PMN606 Project Investigation 2 Task Assessment Item 2: FINAL RESEARCH REPORT (60% of unit assessment) Unit Learning Outcomes Addressed 1. Demonstrate advanced problem solving, analysis and research design skills through a project in an project management context; 2. Retrieve and review information at an advanced level from various sources using appropriate strategies and techniques; 3. Implement the research plan in a systematic, rigorous and ethical way 4. Demonstrate advanced skills in writing, documentation and presentation of research method and outcomes Specifications Assessment Item 2 due: Week 13 Friday 2nd June 2017 Overview Researchers of their own communities of practice – workplace researchers – are researchers who, while retaining their established role in a community, add to it the role of insider researcher for a specific purpose and duration….In this sense, the workplace researcher’s activities potentially change their community, their perception of the community and the community’s longer-term view of them (Gibbs, 2007, p. 223). Problems that confront professionals in the workplace are ill-defined and complex. The ability to define a problem, and collect and analyse relevant information using appropriate research methods is essential to professional practice. From a learning perspective, one of the most effective ways of achieving this is to consolidate and extend previously acquired skills and knowledge through an activity that is relevant to industry and, where possible, is associated with a specific workplace. This project is an opportunity to develop research skills by undertaking a project of relevance to industry. In addition, it offers you a chance to augment these skills with those that are more workplace-based; the workplace being a context which more often than not requires judgement in the form of what is generally labelled ‘practical reasoning’. Extending the domain of this project in this way also provides an opportunity for connecting aspects of learning in the Master program as a whole and its relationship to your professional development and contribution to organisational learning. Building upon your knowledge gained throughout Project Investigation 1&2, the Final Research Report will provide a detailed description of the applied research project and its outcomes that address a specific professional and/or theoretical problem. You are required to include the analysis and outcome of the research synthesising this with the information in Assessment Item 1 to produce a report of the project as a whole. This will be a written report structured according to conventional research reporting requirements. What you will do The requirements of the Final Research Report are as follows. Further details of the Assessment requirements will be provided in class and in consultation with your supervisor. • Length - The word count is not specified as it is contingent upon the characteristics of the research being conducted and is to be a matter agreed between the Supervisor and the Student. However, as a general guide, this submission should be in the order of 10,000 words. • Be professional looking (portrait format only) and logically structured (see below for guidelines PMN606 Project Investigation 2 on recommended sections in the progress report). • Use only font type ‘Time News Roman’ or ‘Arial’ (font size 12pt) and single to 1.5 (maximum) line spacing throughout the body of the report. • All margins to be approx. 25mm wide to allow for trimming • Page numbers for at least the main body of the text should be continuous. • All Figures (charts, diagrams, line drawings) and photographic images should be in original format and be high quality, legible and numbered consecutively. All tables must be typed i.e. not graphic elements. • All work must be cited and referenced using QUT Cite APA style and carefully checked for completeness, accuracy and consistency. • See QUT CiteWrite for detailed information and examples. • Hardcopy submissions to be spiral bound. • Before commencing the project report, students should contact his/her supervisor to discuss any additional requirements on presentation. • Academic writing - During preparation, students should ensure: 1) the spelling, grammar, punctuation, choice of language and sentence structure is of a high standard and there are no typing errors. It is highly recommend feedback on your academic writing is sought from academic language expert (e.g. one-on-one consultation by QUT Academic Language and Learning Services, Student Support Services) Depending on the nature of the research, the Final Research Report should contain: • Title Page - The front page of the report should show the title in full, the full name and student number of the candidate, the School and Faculty in which the candidate submitted work, and the year in which the project report is submitted. • Abstract - The abstract summarises the main findings and demonstrates the research contribution to knowledge. • Statement of Original Authorship - A signed statement of original authorship should be made along the following lines and must appear immediately after the front page: "The work contained in this project report has not been previously submitted for a degree or diploma at any other tertiary educational institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the project report contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made.” • Table of Contents - This should include the titles of the chapters and their sub-headings, lists of figures and tables, and a list of abbreviations where appropriate. • Introduction - Provides context/ background to the research and outlines the research problem, the specific aim and overall research objectives. • Literature Review – Provides an up-to-date, comprehensive and critical review of the related literature designed to discuss the significance of the project aims, identify knowledge gaps and address the relationship