units

FIT4005

Faculty of Information Technology

18 September 2017 22 December 2024

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This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 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.

Monash University

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate, Postgraduate - Unit

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

Faculty

Information Technology

Offered

Caulfield

  • First semester 2016 (Day)
  • Second semester 2016 (Day)

Clayton

  • First semester 2016 (Day)

South Africa

  • First semester 2016 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit exposes students to research across the range of IT disciplines, preparing them to conduct research in their home discipline. It provides broad coverage of the issues, concepts, methods and techniques associated with 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, and research methods and techniques of data collection and analysis appropriate to IT research generally and to their sub-discipline specifically. It covers oral and written communication skills.

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

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. review and critique research literature, research design and reported findings in a sub-discipline of IT;
  2. communicate research findings, orally and in writing, in research and industry settings;
  3. explain the ethical and professional issues that may arise in IT research and demonstrate them in practice;
  4. identify, explain and critique major research philosophies and paradigms;
  5. evaluate, select and justify research methods and techniques of data collection and analysis appropriate to particular research designs, projects and disciplines;
  6. analyse and describe the technical, professional and socio-economic contexts that motivate research, and the implications of research outcomes;
  7. design and carry out a rigorous and ethical research project and produce a report explaining the project, its design and interpretation of the results.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

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.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Prerequisites

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

Prohibitions

ITW4001, IMS5036, IMS4036, BUS5000, CSE4910, GCO4010, CSE4650, FIT2083*, FIT2084 FIT5125, FIT5143, FIT5185, FIT5190

* BCS Honours students who have completed FIT2083 are exempt from completing FIT4005 as part of their Honours study but must select an alternative unit with the approval of their course director. However, FIT4005 remains the preferred research methods unit option for BCS Honours students.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/