Project report assignment (5000 words) Very critical !

1.1 Unit Purpose

Welcome to the capstone unit for students studying the Bachelor of Information Technology. In this unit, students are provided with the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills acquired during their previous studies in an individual project under the guidance of an academic supervisor.

Students from Education completing a maths specialisation enrolled in this unit need to complete Maths projects equivalent to a 300 level University Maths study. It is your responsibility to contact the unit coordinator and let them know you need to complete a maths project.

1.2 Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of this unit should enable students to:

1. Identify, frame, and investigate an information system, information technology or mathematics problem

2. Research, evaluate and organise academic and professional resources related to the problem

3. Formulate appropriate and ethical methods for solving the problem

4. Plan, design and develop/ implement a solution (as appropriate)

5. Critically examine and evaluate findings

6. Effectively and professionally communicate conclusions and solutions orally and in a formal written project report

7. Work independently, and where appropriate with others, to achieve identified outcomes.

1.3 Teaching & learning strategies

Students are expected to work individually on a project that enables them to consolidate their IT knowledge & skills in an area of interest. An academic supervisor will provide guidance for the duration of the project. Similarly, Maths Education Students will work with a supervisor who has expertise in Maths as well as IT.

Research skills are developed as part of this unit. Each week’s learning materials are divided into a series of tasks, recognising that people learn well when information is presented gradually. Weekly tasks are always relevant to the core skills and knowledge required to learn how to plan, implement and report on a project.

Student studying ON campus

You are required to attend the scheduled 3-hour workshop for the 12 weeks of the semester. These meetings are compulsory.

· The first 60-90 minutes introduces knowledge or skills that will help students complete the project.

· The next 20-30 minutes is when students are expected to consult with their supervisors.

· A weekly project diary should be submitted before class each week.

There is an end-of-semester presentation which internal students are required to make in person.

1.4 Resources

Recommended Text

Lunsford, A 2019 Easy Writer, 7th edn, Bedford/Saint Martin's.

This text provides extensive advice for writing in a range of contexts and will have long term use for professional writing.

1.5 Supervision Arrangements

Teaching

This unit is co-ordinated and taught by an IT academic. Project supervision is conducted will also be conducted by IT academics.

Who to ask?

Unit Administration issues: If you have administrative issues associated with the project (extensions for assessments; receipt of assignments), discuss this directly with the Unit Coordinator. Please email for an appointment.

Teaching process issues (ie how to write …): Please discuss with the unit Coordinator in the first instance. Please email for an appointment.

Supervision issues (ie project topic and content; project meetings): Please discuss with your supervisor in the first instance and contact the unit lecturer if you have issues.

Project Supervisors

Each student is allocated a supervisor appropriate for the project selected.

· Students should consult their supervisor WEEKLY for project direction and guidance during the semester.

· Off-campus students will need to negotiate with their supervisor the best means for this WEEKLY contact to occur.

Supervisor contact /meetings

· Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet with their supervisor on a weekly basis

· Students are responsible for organising a regular meeting time with your supervisor and maintaining the meeting time. Supervisors are busy people: they will not have time to chase you.

· To facilitate this conversation, all (internal and external) students should complete a project diary posting in Learnline BEFORE the meeting occurs.

· This task is a requirement for the meeting/ discussions with your supervisor to occur.

Please contact the unit coordinator if you are having difficulties establishing a regular meeting time with your supervisor.

Additional Assessment Information

For additional assessment information about:

· Assessment rules

· Plagiarism

· Referencing requirements

· Extensions and late submission

· Scaling

· Grading

· Special exams and special consideration

Relevant University policies

· Plagiarism: Student are reminded of the University policy on Academic Integrity

· Grading:

· University higher education grading system will be used for conversion of marks into grades.

Mark	Grade
85 - 100	HD
75 – 84	D
65 - 74	C
50 – 64	P
0 – 49	F

1.8 General Presentation Guidelines

When submitting any project documentation (except project journal), please use the guidelines outlined below.

Formal academic or professional writing almost always has specific formatting guidelines. To provide you with this experience, formatting guidelines for this unit are adapted from Emerald Publishing, a major academic publishing organisation for Management, Information Technology and Engineering disciplines.

