A critical part of this course is identifying a suitable topic for you research proposal. This can be
a
ived at in several ways:
• exploring an area you are already interested in or an emerging area of technology like
artificial intelligence or virtual reality
• considering the application of specific types of IT to an application area you have knowledge
of such as healthcare or agriculture
• following up on an aspect of IT you found interesting in your course
• investigating a topical issue from the news, such as a recent cybersecurity threat or the
introduction of electronic health records
The list below is of some sample topics and research questions which students have considered in
ecent semesters. You cannot use these directly – you must come up with your own topic. However
they give an indication as to the sort of topic which would be suitable for your research proposal.
If you are having problems identifying a topic, or have concerns that your topic may not be suitable,
please discuss this with your tutor and/or lecturer.
What are the user’s perceptions and understanding of the security implications of using static and
dynamic web pages?
How are data mining techniques used to detect frauds in the banking sector?
What are the causes of post-implementation issues in enterprise systems?
How can visualisation contribute to effective data analysis?
How can cloud computing facilitate organisational communication?
How can wearable sensors aid in health monitorization?
Scope and Implementation of Artificial Intelligence in the Tesla Roadster
Can a predictive model using big data analytics help prevent credit card fraud?
How does informed understanding of security processes by the user effect Android device security
and its vulnerabilities?
The use of artificial Intelligence in health
What can Australia’s My Health Record System learn from recent health data
eaches?
Will the application of the Internet of Things in the transportation area affect people’s travel
patterns?
The involvement of information technology in agriculture.
Cloud computing in healthcare
Social media data mining for business intelligence
The application of big data analytics in healthcare: Awareness and perceived importance of
healthcare stakeholders
Guide to Project for Supervisors
Page 1 of 4 CRICOS Provider No. 00103D Assignment Proposal.docx
ITECH 5500 Professional Research and
Communication
Literature Synthesis
Overview
The purpose of this assessment is to enable students to demonstrate a critical awareness of previous research in
an IT context within a chosen topic area through a basic understanding of research theory and techniques.
Overall goals of this assignment are to help you to:
• Become more knowledgeable about finding and using varied research sources in your chosen area in IT.
• Further develop your critical thinking skills and back up your points with evidence.
• Become more adept at synthesizing information and developing informed views.
• Discipline yourself to follow a scholarly research format to document in-text sources and a references
page (bibliography).
You must work on this report individually
Timelines and Expectations
Percentage Value of Task: 15% Due: 17.00 Friday Week 4 (see the Course Description or moodle submission
link for the exact date for this semester)
Minimum time expectation: 3-8 hours
Learning Outcomes Assessed
The following course learning outcomes are assessed by completing this assessment:
Knowledge:
K1. Determine the role IT research plays in contributing to organisational innovation, and success.
K2 Identify appropriate research philosophies for IT projects, which match organisational
approaches.
Skills:
S2. Demonstrate expert English language skills in academic and professional contexts.
S3. Evaluate the quality and utility of literature sourced.
S4. Undertake a literature review for an organisational IT research project.
Application of knowledge and skills:
A2. Present written and oral reports to academic and organisational audiences.
Page 2 of 4 CRICOS Provider No. 00103D Assignment Proposal.docx
Assessment Details
Background
The report requires a critical analysis of literature relevant to a proposal. The purpose of the task is to help
students identify and analyse relevant literature to assist in determining an appropriate topic for the research
proposal.
Requirements
You are required to submit:
• An interim research proposal XXXXXXXXXXwords) to provide context for your choice of literature.
• A synthesis matrix (as described in class). This should discuss at least 6 articles, and at least 5 or 6
main ideas discussed in those articles. Choose your articles carefully – these should be relevant to the
core ideas of your chosen topic, and as far as possible published in reputable, peer-reviewed sources.
If you have concerns about the quality of an article, discuss this with your tutor during lab classes.
• A list of references named in the synthesis matrix. These should be in APA referencing style.
You have already done quite a bit of work for this research in tutorials: you should have a tentative research
issue, strategies and evidence to persuade your readers about the significance of the problem you’re
esearching, as well as the validity of your research issues. You also should consider opposing views or good
counter-arguments that you can address in order to help establish your credibility and enhance the relevance of
your paper.
