Students
ACCG2067 – Foundations of Forensic and Data Analytics
2021 – Session 1, Special circumstances
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Rahat Munir
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
50cp at 1000 level or above
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces students to the practice and procedures of forensic accounting and the important role played by the forensic accountant in the legal and business environment. Students will be exposed to the theory and principles of application, of data analytics skills and techniques in relation to fraud detection, fraud and risk exposures, dispute resolution, cyber and financial crimes and legal obligations and processes. The unit aims to develop in students an appreciation of how the application of forensic and data analytics skills and strategies are essential to the role of the forensic accountant as an expert witness and professional advisor. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Understand the role of forensic accounting and its relationship to the legal system, including the legal, ethical and professional obligations of forensic accountants.
- ULO2: Identify indicators of fraudulent activity and develop awareness of investigative procedures, including an appreciation of the role of evidence in the litigation process.
- ULO3: Develop awareness of issues and key principles of professional digital forensic practice, including chain of custody and best practice procedures.
- ULO4: Understand the theory, and principles of application, of data analytics skills and techniques to forensic accounting.
- ULO5: Recognise mechanisms to uncover or recover evidence from digital devices to support litigation and investigations.
General Assessment Information
Late Submission(s) of Assessment: Where assessment is to be submitted through Turnitin, late assessment must also, where applicable, be submitted through Turnitin. 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 incurs a 20% penalty). Late submissions will not be accepted after solutions have been discussed and/or made available. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. Note: applications for Special Consideration Policy must be made within 5 (five) business days of the due date and time.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Assignment | 45% | No | Wednesday, 26th May 2021 (2PM) |
| Class Test | 25% | No | Saturday, 24 April 2021 (10AM) |
| Assessed Coursework | 30% | No | Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12 |
Group Assignment
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Wednesday, 26th May 2021 (2PM)
Weighting: 45%
Students are required to complete a group report assignment consisting of individual and group components. Details regarding the nature of the assignment and its requirements will be made available on iLearn early in the session. The properties on which the assessment task is will be assessed are as follows:
Application of knowledge and skills Quality of reasoning and appropriate application of data analytic techniques Quality of communication and presentation of assignment
The Unit Assessment Guide provides standards and a grading rubric for this assessment task.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand the role of forensic accounting and its relationship to the legal system, including the legal, ethical and professional obligations of forensic accountants.
- Identify indicators of fraudulent activity and develop awareness of investigative procedures, including an appreciation of the role of evidence in the litigation process.
- Develop awareness of issues and key principles of professional digital forensic practice, including chain of custody and best practice procedures.
- Understand the theory, and principles of application, of data analytics skills and techniques to forensic accounting.
- Recognise mechanisms to uncover or recover evidence from digital devices to support litigation and investigations.
Class Test
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Saturday, 24 April 2021 (10AM)
Weighting: 25%
The purpose of the diagnostic test is to provide students with feedback on their knowledge and application of the material using a formative assessment task early in the session. The test will be marked based on the appropriate application of knowledge and skills to short answer and case based questions.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand the role of forensic accounting and its relationship to the legal system, including the legal, ethical and professional obligations of forensic accountants.
- Identify indicators of fraudulent activity and develop awareness of investigative procedures, including an appreciation of the role of evidence in the litigation process.
- Understand the theory, and principles of application, of data analytics skills and techniques to forensic accounting.
Assessed Coursework
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12
Weighting: 30%
Students are required to complete regular assessed coursework activities consisting of seven homework submissions. Details on homework questions coverage will be provided in the Unit Weekly Guide available on iLearn. Homework submissions activities are designed to encourage students to actively engage with the Unit material and to provide students with timely feedback on their performance throughout the session. Homework submissions will be marked on the basis of original effort. The marking criteria to be applied to homework submissions is provided in the Unit Assessment Guide available on iLearn. Each homework submission is equally weighted and the best 5 of 7 homework submissions will count towards your homework submission marks.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand the role of forensic accounting and its relationship to the legal system, including the legal, ethical and professional obligations of forensic accountants.