Format	· All documentation should be a single word-processed word document unless special circumstances are required. · Special circumstances should be negotiated with the project supervisor and unit co-ordinator.
Project Title	A title of not more than 16 words should be provided.
Title Page	A Title Page should be submitted with each individual project submission and should include the following information: · Assignment Title · Author Details · Abstract (Interim and final Report) · Keywords (Interim and final Report)
Author Details	Details should be supplied on the Title Page including: · Full name of the author · E-mail address of the author
Abstract 5 keywords	A structured abstract should be included on the Title Page, and should address the following · Motivation or Problem Statement · Objective of the Project · Methodology/Approach · Results/Findings · Implications · Limitation Please note this list is suggestive and dependant on the type of project undertaken Maximum is 250 words in total (including keywords).
Keywords (5 keywords)	Please provide no more than 5 keywords on the Title Page, which encapsulate the principal topics of your project
Headings (7 words or less)	Headings must be 7 words or less and there should be a clear indication of the distinction between the hierarchies of headings. · Headings should have a numbering system that matches the heading levels. · First level headings to be presented in bold format 18 pt · Subsequent sub-headings to be presented in medium italics 14 pt. · Further headings (level 3) should be bold 12pt
Presentation	Your writing should be presented in clear, concise English. · Fonts should be Calibri or Helvetica, 11-point font · Spacing should be 1.15 or 1.5-line spacing throughout (Data tables excepted) · Margins: use standard margins · Page numbers: All pages of your documents must be numbered consecutively, including appendices and references, and appear in a footer on the right of each page.
Notes/Endnotes	These are not to be used
Table of Contents	Use an automatically generated Table of Contents based on your Word headings.
Figures	All Figures (charts, diagrams, line drawings, web pages/screenshots, and photographic images) should be included in the body of your documents. · Ensure that all images are of reasonable quality so that they are clear when printed. · All figures should be labelled appropriately and referred to in the body of the document.
Tables	Tables should be included in the main body of the article. · All Tables should be labelled appropriately and referred to in the body of the document. · Ensure that any superscripts or asterisks are shown next to the relevant items · Use single spaces with tables and sans serif fonts.
References	References to other publications must be in CDU Harvard Style and carefully checked for completeness, accuracy, and consistency. In-text citations Cite publications in the text: · using the first named author's name (Adams, 2006) · or citing both names of two, (Adams and Brown, 2006) · or when there are three or more authors (Adams et al., 2006). Reference list At the end of each project document, a reference list, in alphabetical order, should be supplied. See the reference guide for more information.
Reference Guide	For more information on the style for each type of source please refer to: Generally: Formatting for references should be as follows BOOKS: Norman, D 2002, The Design of Everyday Things, Basic Books. JOURNALS: Patnaik, D & Becker, R 1999, ‘Needfinding: The Why and How of Uncovering People’s Needs’, Design Management Journal, Spring , pp. 37-43,

2.2 Project Support

Budgets

Sometimes there are resources required for student projects. While, there is no budget normally allocated for projects, if there is a need for a budget for special purpose equipment etc, please see your Supervisor in the first instance and include in your project plan. There will be limited funds available if required. Where a budget has been allocated, the student should keep a record of all expenses.

Technical Support

Information Technology has a part time technical officer. You will need to discuss with your Supervisor any special technical requirements you may have for your project. Server space will be available for projects that have this requirement. Please indicate this need in your project plan.

Library support

The library provides a range of resources to support students undertaking a major project. These include:

· The Information Technology liaison librarian will be available to help students with research requirements especially the background research required for your project.

See:

· The Information Technology (IT) libguide has access to a range of databases to help you source appropriate research for your projects:

See:

· There is a Referencing guide that provides a range of resources to help you get your referencing right!:

See:

· To manage your resources, download the Endnote Database:

See:

The liaison librarians also conduct training sessions and can provide specialised individual research assistance for students.

Writing support: Academic Language and Learning Success Program:

This program helps students improve their results and confidence in their academic work developing independence and Support is offered in the following areas:

· academic writing – essays and reports

· study skills and time management

· exam preparation and stress management

· several programs specifically for students who don’t have English as their native language, and Aussies who missed out on learning grammar in their early schooling

See:

International students with English as your second (third, etc.) language, are strongly recommended to use this program.

Counselling

Free counselling services are offered to students through Support and Equity Services. Counselling is available for all students wanting to discuss any issues causing them concern in their academic and/or personal life. You can make an appointment by contacting: Support and Equity Services, 08 8946 6288.

3 Assessment 1: Project Plan

Task

Develop a project plan for your Project.

Submission details

· Due date: Monday, Week 3

· Length: Approx. 5 pages; word document

· Value: 10% of the total marks for this unit

· Submit: Project Docs in Learnline

Overview

A Project Plan is an essential document for a successful project. Your project plan should define the aims and expected progress of the project. The draft plan must be completed by Week, 2 discussed with your supervisor (and or client) and submitted MONDAY Week 3.

Your plan should be developed in consultation with your Supervisor. Ensure that your supervisor has read your plan before you submit.

Where appropriate, clarify what is required in your project with your project supervisor (and stakeholders) and develop your project plan. Ensure you discuss your plan with your supervisor/s to make sure they think it is reasonable.

The project plan should provide evidence that you have begun to investigate the background of the project enough to be able to plan a series of activities that will enable you to develop the plan.

Industry/client-based projects

If you have an industry project:

· Consultation regarding the project requirements must occur with your industry sponsor prior to the plan being submitted.

