• Outlines the research problem or main focus of the proposed research project
• Provides context and background for the project
• Explains reasons for, and significance of, undertaking the project

Research aims and objectives:

• Provides clearly stated outline of the project aims and objectives
• Aims and objectives are relevant to the chosen topic

Research questions and/or hypotheses (as appropriate):

• Lists appropriate research questions and/or hypotheses that flow from the aims and objectives
• Demonstrates the linkage between the proposed research topic, research design, methodology and methods/techniques

Philosophical positioning:

• Discusses ontology and epistemology being followed
• Explains qualitative (inductive) and/or quantitative (deductive) and justifies reasoning with respect to the project

Methodology, methods, and/or research design (as appropriate):

• Demonstrates linkage between the proposed research topic, research design/research methodology and research methods
• Discussion, analysis and alignment of each research method to your research design/methodology and research methods
• Justifies how the research design will allow you to address the research problem and answer the research question/s and or prove or disprove your hypotheses

Ethical statement:

• Clearly identifies if you need to seek ethical clearance and how that will be accomplished (low risk pathway or full application)
• States relevant committee (HREC or SEC)
• Or justifies why ethical clearance will not be required

Conclusion:

• Reminds the reader of the research question/s
• Summarises the research design and the suitability of the methods/techniques to the proposed research project
• States the expected outcomes and significance of the research project

References:

• In-text citations acknowledging other author's work
  
• List of all references cited in-text
• Formatted using the style indicated on your title page
• Reference list commences on a separate page

Academic writing style:

• Within the expected work length (~4,000 words)
• Uses correct spelling and grammar
• Presentation style and format appropriate for a RHD research design
  
  

This final assessment has been designed to help you to construct Section A of your CoC submission. It aligns with the requirements of the CoC Submission described in the Confirmation of Candidature Procedure. Maximum word length is between 5,000 and 10,000 words (excluding title page, ToC, abstract, reference list and appendices). To construct this assessment, you draw upon work undertaken in previous Assessment items in this unit (RSCH20001).

It should be noted that a Pass result in RSCH20001 does not imply that you will pass your Confirmation of Candidature. The grade awarded in RSCH20001 reflects your ability to meet the learning outcomes, which includes generic skills such as communication and analytical skills. It will be assessed by someone who is typically not a content expert in your field. By contrast, the Confirmation of Candidature document will be assessed against the expectations of a masters or doctoral degree, according to the conventions in your discipline area, and according to the judgement of two experts from the field.

Please note that your final Confirmation of Candidature submission document will need to comply with CQUniversity’s Confirmation of Candidature Procedure which has a Section A and a Section B. Section A only is required for this assessment. When completing your CoC submission you need to ensure that you have fulfilled ALL the requirements outlined in the Confirmation of Candidature Procedure.

The format of this assessment will be dependent on both the level of the degree in which you are enrolled (Masters by research, Professional Doctorate, or Doctor of Philosophy), and the discipline area of the proposed research project (discipline areas may have specific requirements imposed on their research candidates). You need to consult with your Research Supervisors if you are unsure. You should also consult the University policy regarding the requirements for candidature of the degree in which you are enrolled. See Research Higher Degree Course Rules Policy and Procedure.

Your assessment should provide a rationale for the proposed research project. It should also justify your choice of research design and selection of research methodology and associated methods. You need to include a comprehensive literature review of previous studies pertinent to your proposed research project and a plan of your thesis (chapter outline). You are strongly encouraged to frequently discuss issues encountered during the development of your assessment submission with your Research Supervisors and/or the Unit Coordinator.

Make sure that you send a draft of your assessment to your supervisors well before the Due Date so they have time to provide you with feedback to improve the final draft of your assessment. Include on the assignment cover page the date you first provided a draft of the assignment to your supervisor and any other subsequent dates.

Presentation

Your Draft CoC Part A document should be formatted with margins, line spacing, font type and size in keeping with the format style that pairs with your referencing style. Pages should be numbered in the footer as follows: Title page has no number, abstract and Table of contents should be in Roman numerals and the main text in Arabic numerals commencing at 1.

Format

Written in the style of an academic report and follow the requirements stated in Section A of the 'Confirmation of Candidature Procedure'.

