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FIT5109 Research topic - Semester 2 , 2008

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Unit leader :

Steve Wright

Lecturer(s) :

Caulfield

  • Steve Wright

Clayton

  • Lyfie Sugianto

Introduction

Welcome to FIT5109 Research topic. This 6 point unit is an elective in the current Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) and the Master of Business Systems (MBS).

Unit synopsis

This is a project unit, and as such, is aimed at students who wish to pursue a particular topic of research in the fields of business intelligence, information systems development, information technology management, e-business, knowledge management, library studies and archiving & recordkeeping. Students enrolling in this unit should have the approval of the Head of School or their nominee. The aim of this research unit is to enable students to have the opportunity to carry out a thorough investigation of an area of interest. The research is done under supervision, and provides a chance for a student to pursue a topic of interest that has not been covered in other coursework units, or to build more in-depth knowledge in an area with which they already have some familiarity but desire more knowledge and expertise.

Amongst others, suitable candidate areas for investigation would include:

  • a thorough literature review of a particular area of knowledge, which results in a report that thoroughly analyses and critiques the major ideas and issues in a field.
  • an investigation of a topic through interacting with and conducting interviews with professionals in industry.
  • an analysis of an existing problem or opportunity in industry, with recommendations for the amelioration of that problem or of ways to exploit that opportunity.
  • Learning outcomes

    Knowledge and Understanding

    C1. To gain detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of a topic of interest to the student which is not formally taught to that level in the course, but would be regarded as relevant to and enhancing the student's studies.

    C2. To develop an ability to analyse, synthesise and construct arguments from a range of published sources.

    C3.To develop skills at critiquing and evaluating others' ideas, opinions and argument.

    Attitudes, Values and Beliefs

    A1. To demonstrate a willingness to present ideas for scrutiny to a supervisor.

    A2. To demonstrate a willingness and an ability to accept criticism of ideas.

    A3. To appreciate the nature and demands of independent research.

    Practical Skills

    Not generally applicable; contingent on choice of topic.

    Relationships, Communication and TeamWork

    S1. To learn self-reliance and time management skills in order to gain greater independence as a learner.

    S2. To learn to work effectively in a close, cooperative relationship with a supervisor.

    Workload

    Weekly meetings with supervisor (or OCL equivalent) will set goals for self-guided investigation and learning.

    Unit relationships

    Prerequisites

    Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed

    24 points of Graduate units from the Faculty of Information Technology

    Entry to this unit is subject to approval of the Associate Dean Education (ADE), on the advice of the relevant Masters Program Leader. An application form is required.

    Relationships

    FIT5109 is an elective unit in the MIMS and MBS.

    Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed 24 points of Graduate units from the Faculty of Information Technology.

    Entry to this unit is subject to approval of the Associate Dean Education (ADE), on the advice of the relevant Masters Program Leader. An application form is required.

    You may not study this unit and IMS5037 in your degree.

    Continuous improvement

    Monash is committed to ‘Excellence in education' and strives for the highest possible quality in teaching and learning. To monitor how successful we are in providing quality teaching and learning Monash regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. Two of the formal ways that you are invited to provide feedback are through Unit Evaluations and through Monquest Teaching Evaluations.

    One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Unit Evaluation Surveys. It is Monash policy for every unit offered to be evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys as they are an important avenue for students to "have their say". The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

    Student Evaluations

    The Faculty of IT administers the Unit Evaluation surveys online through the my.monash portal, although for some smaller classes there may be alternative evaluations conducted in class.

    If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to http://www.monash.edu.au/unit-evaluation-reports/

    Over the past few years the Faculty of Information Technology has made a number of improvements to its courses as a result of unit evaluation feedback. Some of these include systematic analysis and planning of unit improvements, and consistent assignment return guidelines.

    Monquest Teaching Evaluation surveys may be used by some of your academic staff this semester. They are administered by the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) and may be completed in class with a facilitator or on-line through the my.monash portal. The data provided to lecturers is completely anonymous. Monquest surveys provide academic staff with evidence of the effectiveness of their teaching and identify areas for improvement. Individual Monquest reports are confidential, however, you can see the summary results of Monquest evaluations for 2006 at http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/evaluations/monquest/profiles/index.html

    Unit staff - contact details

    Unit leader

    Dr Steven Wright
    Senior Lecturer
    Phone +61 3 990 32994

    Lecturer(s) :

    Dr Steven Wright
    Senior Lecturer
    Phone +61 3 990 32994
    Lyfie Sugianto

    Teaching and learning method

    Research is done under supervision, and provides a chance for a student to pursue a topic of interest that has not been covered in other coursework units, or to build more in-depth knowledge in an area with which they already have some familiarity but desire more knowledge and expertise.

    Communication, participation and feedback

    Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

    It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

    Unit Schedule

    Week Topic Key dates
    1 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    2 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    3 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    4 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    5 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    6 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    7 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    8 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    9 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    10 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    11 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    Mid semester break
    12 To be negotiated with supervisor  
    13 To be negotiated with supervisor  

    Unit Resources

    Prescribed text(s) and readings

    To be discussed with the supervisor.

    Recommended text(s) and readings

    To be discussed with the supervisor.

    Required software and/or hardware

    To be discussed with the supervisor.

    Equipment and consumables required or provided

    Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the Faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to n hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

    Study resources

    Study resources we will provide for your study are:

    To be discussed with the supervisor.

    Library access

    The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching. To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

    Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

    All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle. If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle (http://moodle.monash.edu.au) and can bookmark this link to access directly. In Moodle, from the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.

    You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal: http://my.monash.edu.au

    Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.

    In order for your Blackboard unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

    For example:

    • Blackboard supported browser
    • Supported Java runtime environment

    For more information, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

    You can contact the MUSO Support by: Phone: (+61 3) 9903 1268

    For further contact information including operational hours, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

    Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

    Assessment

    Unit assessment policy

    To pass this unit, a student must obtain an overall unit mark of 50% or more.

    Assignment tasks

    • Assignment Task

      Title : To be set by the individual staff member supervising each research topic.

      Description :

      To be set by the individual staff member supervising each research topic.

      Weighting : To be set by the individual staff member supervising each research topic.

      Criteria for assessment :

      To be set by the individual staff member supervising each research topic.

      Due date : To be set by the individual staff member supervising each research topic.

    Assignment submission

    To be set by the individual staff member supervising each research topic.

    Assignment coversheets

    Assignments must include an assignment coversheet. Assignment coversheets can be found :

    • via the "Student assignment coversheets" (http://infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/assignments/ ) page on the faculty website

    University and Faculty policy on assessment

    Due dates and extensions

    The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

    Requests for extensions must be made to the unit lecturer at your campus at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

    Late assignment


    Return dates

    Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

    Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

    We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

    Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

    Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/committees-groups/facboard/policies/studrights.html) and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

    In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

    When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

    Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

    Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

    Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

    Register of counselling about plagiarism

    The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

    Non-discriminatory language

    The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

    Students with disabilities

    Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

    Deferred assessment and special consideration

    Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.