· Your sponsor will need to approve your plan.

Project Plan Structure

What goes in the plan?

Details of your plan’s content are outlined following. Broadly, your plan needs to include:

Title pages

· This should include project title; your name; client name /and or supervisor.

· Page 2 should be your project topic – downloaded from Learnline.

Project definition & scope

1. Introduction

2. Background/description of context/need/benefits

· Explain the context of the project, why it’s needed, where appropriate, the intended audience for the final project product and project stakeholders

· Include some initial research as appropriate.

· Outline the project benefits for you personally, your client where relevant and in the broader IT context.

3. Aim/s & objectives

4. Scope

· Include what’s in scope; out of scope; assumptions, constraints

· Describe the boundaries of your project and any assumptions you are making regarding your project

Project activities, deliverables & risk

5. Project timeline, deliverables

· outline the work activities, milestones & deliverables associated with your project, demonstrating the project management skills used in your studies:

· identify the specific work activities associated with your doing your project

· identify the assessment milestones that are part of the unit.

· do NOT use the Assessment overview page as your project timeline!

· estimate how long each activity is anticipated to take as part of the planning

· include a table (required) showing timelines, project milestones, deliverables and assessment deliverables in this part of your plan. You may use a GANT chart instead of a table here.

· PROJECT ACTIVITIES ARE NOT THE ASSESSMENT TASKS – these are simply a summary of what you have been doing

6. Stakeholders:

· Where there is a third party that is likely to use your project or you have an external client, outline the roles & responsibilities of the various parties involved in your project.

· This is not necessary if you only have a single academic supervisor.

7. Risk

· Outline the risks and the associated risk prevention strategies applicable to your project.

Resources

8. Materials & Budget:

· Outline the materials required to complete your project and where appropriate, include a budget for equipment that may be necessary for the project.

9. References: reference any sources used in the plan. There should be at least 3 appropriate resources

10. Appendix: include any document that are appropriate for a document appendix

Presentation

The plan should follow the general presentation guidelines outlined in Section 1.8.

· Ensure your plan is a single document

· Ensure your plan uses appropriate referencing

· Ensure your plan follows the required formatting guidelines

· Ensure that your plan has the appropriate identification in headers and footers

Failing the project plan

· If a student fails the Project Plan, a fail is the mark recorded for the final assessment.

· A student cannot continue until a satisfactory plan has been submitted.

· Contact the unit co-ordinator if your plan has not been deemed satisfactory by Week 4.

Preparation

MEETING With Supervisors

To help prepare for your project research, you need to have a clear understanding of what your supervisor requires you to do in the project. At your initial meeting with your supervisor you should discuss the outline of your project plan & any literature he/she advises need to be central to the project

Milestones for success: Milestone 1-Topic Keywords

Using the correct keywords will help you find a wider range of resources that will be helpful to you project. Keyword terms can be helpful searching professional and academic searches.

· To begin your research, develop a list of keywords that will help you find appropriate sources.

· SUBMIT: Learnline, Friday week2

Presenting your work

Milestones for success: Milestone 2-presentation Checklist

All documentation for this unit requires observation of standard formatting guidelines, a professional and academic requirement in a range of work contexts.

· Develop your skills in this unit.

· Develop your project plan template and apply the presentation guidelines

· Complete the checklist (see Appendix 1) to evaluate your own project plan.

· SUBMIT: Learnline, Monday week3

Marking Criteria

The project plan will be assessed by your project supervisor and unit co-ordinator.

· Your project supervisor will assess your project plan for quality content and presentation of ideas. (75% of your final grade)

· Your unit co-ordinator will assess aspects of your plan relating to timely submission, milestone completion: initial resource scan and the formatting checklist. (25% of your final grade)

Both sets of criteria are listed following.

Project Plan Criteria: Supervisor

Student Name:	TOTAL
Criteria	Comments to students	Marks
Project Definition and Scope · outlines the context of /for the project · introduces basic purpose of the project · includes clear background for the project. · stakeholders/audience discussed as appropriate · describes projects clearly & succinctly · aim & objectives related to the overall context. · project scope outlined: includes activities that are in and out of scope, assumptions, & constraints.		/30
Project Planning · project activities, milestones and deliverables of the project are listed (These should not JUST BE the assessment tasks) · includes tables, Gantt, Milestone, and/or PERT charts as necessary (MS Project). · sensible risks considered: with appropriate strategies for mitigation) · details of stakeholder’s roles & responsibilities included (where appropriate)		/20
Resources: materials & costs · outline any materials required to complete the project · include a realistic estimate of project costs (where appropriate)		/05
Writing style: references; organisation, mechanics, · references and citations included and used appropriately · referencing style is appropriate for a 3rd year student · document looks professional. · ideas follow in a logical manner. · correct English: spelling, grammar, and punctuation. · clear, concise, and coherent presentation of ideas · writing style is appropriate for a 3rd year student		/10
Overall quality of planning · Plan shows quality preparation and a thorough understanding of what is required in the project		/10
TOTAL		/75

