Group Presentation of Review Report (10%): Week 6 (8 Sept.) and week 7 (15 Sept.)

Form groups with a maximum of four students. Each group will be given 10 minutes for the presentation. Each group MUST make a formal presentation in Week 6 of their review report based on Seminar paper 1 presented by a guest researcher in Week 5. Study the document entitled, “Preparing a Paper Review” and ensure that the presentation is based on the guidelines provided. Also study the Rubric for Group Presentation in the appendix to see how marks will be allocated. This presentation is worth 10% of your total assessment. Specifically, 5% of the mark will be allocated to the group presentation and 5% to the individual presentation.

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.

Seminar Paper Review Reports 30% (1^st report due in week 8, 6 October, and 2^nd report due in week 11, 27 November)

Marks for the two individual reviews of seminar papers will be based on the Seminar Paper Review submission. The individual review reports will be marked out of 100 as shown in the Rubric-Seminar Paper Review Report. The rubric shows that content is allocated 50%, line of argument 10%, clarity of structure 10%, referencing 10% and presentation 10%. Each review is worth 15% of the total assessment marks. Each review should be a maximum of 1500 words and should follow the format and organization as outlined in the document entitled, “ACCG807 Preparing a Paper Review”. The report MUST include a summary, introduction, literature review, theory development and hypotheses, research method and conclusions.

Assignments must be submitted through Turnitin.

Turnitin and High Similarity Index

Please review the similarity index using turnitin before submitting your work to ensure the majority of your work represents your own work. Also, please ensure that you use quotation marks and provide adequate references (including page references) if you use a direct quote from another source, and provide references when using the ideas expressed by other authors. As a guideline your similarity index should not exceed 25%. If it does then you should review the proposal to remove and/or adjust text that is picked up as being similar before submitting your proposal. If your similarity index is high and you are unsure how to rectify this problem please discuss this with the unit coordinator before submitting your proposal".

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.

Student Class Participation

Participation in class discussion is worth 10% and is an essential component of the curriculum in attaining the first four learning outcomes. The unit consists of thirteen weekly three hour seminars. The unit is extensive reading and discussion-based to enable you to develop research skills which will prepare you to write quality seminar review reports and to develop an original research proposal. In seminars, you are expected to understand and contribute to active discussion on the main theoretical and methodological issues that relate to the papers presented. Participation in the classes provides a forum for you to engage with newly-developing research and researchers. The rubric for allocating marks for participation is provided in the appendices of the Unit Guide.

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.

Research Proposal (50%)

• Individual Presentation of first draft of Research Proposal in Weeks 10 or 11 (10%)

You will be given 10 minutes for presentation of a first draft of your Research Proposal. Your  draft research proposal should demonstrate progress in reviewing the relevant literature, identification of particular gaps in the existing literature that define the key problems/ issues to be addressed, theory development and hypotheses formulation, research method, and the conclusions. Your draft research proposal should clearly show the contribution that you aim to make to the existing literature. Also study the Research Proposal Marking Criteria in the appendix to see how marks will be allocated. This presentation is worth 10% of your total assessment.

• Research proposal (the final report)-due week 13, 10 November (40%)

The final major assessment in worth 40% and requires you to submit a written research proposal according to the guidelines provided in the document entitled, “ACCG807 Preparing a Research Proposal”. A research proposal should clearly identify specific gaps in the existing literature that define the key problems/ issues to be addressed. The research proposal must include an abstract, introduction, literature review, theory development and hypotheses formulation; research method and the conclusions. Your research proposal should clearly show the contribution that you aim to make to the existing literature. A simple replication of an existing paper is not considered to be an adequate contribution to the literature. Selecting a research topic is the first and most crucial step in the research process. You must be interested in the topic and you should have some prior knowledge of the topic. The topic must be researchable, that is, research into the problem must be feasible in terms of availability of data and access to it, and your competence to handle tools of analysis. The rubric for marking the research proposal in provided in the appendices of the Unit Guide.

The review should be a maximum of 5000 words excluding references and appendices and cover the points outlined in ACCG807 Preparing a Research Proposal. Not all proposals lend themselves to exactly this format or organization, and not all points will be relevant to all proposals. Be flexible in your approach. The questions are guidelines and prompts to help you to write a quality proposal. As you progress in developing research skills, keep on continually revising all sections of your research proposal. Your Research Proposal should be submitted through Turnitin in week 13.

Turnitin and High Similarity Index

Please review the similarity index using turnitin before submitting your work to ensure the majority of your work represents your own work. Also, please ensure that you use quotation marks and provide adequate references (including page references) if you use a direct quote from another source, and provide references when using the ideas expressed by other authors. As a guideline your similarity index should not exceed 25%. If it does then you should review the proposal to remove and/or adjust text that is picked up as being similar before submitting your proposal. If your similarity index is high and you are unsure how to rectify this problem please discuss this with the unit coordinator before submitting your proposal".

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.