Title page:

A cover page with unit code, assessment number, the proposed thesis title (no more than 25 words, descriptive and unambiguous), your name, student number, email address, name of the course you are enrolled in (Masters or PhD), referencing style, assessment due date, name(s) of supervisor(s) and the Unit Coordinator. Include on the cover page the date you first provided a draft of the assignment to your supervisor and any other subsequent dates. If you have an approved assessment extension this needs to be noted on the title page. Add acknowledgements of re-using previous work if applicable.

Abstract:

The abstract is designed to give the reader a ‘snapshot’ or summary of the entire research project. It should contain: purpose of the study; basics of the research design; and significance of the proposed research and/or proposed contribution to the literature. It should be about 250 words – one page maximum.

Table of contents

Auto-generated using MS-Word.

Introduction

Clearly set out what you intend to investigate. Briefly describe the background to your study and provide a context for your investigation. Provide a clear statement of the overarching purpose of the study or statement of the problem. This should be followed by the rationale or justification fro the proposed study. Tell the reader why the problem needs to be solved. Clearly indicate the significance of your research project. The introduction should include the aims and objectives and the research questions and /or hypotheses (whichever is appropriate). Provide a brief outline of the following sections of your document as the final paragraph of the introduction section.

Literature review

Include a paragraph at the beginning of the section that introduces the literature review. Define the purpose of the literature review, outline the scope the scope by including search terms, data bases, and time boundaries. Provide the analytical framework used and outline the structure of the section.

The main purpose of the literature review is to demonstrate your knowledge of the research area and to acknowledge other authors who have already written on your research topic. Critically analyse and synthesise the literature into themes that relate to your proposed research topic. Present these themes in a logical order that identifies the conclusions that can be drawn from the groups of references.

The literature review section should conclude with a summary of how the literature will inform your proposed research project.

Describe the importance of the expected research outcomes, including a statement of the proposed contribution to the field of research (FoR descriptors are available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) web site www.abs.gov.au . Provide a statement of how your project aligns with one of CQU's research strengths. https://www.cqu.edu.au/research/organisations/research-excellence/strengths

Note: This heading is from the Confirmation of Candidature Procedure Document. You should choose what heading best suits your proposed research project. For example: Methodology or Research design.

Include a paragraph at the beginning of the section that introduces the contents.

This section should outline your research design, including the research methodology (research approach/philosophy) and the research methods (data collection and/or data analysis instruments and techniques) that you will employ when conducting your research. You should describe how you plan to collect and analyse data in order to answer the research questions. It should be a detailed framework or plan that guide you through the research process. Provide enough detail to allow an assessment of the feasibility of the proposed project and appropriate match with the stated research questions and/or hypotheses. Including a diagram is encouraged to help the reader visualise your research design. Justify your research design with a rationale as to how your research design aligns with your research methodology.

The section should conclude with a summary of how the design will generate answer/s to your research question/s.

Ethics (Human and/or animal)

Provide a brief statement regarding the need for Animal and/or Human Ethics clearance (but not the application). Include brief details of logistics, resources and compliance.If you believe you will not require ethical clearance then provide a brief statement justifying this.

Limitations

Limitations are influences that the researcher cannot control. Any limitation that might influence the results should be mentioned.

Delimitations

Delimitations are under the control of the researcher and allow you to define the parameters of the investigation.

Thesis plan

Should contain an outline of the proposed chapters in your thesis and identification of prospective publications arising from your research. Chapter outlines - one brief paragraph per chapter with details specific to your thesis or a flow chart with broad overview sentences covering the contents of each chapter. Prospective publications - provide the proposed title of the article/paper and name of the journal or conference where you propose submitting the article/paper.

Conclusion

This section should provide a succinct summary of the research proposal and discussion of how the proposed research project design will allow you to solve the research problem and achieve the research aims and objectives through addressing the research questions/hypotheses. Briefly summarise the contribution to knowledge of your proposed research project.

References

List all references cited in the text of your document (as per the referencing style states on your title page). References should start on a new page.

Appendices (if appropriate)

Appendices contain information that is likely to be of secondary importance to the reader. For example: a questionnaire or large diagram or large table.

RSCH20001 - Asst.4 ‘Draft CoC Part A’ Marking Criteria