Project Plan Criteria: Coordinator

Student Name:	TOTAL
Criteria	Details		Marks
Timeliness	· Submitted EOI &Plan on time		/1
Milestone 1: Research Questions & Keywords	· Submitted keywords on time		/2
	· At least 5 keywords used for searches
	· Used some synonyms to extend search terms
Milestone 2: Document Presentation	· Submitted formatting checklist on time. (1) · Checklist reflects actual document		/6
	· Includes title page, appropriate project title, project topic, table of contents, list of figures and tables (if appropriate), references and appendices. (1)
	· Pages are numbered, figures and tables are introduced, headings are numbered, etc. (2)
	· Font size, style, heading levels and spacing observed. (2)
Document structure & writing	· Document structure observes requirements (2)		/10
	· Document uses appropriate language & style · Reader friendly – mostly clear, concise presentation of ideas with all sentences making sense. (3)
	· Paragraphs use appropriate topic sentences with supporting detail · Paragraph transitions are mostly logical. (3)
	· Document has been proofread – no punctuation, grammar, and spelling errors. (2)
Document Referencing style	· Content is based on a range of sources (1)		/06
	· Appropriately integrates material from sources. (1)
	· Acknowledges the work of others. (1)
	· Uses more than one in-text citation style (1)
	· Appropriate referencing style used consistently (1)
	· Reference list used and correctly formatted (1)
TOTAL			/25

5 Assessment 3: Interim Draft Report

Task

Conduct appropriate research for your project topic.

Learn how to extract and synthesise data from a range of sources (including published literature) and present them coherently in a written, structured format.

T0PIC: Internet Marketing Strategies in Promoting Northern Territory as a Destination

Submission details

· Due date: Monday, Week 6

· Length: 2000 words approx. (depending on project topic)

· Value: 25% of the total marks for this unit

· Submit: Interim Draft Report through Learnline

Overview

Information Technology is a rapidly changing discipline. To ensure that you are aware of the latest developments in any topic, all projects need to scan the academic literature and current professional information in your project topic area. Most project topics that provided by IT academics, generally have two main parts: a research /and or discovery phase and an implementation phase. There will be some projects that are research only.

(note: maths projects may have different requirements).

Research requirements

Research undertaken for your project depends of the nature of your project:

· Software development projects require a discovery phase where requirements for your project are determined. This will involve a range of different

tasks including a search of professional and peer reviewed academic literature

· Cybersecurity and networking projects will require an initial search of professional and peer reviewed academic literature

· User Experience, design research projects will require some literature review, as well as a research design and implementation.

· Some Information systems projects (ie knowledge management topics) will require substantial research of mainly peer reviewed academic literature.

· Maths projects will require searching the academic literature and solving problems.

Competitive analyses, environmental scans, literature reviews and user research are all appropriate starting points for information technology projects. Discuss with your supervisor what they want you to include.

In the first few weeks of your project you are required to find out what is currently known on your topic, what sources need to be consulted, what approach will you use to conduct/develop/implement your project. Minimum specified sources for this research include:

· Research only projects: a minimum of 20 peer-reviewed sources and professional sources are needed for your review.

· Research and development projects: a minimum of 10 sources (including at least 5 peer reviewed sources and appropriate professional sources)

Interim Report Structure

Structuring your interim report

Like all academic writing, your interim report consists of three parts: an introduction, a body and the conclusion. While some general advice is provided below, the body of your interim report will be determined by your topic, the available literature and the broader requirements of the project

You are also required to write an abstract for your work that provides a summary of your research.

The abstract should include:

· Purpose/Motivation: research questions, relevance & context of the project (one or two sentences).

· Design/Methodology/Approach: Explain the methods used for the data collection in your project (this includes literature; and other analyses your project requires)

· Results/Findings: Briefly outline the results of your systematic search; the consistent themes, any gaps if appropriate (one or two sentences).

· Conclusion: final assessment of the overall evidence and how it will help you conduct the rest of your project (one or two sentences).

The introduction should include:

· the nature of the topic under discussion (the topic of your project)

· the reason for the project

· relevance

· the research questions addressed

· the parameters of the topic (what does it include and exclude)?

The body paragraphs should include:

Methodology/methodologies

Research project	Implementation projects	Maths projects
· Searching the literature · targeted search: identify names, dates databases, professional sources searched · Search strategy: keywords, phrases used · Literature/article selection · Why information was included and/ or excluded? · What specific topics of interest were targeted? · Evaluating the evidence · Study design classification? (in the articles selected, did you look at the types of methods used to report findings)	· This should include information about how you found your peer reviewed/professional sources · You also need to detail what our methods were using for researching your project (ie requirements analysis for software)	· Requirements for this assessment need to be negotiated with your supervisor and the co-ordinator.

