This unit introduces students to IT research. Specifically, it introduces major research methods that are used by IT researchers including experiments, surveys, case studies, and design science. It also addresses the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Students will learn how to effectively communicate research. Skills developed and knowledge acquired from this unit will prepare students to conduct their own research, as well as to be knowledgeable consumers of others' research.
2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs studios/tutorials/wk
The workload commitment for on campus students for this unit is 12 hours per week. This includes:
Students must be enrolled in an FIT Masters Honours degree. Students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework degree must have permission from the chief examiner and course director.
Prof Frada Burstein
Consultation hours: After the lecture, or for appointment email frada.burstein@monash.edu
Dr Mark Carman
Consultation hours: After the lecture, or for appointment email mark.carman@monash.edu
| Week | Activities | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0 | |
| 1 | The Nature of Research / workshop on literature search | |
| 2 | Setting the context. Literature survey and analysis | Assignment 2: Portfolio of practical work from Week 2 to Week 11 |
| 3 | Posing research questions - major methods in IT research / Workshop on formulating research questions in Information Technology | |
| 4 | Research Design - guest lecture | |
| 5 | Introduction to Data Collection and Analysis - surveys | |
| 6 | Collecting Evidence/ workshop on oral presentations | Assignment 1 due by Friday 5pm, Melbourne time |
| 7 | Collecting Evidence - Experiments | |
| 8 | Interpretation - Quantitative Data Analysis | |
| 9 | Interpretation - Correlation and Regression | |
| 10 | Interpretation - Qualitative Data | |
| 11 | Issues in research / Workshop: Writing a research proposal | |
| 12 | Communication of research and summary | Assignment 3 - presentations; report due Friday 5pm - Week 14 |
| SWOT VAC | No formal assessment is undertaken in SWOT VAC | |
| Examination period | LINK to Assessment Policy: http://policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/ academic/education/assessment/ assessment-in-coursework-policy.html |
*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.
In-semester assessment (assignments and class tests): 100%
| Assessment Task | Value | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis of published research | 30%, including 5% presentation | Week 6, Friday, 5pm |
| Assignment 2: Portfolio of practical work | 35% | Complete all by week 11, Friday 5pm |
| Assignment 3: Mini-research | 35%, including 5% presentation | Week 14, Friday 5pm |
Faculty Policy - Unit Assessment Hurdles (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/staff/edgov/policies/assessment-examinations/unit-assessment-hurdles.html)
Academic Integrity - Please see the Demystifying Citing and Referencing tutorial at http://lib.monash.edu/tutorials/citing/
Full participation in the tutorial and lab classes is expected and will be formally assessed via Assignment 2, in which students submit a portfolio of their practical work.
Working in groups is encouraged, both during practical classes, and in the project assignment. The aim is both to facilitate learning and to expose students to team research, which is a common feature of most modern research. When working in groups, each member is expected to participate fully and contribute to the work of the group. As part of the assessment in each assignment, each student will be required to name and acknowledge their collaborators, and to submit statements about group management and contribution.
The assignment will be assessed by:
Each of the tasks in this assignment will be awarded marks based on the ability to correctly perform the analysis/test, and interpret the findings (what do the findings indicate).
The assignment will be assessed by:
Zikmund, WG, Babin BJ, Carr JC, Griffin M. (2010). Business Research Methods (8th edition) South-Western (Cengage Learning). ISBN-13: 978-0-324-32062-6
Creswell, John W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (3rd Edition). ISBN: 9781412965576
Neuman, W. Lawrence Neuman (2006). Social Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, Pearson.
Lists of additional readings will be provided for each lecture. See Moodle for further details.
Monash Library Unit Reading List
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html
Submission must be made by the due date otherwise penalties will be enforced.
You must negotiate any extensions formally with your campus unit leader via the in-semester special consideration process: http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html
All assignments should use APA style for referencing.
It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/plagiarism-procedures.html) for students to submit an assignment coversheet for each assessment item. Faculty Assignment coversheets can be found at http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/. Please check with your Lecturer on the submission method for your assignment coversheet (e.g. attach a file to the online assignment submission, hand-in a hard copy, or use an online quiz). Please note that it is your responsibility to retain copies of your assessments.
If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.
Please check with your lecturer before purchasing any Required Resources. Limited copies of prescribed texts are available for you to borrow in the library, and prescribed software is available in student labs.
Students may be required to use Web browsers, text processing, spread sheets and slide presentation packages to complete their assignments.
These are available in University computer labs.
Monash has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and to provide advice on how they might uphold them. You can find Monash’s Education Policies at: www.policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/academic/education/index.html
Key educational policies include:
The University provides many different kinds of support services for you. Contact your tutor if you need advice and see the range of services available at http://www.monash.edu.au/students. For Sunway see http://www.monash.edu.my/Student-services, and for South Africa see http://www.monash.ac.za/current/.
The Monash University Library provides a range of services, resources and programs that enable you to save time and be more effective in your learning and research. Go to www.lib.monash.edu.au or the library tab in my.monash portal for more information. At Sunway, visit the Library and Learning Commons at http://www.lib.monash.edu.my/. At South Africa visit http://www.lib.monash.ac.za/.
For more information on Monash’s educational strategy, see:
www.monash.edu.au/about/monash-directions and on student evaluations, see: www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/quality/student-evaluation-policy.html
The sequence and arrangement of topics has been changed from last semester. The aim is to more clearly identify the major research strategies. The objectives and assessment strategy of the unit have not been changed.
If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to
https://emuapps.monash.edu.au/unitevaluations/index.jsp