Leader: Caulfield - Judy Sheard; Clayton - Nandita Bhattacharjee; Gippsland - Iqbal Gondal
Offered
Caulfield First semester 2008 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2008 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2008 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2008 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2008 (Off-campus)
Gippsland Second semester 2008 (Off-campus)
Synopsis
FIT5016 is an optional research/ thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. Students must have first:
- completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree;
- attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework;
- their course leader's approval to enrol; and
- completed FIT4005 IT Research Methods. While FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken in a single semester, FIT5016 is a component of the 24-point Minor Thesis taken over more than one semester, along with FIT5018 or FIT5017.
Objectives
Before enrolling in the unit, students need:
- to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
- to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.
On completion of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:
- Thorough knowledge of their research topic and the wider research domain.
- A sound understanding of research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
- Well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.
After completing this unit, students should have developed attitudes of:
- Confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
- Appreciating the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.
After completing this unit, students should be able to plan and undertake rigorous independent research, and in particular have the skills to:
- Locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings.
- Identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic.
- Develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule.
- Communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.
Although research projects are carried out individually, students will be part of a wider research group, with whom they will interact regularly, and participate in research seminars and discussions. After completing this unit, students should be able to:
- Communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts.
- Collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).
Assessment
Presentation and final thesis : 100%
Co-requisites
FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).