Results

Research project	Implementation projects	Maths projects
· Literature collection and selection · How many sources collected · How many reviewed · How did you classify organise the literature? (eg methodologies and methods in use; general conclusions that are being drawn) · Critical evaluation and synthesis · What are the key themes and ideas common in the literature · What contradictions/ inconsistencies did you find? · What relationships did you find between articles · What gaps did you find?	· You should discuss the results of each of the tasks you undertook to gain data for your project · You then need to synthesise this information to show how you will then use this in the next part of the project	· Requirements for this assessment need to be negotiated with your supervisor and the co-ordinator.

Discussion

· Examining the evidence

· What does the evidence mean overall? Explain the information found. What answers did you find to your research questions?

· What gaps did you find?

· What else needs to be done?

· Implications

· From the information found, what will you do to implement your project?

· What processes/information/practices do you need to use/follow to successfully complete your project?

The conclusion should include:

· Summarise findings

· Restate the purpose of your review

· Describe the overall evidence: a summary of major findings (agreements and disagreements)

· A summary of general conclusions that are being drawn.

· A summary of where your project sits in the literature and how your research will help you conduct your project.

· What has been gained from the review

· What is your take home message?

Interim Report Types

Depending on the project you are doing (one semester, two semesters, or Maths) the nature and structure of the interim report will vary. Some advice is provided to help you understand what is required:

· One semester projects: normally the structure will follow approximately what has been outlined above.

· Two semester projects will need to discuss the structure with the unit co-ordinator and your supervisor. Broadly, your second semester interim draft report will have an updated version of your first report submitted at the end of the first semester of your project and will also include what has been completed to date during semester 2. Structure and sections completed will depend entirely on the project topic.

· For Maths students, your interim draft report will be outlined by your supervisor as the requirements for the Maths discipline are not the same as Information Technology projects. Criteria for this work will be posted in Learnline.

Presentation

Distribution: If your interim report is approximately 8 pages, it could be organised following:

• Abstract: no more than 250 words

• Introduction:1 - 11/2 pages

· Methods: 1 - 11/2 pages

• Results: 3- 4 pages

• Discussion:1 ½- 2 pages

• Conclusion: 1/2 page

Formatting: Use the general presentation guidelines which you will find in Section 1.8of this booklet.

Outcome: Your interim draft report should demonstrate your growing knowledge of your topic and what lese needs to be done to successfully complete your project.

Preparation

Information Sources

Milestones for success: Milestone 3 QUALITY SOURCES

As part of your research, you are required to submit a project bibliography organised around a series of research questions that are appropriate to your project. Stating and framing questions that will focus your research will help you search for appropriate sources (for example, a project on Evaluating Web Accessibility of a website may have one research question that focuses on what tools are currently available to determine web accessibility?)

Each research question needs to have sources organised into the following categories:

· Professional sources

· Academic, peer reviewed sources

· General internet searches.

· SUBMIT: Learnline, Friday week3

Supervisor consultations…

Your supervisor will be able to advise you about the nature and sources of the literature that you will need to use to develop your environmental scan for your project.

The conversation with your supervisor needs to be completed no later than the third week of your first semester in the project.

Quality sources…

· More traditional research projects will need to use peer reviewed sources from discipline databases like Science Direct, ACM and Emerald for academic literature.

· If you are learning and developing how to use a new programming language for example, then professional developer sites may be more useful

Milestones for success: Milestone 4 Data Spreadsheet

To help you make sense of the literature you are finding, there is a spreadsheet where you will need to record details of your sources. This spreadsheet is available in the unit materials.

The data spreadsheet needs to have sources organised around the research questions used. Use a tab for each research question and list the sources in the following order for each question

· Academic, peer reviewed sources

· Professional sources

· General internet searches.

· SUBMIT: Learnline, Friday week5

Marking criteria

Your interim draft report has the following marking process.

1. Document marks:

Two examiners mark your interim report: your supervisor and another lecturer.

· To get a final score, the two scores will be averaged and the final grade will be based on the average score of both markers.

· If there is a major discrepancy between the results from the two markers, (more than 10 marks) a third marker will be asked to review the work.

The grade will be determined by averaging the two closest marks.

2. Process marks

There are two milestone tasks that will contribute to your final grade for this task:

· Milestone 3: Quality Sources

· Milestone 4: data spreadsheet

The unit coordinator will mark these.

