Report Heading

Description

Introduction

Short introduction to your topic (a couple of paragraphs.

What area are you interested in? 

Why do you think it will make a good research topic?

Search Results

Ideally in table format with columns for keywords, filters, number of results and notes. Here you should show your skill in using the databases.

• Specify the database that you use for each search.
• Say why you have chosen each database.
• Aim to search at least 3 databases.
• For each database, continue to refine your results until you have 30 or less. 
• Notes should contain your thoughts on the number of returned results and your reasoning behind your next search terms to expand/reduce the number of matches.

Criteria

Define criteria for determining which papers will be included or excluded from the final list. Consider the relevance of each paper identified in the short list (from the searches) and state the reasons (based on the criteria) for including or excluding from the final list.

At the end of your literature search you will have a number of papers e.g. 30 or less from each database you searched. This is your short list.

You must now decide which papers to include in your final list, and which to exclude.

Your final list should contain the 10-30 papers that are most relevant to your chosen research topic. 

Conclusions

What did you learn about doing a systematic literature search?

How well do you feel the literature search went? Did it go as you expected? What difficulties did you have? How

easy did you find the different databases to use? What limitations did you encounter? 

Reference List 

A reference list with full reference details for your final set of papers, Teesside University Harvard style: https://libguides.tees.ac.uk/computing or Bibtex if using the Latex editor.

Element 1

Literature Review (40%)

Introduction

• Is the topic chosen clearly identified?
• Is the topic/research area well explained?

Search

• Is there a clear description of a systematic and iterative process? Is the whole process traceable?
• Is the literature search adequate? E.g. use of appropriate keywords, filters, Booleans and suitable databases/sources. Have 3 (or more) databases been searched? 
• Has choice of databases been justified? 
• Have results been narrowed down to 30 or less for each database? 
• Have notes been included to explain decisions made?

Inclusion\Exclusion Criteria 

• Are appropriate criteria for including/excluding particular papers identified and applied? 
• Does the final list include empirical research?

Conclusions and Limitations

• Are valid conclusions drawn about the results of the literature search?
• Are the limitations of the search well identified?

References List

• Are references in Harvard/Bibtex format as appropriate?
• Are all elements in the final list of references correct & complete?

Overall

Professional Quality

•

Is there a good standard of report writing? E.g. are all elements written in good English, spell-checked & proof-read?

•

Does the report conform with the specified content?

Poster Heading

Description

Research Purpose

Introduce and explain the research’s purpose:

• Short introduction to your topic
• Your overall research question that will be addressed by the research
• Any research objectives 
• You must also define the anticipated product(s) i.e.

the anticipated contribution to knowledge

Background Context

Justify the need for your research question. 

• Why is your research important?
• What were your main findings from your final list of papers from element 1. Summarise them for the poster. 
• Cite the papers that you discuss.

Research

Methodology

Identify and justify:

• One or more research strategies that you will use 
• The data generation methods that you will use
• If appropriate, your data analysis techniques 

Evaluation Methodology

Justify how you plan to evaluate your end

product(s)/contribution to knowledge. How will you check the usefulness of your findings/artefact/product to your

target audience? Note that masters projects are expected to include third party evaluation of the end product if at all possible.

Identify and justify:

• One or more research strategies that you will use 
• The data generation methods that you will use
• If appropriate, your data analysis techniques

Schedule and Publishing 

• Identify the set of tasks, the timescale for each task and hence the timescale for the overall research which captures your schedule visually.
• Allow 13 weeks (or 26 weeks if your studying parttime) from ‘project start’ to ‘hand-in of all project work’. Projects normally include a viva that should not be included in the schedule as it is normally after the hand-in. 
• Identify the academic journal or conference for which you will prepare your project’s final research paper.
• You can use a project planning tool e.g. produce a GANTT chart to show your tasks.

Professional, legal and ethical issues

• Professional, legal and ethical issues that your proposal raises, and how they will be addressed.

Element 2

Project Proposal Poster (60%)

Research Purpose

• Are the purpose of the project, 
• the overall research question 
• and the anticipated product(s) 
• all clearly defined and appropriate to masters level?

Background Context

• Have the main findings from the papers found in element 1 been summarised? 
• Is there a clear justification for the need for the project?
• Is there good use of references, cited correctly? 

Research

Methodology

•

Is an appropriate research methodology clearly described and justified?

•

Are strategy, data collection methods and data analysis techniques identified?

Evaluation Methodology

•

Is there an appropriate plan (evaluation methodology) to evaluate your end product(s)/contribution to knowledge?

•

Is the evaluation methodology clearly described and justified, with 3rd party evaluation if possible?

•

Are strategy, data collection methods and data analysis techniques identified?

Schedule and dissemination plans

•

•

•

Are all the main tasks identified?

Is there an appropriate schedule for them? Has an appropriate journal or conference been identified?

Professional.

legal and ethical issues

•

Are all relevant professional, legal and ethical aspects clearly identified and well addressed?

Poster overall quality

•

Is there a good standard of report writing? E.g. are all elements written in good English, spell-checked & proof-read?

•

Is the poster visually appealing and does it flow well?

•

Is there a suitable amount of text i.e. has content been summarised suitably for a poster?

•

Have diagrams been used appropriately?

A (70%+)

Excellent piece of work of a professional standard across all parts.

Demonstrates learning and other input beyond the taught programme.

B (6069%)

Good piece of work. Satisfies all requirements to a high standard.  A carefully designed literature review and project proposal.

C (5059%)

Satisfactory. Meets majority of assignment’s objectives. Demonstrates broad understanding and basic ability to use key ideas introduced through the taught programme. A few gaps or omissions but satisfactory literature review and project proposal. 

D (4049%)

Relatively weak. Some assignment objectives met but generally unconvincing literature review and project proposal.

E (3039%)

Poor. Few objectives met. Little evidence of understanding or use of taught material. No attempt to extend learning, poor literature review and project proposal.

F (<30%)

Inadequate.  Unsatisfactory.  Objectives not met.