of the literature to the research project. • Methodology – Discusses the methodological issues underpinning the project and the specific methods undertaken for the various parts of the research project. This includes the specific strategy employed for data collection and analysis, ethical considerations; and justification of choices • Results and Discussion section(s) - This may take the form of one or more sections detailing the results of analyses undertaken as part of the research and should include relevant tables and figures for best presentation of the data. Additionally it includes discussion/ critical interpretation of results. PMN606 Project Investigation 2 • Conclusions – Provides organised presentation of conclusions of the research as a whole, connected with the original project aims, its importance and the ways in which it contributes to the knowledge of the project management discipline. • Implications of Findings – Discusses the implications of your research findings, what your research means in relation to practice (e.g. industry recommendations to address the applied problem) or theory. • Limitations of the Research – Acknowledgement of what your research has achieved and recognition/ appreciation of its limitations by virtue of the methodological restrictions (e.g. ability for results to be generalised), possible scope and practical realities of the study. • Recommendations for Future Work – Recommendation of possible areas for future work to build upon your research. This may include uncovering new questions to be answered and suggesting useful approaches to extend the scope of your work into the future. • References - References to be carefully checked for completeness, accuracy and consistency and formatted according to QUT APA style. • Appendices – Assessment 2 Reflective Journal is to be attached as Appendix 1. Further appendices may include additional material/ detailed results that may be referred to in the main body of text. Students should focus on the research process in its entirety with an emphasis on achieving symmetry between the various sections of the Final Research Report which will be assessed based on the following criteria: (Refer to the Assessment 2 Criteria Reference Assessment (CRA) sheet on Blackboard) • Independent scientific thinking/originality • Scientific know-how • Logic of structure/scientific argumentation • Overall presentation including structure, readability and use of references • Work process What you will submit Assessment Item 2 and 3 are to be submitted electronically via Turnitin (Blackboard under the ‘Assessment’ tab) by 11:59pm on the due date. Assessment Item 3 Reflective Journal to be submitted as an Appendix in your Final Research Report. Electronic submission: Submit one combined soft copy (in .pdf or .doc format) of your Assessment 2 and 3 by the due date. For instructions on how to submit your softcopy please refer to the electronic submission instructions on Blackboard. Any further queries on electronic submission, students are encouraged to contact QUT IT helpdesk (www.ithelpdesk.qut.edu.au/ ). As per QUT late assessment policy, assessments submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked and will receive a grade of 1 or 0%. If special circumstances prevent you from meeting the assessment due date, you must formally apply for an extension. Supervisors cannot approve extensions. Information on how to formally apply for an extension through SEF Student Services can be found at: www.student.qut.edu.au/studying/assessment/late-assignments-and-extensions Please note you are responsible for the Academic Integrity of your submitted report as per QUT Academic Integrity policy (MOPP C/5.3). We will be monitoring this closely. We highly recommend allowing yourself enough time to carefully review your Turnitin Originality Report and address any and all outstanding content issues prior to your final submission. Please be aware Turnitin Originality Reports can take up to 24 hours to be generated. As mentioned in class, you can resubmit your work through Turnitin as many times as you PMN606 Project Investigation 2 wish up to the due date/time, as each upload supersedes previous versions. Resources and Useful References Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2008). The Craft of research (3rd ed.). Chicago : University of Chicago Press. Bell, J (2005) Doing your research project: A guide for first-time researchers (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill International Fellows, R. & Liu, A. (2014) Research Methods for Construction. 4th Edition. Wiley Blackwell. Further Report Information Copyright: Under the provisions of the Copyright Act, certain exclusive rights are conferred upon the copyright owner of a work. These rights are essentially exclusive rights of reproduction, publication and performance of material comprised in the work. It may be an infringement of copyright for a candidate to incorporate in his/her project report the whole or part of an original work in which copyright subsists. A work is defined as a literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic work and, in addition to the usual tangible forms of expression, may include such things as diagrams, plans, charts, specifications, computer programs, codes, electronic mail, and material retrieved electronically from bulletin boards and networks. The Act provides that certain acts of reproduction which might otherwise be infringement of copyright may not be regarded as infringements. If students want to include any copyright material in their project report, they must seek permission from the copyright owner before submission of the project report. Prior to submission of a project, a candidate should ensure that its contents do not infringe copyright. Students who are unsure or concerned with copyright should contact the QUT Copyright Officer or refer to the QUT Copyright Guide: http://www.tils.qut.edu.au/copyrightguide/