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Monash University

FIT5126 Masters thesis part 1 - Semester 2, 2014

This unit is a research unit common to FIT Masters degrees. Due to the nature of IT, a wide range of Masters project types can be offered to students. Some project components are of a practical nature and may involve software development and/or experimentation, while other components are of a more theoretical nature.

Mode of Delivery

Caulfield (Day)

Workload Requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week. Students will be expected to hold regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the semester.

Unit Relationships

Co-requisites

FIT5125

Prerequisites

Admission to an FIT Masters program.

Students must have successfully completed 24 points of level five non-foundation units and have achieved an overall average of at least 70% across all non-foundation units. Foundation units are FIT5123, FIT5130, FIT5131, FIT5132, FIT5134 and FIT5135.

Chief Examiner

David Squire

Campus Lecturer

Caulfield

Tom Denison

Your feedback to Us

Monash is committed to excellence in education and regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through the Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) survey. The University’s student evaluation policy requires that every unit is evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys. The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

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

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students should be able to:
  • apply critical thinking skills to their research project;
  • find and assess literature in their research field;
  • identify and define open problems in their research field;
  • formulate and develop a research plan;
  • carry out an independent research program;
  • evaluate and communicate research findings.

Unit Schedule

Week Activities Assessment
0 Students will research an agreed thesis topic under the guidance of their supervisor and will receive feedback on their progress through regular meetings with their supervisor. No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0
1    
2    
3    
4    
5    
6   Research Proposal worth 5% due 3pm Friday in the first semester of candidature (or the first available week day previous to this date if the Friday falls on a University holiday)
7    
8    
9    
10    
11    
12   Literature Review worth 10% due Week 14 **, 3pm Friday in the first semester of candidature (or the first available week day previous to this date if the Friday falls on a University holiday). Interim Presentation worth 5% due Week 14 in the first semester of candidature at a time to be scheduled
  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.

Teaching Approach

Research activities
Students will research an agreed thesis topic under the guidance of their supervisor and will receive feedback on their progress through regular meetings with their supervisor.

Assessment Summary

This unit forms part of the sequence of units comprising the Masters Thesis in the Faculty of Information Technology.
The exit point is FIT5128 (18cpts). At the completion of the requirements for the thesis the following components of assessment will be completed:
Research Proposal: 5%; Literature Review: 10%; Interim Presentation: 5%; Final Presentation: 10%; Thesis (normally 15,000 - 25,000 words): 70%

Assessment Task Value Due Date
Research Proposal 5% of the 18 cpt Week 6, 3pm Friday in the first semester of candidature (or the first available week day previous to this date if the Friday falls on a University holiday)
Literature Review 10% of the 18 cpt Week 14 **, 3pm Friday in the first semester of candidature (or the first available week day previous to this date if the Friday falls on a University holiday)
Interim Presentation 5% of the 18 cpt Week 14 in the first semester of candidature at a time to be scheduled.

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Assessment Tasks

Participation

This unit forms part of the sequence of units comprising the Masters Thesis in the Faculty of Information Technology.

The exit point for the Minor Thesis is FIT5128 - 18 cpts.

At the completion of the requirements for the thesis the following components of assessment will be completed:

  • Research Proposal: (approximately 3000 words) 5%;
  • Literature Review: (approximately 6000 words) 10%;
  • Interim Presentation: 5%;
  • Final Presentation: 10%;
  • Thesis (normally 15,000 - 25,000 words): 70%

These assessment tasks will be completed over the course of several units in the Minor Thesis program but the overall grade for the thesis will only be finalised on completion of FIT5128 - 18 cpts.

The following components will be assessed during the course of this unit:

Research Proposal: 5%; Literature Review: 10%; Interim Presentation: 5%.

  • Assessment task 1
    Title:
    Research Proposal
    Description:
    Create a research proposal (approximately 3000 words) that clearly identifies the agreed research topic, identifies the problem being studied, and justifies the aims and significance of the project. The proposal should include a discussion of the research context and background, the proposed methodology, the research design and deliverables. The proposal should also be presented professionally with a standard of written expression appropriate to research publications in the field.
    Weighting:
    5% of the 18 cpt
    Criteria for assessment:

    Overall discussion of research to be undertaken for the topic - /80

    Overall report writing - /20

    Total - /100

    Due date:
    Week 6, 3pm Friday in the first semester of candidature (or the first available week day previous to this date if the Friday falls on a University holiday)
  • Assessment task 2
    Title:
    Literature Review
    Description:
    Create a literature review (approximately 6000 words) based on the agreed topic, which provides a critical review of the key literature in the content area. The argument constructed should be coherent and supported by an adequate number of relevant and correctly formatted references. The review should be structured in an appropriate scientific format, and it should be clearly and concisely expressed. The presentation should be of a professional standard and include a title page, table of contents, page numbering and references.
    Weighting:
    10% of the 18 cpt
    Criteria for assessment:

    Overall content, scope, depth of discussion - /70

    Overall organisation and presentation - /30

    Total - /100

    Due date:
    Week 14 **, 3pm Friday in the first semester of candidature (or the first available week day previous to this date if the Friday falls on a University holiday)
  • Assessment task 3
    Title:
    Interim Presentation
    Description:
    Provide a 20 minute (usually 15 mins present + 5 mins questions) summary of the current progress of your research project to your peers. The seminar will be scheduled in week 14 of semester.
    Weighting:
    5% of the 18 cpt
    Criteria for assessment:

    Content and Structure of Presentation - /70

    Presentation Delivery - /30

    Total - /100

    Due date:
    Week 14 in the first semester of candidature at a time to be scheduled.

Learning resources

Monash Library Unit Reading List (if applicable to the unit)
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html

Faculty of Information Technology Style Guide

Feedback to you

Examination/other end-of-semester assessment feedback may take the form of feedback classes, provision of sample answers or other group feedback after official results have been published. Please check with your lecturer on the feedback provided and take advantage of this prior to requesting individual consultations with staff. If your unit has an examination, you may request to view your examination script booklet, see http://intranet.monash.edu.au/infotech/resources/students/procedures/request-to-view-exam-scripts.html

Types of feedback you can expect to receive in this unit are:

  • Other: Supervisor meetings and seminar presentations.

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Assignment submission

It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/student-academic-integrity-managing-plagiarism-collusion-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.

Online submission

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.

Other Information

Policies

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:

Faculty resources and policies

Important student resources including Faculty policies are located at http://intranet.monash.edu.au/infotech/resources/students/

Graduate Attributes Policy

Student Charter

Student services

Monash University Library

Disability Liaison Unit

Students who have a disability or medical condition are welcome to contact the Disability Liaison Unit to discuss academic support services. Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) visit all Victorian campuses on a regular basis.

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