IT Project: Interim Draft Report Criteria: Supervisor

Student Name:	TOTAL
Criteria	Comments to students	Marks
Abstract · Abstract includes research questions, approach/s taken; major results, implications, and where appropriate limitations		/5
Introduction · Outlines project topic, context and the research required · What was done and why?		/5
Interim Report: Content & Methodology: · Outlines research strategy and tasks · Consistently explains why specific topics and material are used · Evidence of a comprehensive and systematic search and selection of material · Appropriate content is covered in depth. · Significance of sources to project is clear · Body sections are primarily written in student’s words with more commentary and/or analysis than quotes or paraphrasing.		/20
Interim Report: Results & Discussion: · The preliminary research (Lit Review or Discovery Phase) collected and reviewed was noted · Some critical evaluation and synthesis of the sources provided: relationships; contradictions, gaps etc · Implications for the project topic are outlined: ie from information found how will this shape further project tasks and activities?		/30
Conclusion · Clear, precise conclusions made based on the review. · Insights into the problem are appropriate. · Clear how this influences the rest of the project		/5
Writing style: references; organisation, mechanics, · references and citations included and used appropriately · referencing and writing style appropriate for a 3rd year student · document looks professional. · ideas follow in a logical manner. · clear, concise, and coherent presentation of idea with correct English: spelling, grammar, and punctuation.		/5
Interim Draft Report · Student has demonstrated that an appropriate level of effort has been completed and has coherently reported project activity during the first six weeks of the unit.		/10
TOTAL		/60

Maths Project: Interim Draft Report Criteria: Supervisor

Interim Draft Report Criteria: Coordinator

Student Name:

TOTAL

Criteria	Details	Marks
Milestone 3: Research Questions & Bibliography	· Submitted milestone on time (1)	/05
	· Research questions appropriate for topic (2)
	· Appropriate number of diverse sources relevant to the project topic provided (1)
	· Appropriate referencing style used consistently with minor errors (1)
Milestone 4: Data Spreadsheet	· Submitted Data grid on time. (1)	/15
	· Sources organised by Research question (3)
	· Sources for each research question organised appropriately (5)
	· Quality information recorded (4)
	· Originality (2)
TOTAL		/20

6 Project Report

Task

Prepare a final report that concisely details the work completed during your project.

Submission details

· Due date: Friday, Week 13

· Length: 3000 – 5000

· Value: 35% of the total marks for this unit

· Submit: Project Report through Learnline

Overview

At the end of the semester, students are required to submit a written report of their project. The final report builds on the interim report and you are expected to use this document as a starting point for this final report. The report should describe the work carried out and the project results and findings. The report should be no less than 3,000 words and should not exceed 10,000 words. Length will vary based on the nature of the project.

The final Project Report should be regularly discussed with the Supervisor(s) before submission. Aim to have the project finished before the submission date to allow both your Supervisor and yourself sufficient time for editing and corrections.

Project Report structure

The project must include the following items in the sequence shown:

(a) Title Page (see 1.8 formatting details )

(b) Abstract - This is part of the title page (see 1.8 formatting details). The abstract is a summary of the report. Be precise: the abstract should not exceed 250 words.

(c) Project Topic outline - Include the original project topic outline that you chose for your project. This is helpful for the second marking understanding what your project is about.

(d) Table of contents (with page numbers),

Use the automatic Table of Contents (TOC) function in Microsoft Word to generate the TOC. Ask your Supervisor, Unit Coordinator or Google if you are unable to use this

(e) Lists of Symbols; Tables; Figures; Abbreviations (where applicable):

(f) Body: the actual report consists of sections arranged to suit the individual needs of each project, and should include the following:

1. Introduction including any relevant background information.

3. A description of the aim of the project.

2. Background research/literature review/requirements analysis. This should be based on the work you completed in the interim report and the heading used needs to reflect the project type undertaken.

4. A description of the methods/approach used to implement your project (including justification of the choices made where appropriate).

5. Results /Implementation, discuss the outcomes of the method used. For software development, you must include a link to the software developed in this section and outline the software development approach used (ie agile or waterfall or combined). For other types of project reports, it is expected that some tabular data that shows the results of your project activities/methodological approach will be included.

6. Analysis and discussion of the project outcomes. From the work you have completed, extract the important issues from the information you have accumulated and choose suitable information (diagrams, images, graphs etc), to aid the comprehension of the text. Explain the significance of the project outcomes in relation to other relevant published work.

7. Conclusions: A critical statement of what has been achieved or demonstrated with this project, based on the analysis and discussion of the results. The conclusion should sum up the main points of the report and should clearly relate to the objectives of your report.

Don’t include any new information in the conclusions.

8. Recommendations (where applicable): A statement of further work or action you consider to be necessary, e.g. during the investigation/project it may have become apparent that it would be desirable to carry the study beyond the planned objective or that some problems encountered should be explored in greater depth than was possible or necessary in the current project.

(g) Lessons Learned: this section enables students to step back from the project and more objectively analyse what they have learned from the project. This section should address the following issues:

· Did the project meet scope, time, and cost goals?

