Postgraduate - UnitFIT5125 - IT research methods

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Information Technology
Offered	Clayton First semester 2014 (Day) Caulfield Second semester 2014 (Day)

Synopsis

The aim of this unit is to prepare Masters students in the Faculty of IT to conduct research across the range of IT disciplines, including computer science, software engineering, information systems and information management.

It introduces students to major research philosophies and paradigms, the principles of research design, research ethics, research methods and techniques of data collection and analysis appropriate to IT research and their disciplines, and IT research in research and industry settings.

Skills developed and knowledge acquired from this unit will prepare students to conduct and communicate their own research, as well as to be knowledgeable and critical interpreters of others' research.

Outcomes

At the completion of this unit, students should be able to:

identify and explain major research philosophies and paradigms;
design rigorous and ethical Masters-level research projects and develop project proposals;
evaluate and select research methods and techniques of data collection and analysis appropriate to particular research designs, projects and disciplines;
conduct ethical research;
communicate research findings in written and oral form in research and industry settings;
critically review research literature, research design and reported findings.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor David Green

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

Two 2-hour workshops

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

A minimum of 8 hours independent study per week for completing lab and project work, private study and revision.

Prerequisites

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

Foundation knowledge in computer science or business information systems or information technology and systems fundamentals.

Prohibitions

FIT4005, FIT5143, FIT5185, FIT5190