A. Interim Research Proposal
The submission must contain the following sections, submitted in the order as listed below-
• Title – proposal title (10 words maximum)
• Proposal - summarization of the significant concepts in the proposed study focusing on
key aspects (200 words max)
B. Synthesis Matrix
Article #1 Article #2 …. Article #6
Main Idea A
Main Idea B
..
Main Idea E-F
C. References
References- include relevant literature sources (a list of full-text references)
Page 3 of 4 CRICOS Provider No. 00103D Assignment Proposal.docx
Note: Students are required to follow the ‘General guide to referencing’ and ‘Guide to Writing and
Study Skills’- specially the ‘Layout and Appearance’ and the ‘Report’ sections.
http:
federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/164121/FedUni-General-Guide-to-Referencing-
2014.pdf
http:
federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/190044/2014-General-Guide-to-Writing-and-Study-
Skills.pdf
[For distribution of marks, see the Marking Ru
ic at the end of this document]
Submission
Submit an electronic copy of the Literature Synthesis Report via the submission link on the course
Moodle page. Please refer to the Course Description for information regarding late assignments,
extensions, special consideration, and plagiarism. A reminder all academic regulations can be
accessed via the university’s website, see: http:
federation.edu.au/staff/governance/legal/feduni-
legislation
Feedback
Submission will be marked electronically and returned via moodle within 2 weeks.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the presentation of the expressed thought or work of another person as though it is one's
own without properly acknowledging that person. You must not allow other students to copy your work
and must take care to safeguard against this happening. More information about the plagiarism policy
and procedure for the university can be found at http:
federation.edu.au/students/learning-and-
study/online-help-with/plagiarism.
http:
federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/164121/FedUni-General-Guide-to-Referencing-2014.pdf
http:
federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/164121/FedUni-General-Guide-to-Referencing-2014.pdf
http:
federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/190044/2014-General-Guide-to-Writing-and-Study-Skills.pdf
http:
federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/190044/2014-General-Guide-to-Writing-and-Study-Skills.pdf
http:
federation.edu.au/staff/governance/legal/feduni-legislation
http:
federation.edu.au/staff/governance/legal/feduni-legislation
http:
federation.edu.au/students/learning-and-study/online-help-with/plagiarism
http:
federation.edu.au/students/learning-and-study/online-help-with/plagiarism
Page 4 of 4 CRICOS Provider No. 00103D Assignment Proposal.docx
Marking Criteria/Ru
ic
ITECH5500 Research Report- Marking Ru
ic
Student Id. Student name Marked by
Category Excellent Good Acceptable Poo
Unacceptable Marks
Title 9-10
Very coherent
and succinct title
5-8
Coherent and
succinct title
1-4
Title doesn’t
convey the
proposal
0
No title or
incoherent title
10
Proposal 16-20
Excellent
problem
identified with a
succinct and
clear proposal
10-15
Good
problem
identified,
clear proposal
outlined
4-9
Problem not
clear,
presentation
poor
0-3
No or minimal
proposal
20
Literature
Synthesis
matrix
40-50
Sources are
exceptionally well-
integrated and
they support
claims argued in
the paper very
effectively.
30-39
Sources are well
integrated and
support the
paper’s claims.
20-29
Sources support
some claims
made in the
paper, but might
not be integrated
well within the
paper’s argument.
0-19
The paper does not
use adequate
esearch or if it
does, the sources
are not integrated
well.
50
References 16-20
An appropriate
number of
authoritative
eferences in
APA style
10-15
Authoritative
eferences in
APA style with
some
deficiencies
4-9
Few
authoritative
eferences in
APA style with
many
deficiencies
0-3
Too few
authoritative
eferences in poor
adherence to APA
20
Total /100
Scaled total /15
Comments
Overview
Timelines and Expectations
Learning Outcomes Assessed
Assessment Details
Requirements
A. Interim Research Proposal
B. Synthesis Matrix
C. References
Note: Students are required to follow the ‘General guide to referencing’ and ‘Guide to Writing and Study Skills’- specially the ‘Layout and Appearance’ and the ‘Report’ sections.
Submission
Feedback
Plagiarism:
Marking Criteria/Ru
ic