· Were the IT practices used in your project conducted ethically (use the ACS Code of Ethics to respond)

· In terms of managing the project, what were the main lessons you learned?

· Describe one example of what went right on this project.

· Describe one example of what went wrong on this project.

· Outline what will you do differently on the next project based on your experience working on this project?

(h) References: Please note that incorrect referencing may constitute plagiarism. Students should use CDU Harvard Style. (See formatting guidelines)

(i) Appendices: Appendices should contain material which is too detailed, technical, or complex to include in the body of the report. All appendices must be referenced in the main text. Appendices may include:

1. Detailed theoretical analyses.

2. Tabulated records of results, with reference to instruments or sources as appropriate.

3. Graphs, drawings, diagrams etc, not included in the main sections.

4. Software details and program listings.

5. Only selected, concise examples of code and other developed products (for example requirements design specifications are to be included in the body of the report.)

6. Examples of software /code

Appendices are NOT COUNTED as part of the word limit.

(j) Software: If your work was mainly the development of code, please ensure that the code is available for marking. Consult with your supervisor for suggestions regarding this.

Presentation

Style guidelines for the Project Report are outlined in detail in Section 1.8 of this booklet. Please use these to format and structure your final Report.

Please note, you must use these headings in a numbered format.

Preparation

Academic writing

Milestones for success: Milestone 5 Project Abstract

Finalising the first part of your project writing – the project abstract is the focus of the last milestone. The final project abstract is 250 words (including keywords) and needs to include the following structure:

· Motivation or Problem Statement

· Objective of the project

· Methodology/Approach

· Results/Findings

· Implications

· Limitation

This task requires that you rewrite the abstract you prepared for your Draft Interim Report to ensure:

· It follows the correct structure and word length

· It represents your whole project not just what was completed for the Interim report

· It outlines the results and conclusions that you anticipate (these will still need to be finalised before you submit your final report.

· SUBMIT: Learnline, Friday week 8

Marking Criteria

· Two examiners mark the Project Report: your supervisor and another lecturer.

· The two marks will be averaged, and the final grade is based on the average score of both markers.

· If there is a major discrepancy between the results from the two markers, (more than 10 marks) then a third person will be asked to mark the work and the grade will be determined by averaging the two closest marks.

Project Report Criteria

Student Name:	Project:	TOTAL
Criteria	Comments to students	Marks
Project definition and scope · Abstract: The abstract accurately yet concisely captures the project context/motivation, topic, methods and outcomes. · Project Definition: Excellent, clear definition of a substantial and significant Project topic, problem and/or hypothesis (including statement of purpose and relevance) and scope (including context, boundaries and assumptions).		/5
Project Research · Research Undertaken: Extensive, relevant and logically organised review, analysis, discussion of background material, both specific research and general theory, which helps the reader understand the rest of the document, · Synthesis & Application: Demonstrates clear mastery of the material in the topic area and ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.		/10
Approach, methodology · Project Methodology: A clearly set out plan with goals and methods systematically and logically follows from the background research. · Quality of the Approach: The approach highlights creativity and innovation and includes an evaluation of alternative approaches.		/10
Execution & results · Difficulty: Difficult project completed well · Methodology: Appropriate choice of methodology that has been applied to a high standard · Execution: · The execution of work demonstrates good technical skills. · All work shows great attention to detail and accuracy. · The execution indicates a substantial work effort · Results: Data is complete and presented in an appropriate and original form. · Integration: Knowledge gained from background research is clearly applied.		/30
Analysis of data and conclusions · Analysis: Analysis demonstrates excellent understanding of all elements of the research and a high level of independent thought. · Data Interpretation · Information obtained from activities is interpreted correctly, patterns and trends are recognised where appropriate. · Sources of error and limitations of activities are identified correctly. · Clear description of the relationship between current findings and the reviewed literature · Critique: Critical analysis of results showing deep insight knowledge on the topic. · Conclusions: thoughtful, detailed and supported by the data. · Implications: · Discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings. · Specific thoughtful suggestions for future research.		/25
Lessons Learned · Project outcomes clearly outlined · IT Ethical practices observed · Successes: Clear, articulate discussion on what worked well in the project · Failures: Clear, articulate discussion on what DID NOT work well in the project · Planned Improvements: Clear, thoughtful set of adaptations outlined to improve the issues identified in the project · Reflection Quality: Lessons learned clearly demonstrates the learning that occurred in the project process		/10
Writing style: references; organisation, mechanics · Structure: Excellent logical structure · Mechanics: accurate, clear, concise and coherent presentation of ideas with no spelling, punctuation or grammar errors. · Formatting: guidelines observed accurately in physical layout with excellent attention to detail. · Referencing: - Appropriately acknowledges the work of others - Referencing and citation style correct and consistent between the list and the text; - Reference list completely concise without errors.		/10
TOTAL		/100

8. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of material written or produced by others, or a rework of your own material.

· Plagiarism is not acceptable and has serious consequences within the University.

· All sources of information and ideas used in your project and report must be referenced. This applies whether the information is from a book, journal article, the internet, a previous essay you wrote or the assignment of a friend.

· When in doubt, ask your Supervisor.

Note it is not acceptable to construct large passages of your work using a series of quotes from other acknowledged sources. This includes copying large slabs of information from the internet.

Download 10 Do’s and Don’ts to follow to ensure you don’t plagiarise in your project.

Find the graphic opposite in Learnline in the Assessment section

For more information about Plagiarism, see:

9. Supervisor Guidelines

Each student has an individual project Supervisor. The role of the Supervisor is to guide the student through the project, assisting with technical and administrative help as necessary. While the main project requirements are detailed in this document, these guidelines are intended to assist Supervisors in their role.

The project is the work of the student. The student has many resources to assist in the completion of the project, including the Supervisor.

The project supervisor would normally:

· Mentor the student

· Meet regularly with the student concerning project progress. Weekly meetings are required

· Ensure the project objectives and deliverables as specified in the Project Plan are realistic, challenging and of a suitable standard

· Help the student to structure, manage and keep the project on track

· Provide technical advice

· Provide direction and suggestions for progress when the student’s progress appears to “bog down”

· Provide advice and assistance with the presentations and demonstrations to ensure they are of a professional standard

· Assist the student to meet the requirements of this document

· Ensure a balance is maintained between project work and the rest of the student’s studies

· Mark the assessment items, in conjunction with other School of Information Technology staff

In summary, your project supervisor would provide day to day assistance for the student, while overall administration of the project is the responsibility of the unit lecturer.

10. Appendix 1

Project Formatting Guidelines Checklist

Complete this checklist for your project documentation.

NOTE: This is assessable as part of your project plan and needs to be submitted with the plan

Format issue	Details	Checked
Format	All assessment tasks (except the journal) should be submitted as a Word document
	All documentation should be a single word processed document unless special circumstances are required.
Project Title	A title of not more than 16 words should be provided.
Title Page	A Title Page should be submitted with each individual project submission.
	Title page should have the following information: · Assignment Title · Author Details · Abstract (Lit Review and the final Report) · Keywords (Lit Review and the final Report)
Author Details	Details should be supplied on the Title Page including: · Full name of the author · E-mail address of the author
Abstract	· A structured abstract should be included on the Title Page,
	Abstract should address the following: · Motivation or Problem Statement · Objective of the project · Methodology/Approach · Results/Findings · Implications · Limitation Please note -the list is suggestive and not mandatory
	· Maximum 250 words in total (including keywords).
Keywords	· Provide no more than 5 keywords on the Title Page,
	· Keywords should encapsulate the principal topics of your project
Project Topic	· Include the original project topic outline that you chose for your project · This should be the second page of your document.
Headings	· Headings must be 7 words or less
	· There should be a clear indication of the distinction between the hierarchies of headings.
	· Headings should have a numbering system that matches the heading levels.
	· First level headings to be presented in bold format 18 pt
	· Subsequent sub-headings to be presented in medium italics 14 pt.
	· Further headings (level 3) should be bold 12pt
Presentation	· Writing should be presented in clear, concise English.
	· Fonts should be Calibri or Helvetica, 11 point font
	· Spacing should be double or 1.5-line spacing throughout
	· Margins: use standard margins
	· Page numbers: All pages of your documents must be numbered consecutively, including appendices and references
	· Page numbers should appear in a footer on the right of each page.

Notes/Endnotes	· No notes or endnotes
Table of Contents	· Table of Contents should be automatically generated based on your Word headings.
Figures	· All Figures (charts, diagrams, line drawings, web pages/screenshots, and photographic images) should be included in the body of your documents.
	· Ensure that all images are of reasonable quality and easily understood
	· All figures should be labelled appropriately and referred to in the body of the document.
Tables	· Tables should be included in the main body of the article.
	· All Tables should be labelled appropriately and referred to in the body of the document.
	· Ensure that any superscripts or asterisks are shown next to the relevant items
References	· References to all publications must be in Harvard style and carefully checked for completeness, accuracy and consistency.
	· In-text citations : Cite publications in the text:
	· Citing one author- use the first named author's name and date (Adams, 2006) Make sure you use the family name
	· Citing two authors, (Adams and Brown, 2006)
	· Citing three or more authors (Adams et al., 2006).
	· Reference list should be at the end of each project document before any appendices
	· Reference list should be in alphabetical order
Books	Formatting for books should be as follows: Norman, D 2002, The Design of Everyday Things, Basic Books.
	Formatting for journals should be as follows: Patnaik, D & Becker, R 1999, ‘Needfinding: The Why and How of Uncovering People’s Needs’, Design Management Journal, Spring , pp. 37-43.

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