- Identify indicators of fraudulent activity and develop awareness of investigative procedures, including an appreciation of the role of evidence in the litigation process.
- Develop awareness of issues and key principles of professional digital forensic practice, including chain of custody and best practice procedures.
- Recognise mechanisms to uncover or recover evidence from digital devices to support litigation and investigations.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
This is an online unit. Details of assessments and online forums will be available on iLearn.
Unit Schedule
Unit Schedule
|
WEEK |
LEARNING OBJECTIVE |
CONTENT |
READINGS |
|
1 |
LO1: Understand the role of forensic accounting and its relationship to the legal system, including the legal, ethical and professional obligations of forensic accountants |
Overview of the Australian Legal System How Law is Made What the Law Deals With Government in Australia The Legislature The Executive The Judiciary The Legal Profession Hearsay Opinion Standard of Proof |
Australian legal system [online]. HOT TOPICS, No. 79, 2011: 1-28
Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) extracts:
|
|
2 |
LO1: Understand the role of forensic accounting and its relationship to the legal system, including the legal, ethical and professional obligations of forensic accountants |
The Role of The Expert Existence of Formal Qualifications Australia’s Uniform Evidence Legislation The Opinion Rule The Admissibility Regime Specialised Knowledge Fields of Expertise Expert Evidence and Hearsay Certificates of Expert Evidence |
Expert evidence. (n.d.), Chapter 2 - Common Law Evidentiary Rules (selected sections only)
Expert evidence. (n.d.), Chapter 3 - Statutory Evidentiary Rules (selected sections only) |
|
3 |
LO1: Understand the role of forensic accounting and its relationship to the legal system, including the legal, ethical and professional obligations of forensic accountants |
Duties and Responsibilities The Expert’s Testimony Rules of Evidence Expert Witness Code of Conduct |
R. Hoffman, W. Finney, Ph. Cox & K, Cooper, The Accountant as an Expert Witness: A basic guide to forensic accounting - Chapter 2: Overview - the legal framework (CCH Australia Limited, 2007)
Schedule 7 – Expert Witness Code of Conduct Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) |
|
4 |
LO2: Identify indicators of fraudulent activity and develop awareness of investigative procedures, including an appreciation of the role of evidence in the litigation process |
Introduction to Fraud Types of Fraud The Need for Analysis Tools |
Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts, H. Silverstone and M. Sheetz, Chapter 2, Fraud in Society |
|
5 |
LO2: Identify indicators of fraudulent activity and develop awareness of investigative procedures, including an appreciation of the role of evidence in the litigation process |
APES 215 Investigations: planning the scope and structure |
APES215 Forensic Accounting, R. Rufus and others, Chapter 7 Conducting a Fraud Investigation |
|
6 |
LO2: Identify indicators of fraudulent activity and develop awareness of investigative procedures, including an appreciation of the role of evidence in the litigation process |
Case management Reporting the findings Closing the investigation |
Corruption in Focus, Crime and Corruption Commission, Chapter 6 Planning an investigation (2016) |
|
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
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|
7 |
LO3: Develop awareness of issues and key principles of professional digital forensic practice, including chain of custody and best practice procedures
|
Computers Forensic IT Digital forensics lab Software used by Forensic IT Conducting computer forensics investigations |
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Electronic evidence - What if there’s no paper trail? (2008)
J. Brozovsky and J. Luo, Digital forensics: a new challenge for accounting professionals (Strategic Finance, 2013)
R. Kardell, Analysis of digital financial data (FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 2011) |
|
8 |
LO3: Develop awareness of issues and key principles of professional digital forensic practice, including chain of custody and best practice procedures |
Critical Steps in Gathering Evidence Chain of Custody Evidence Created Introduction to Digital Forensics |
A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation, W. Kenyon and P. D. Tilton, Chapter 10, Building a Case: Gathering and Documenting Evidence
Essentials of Forensic Accounting, M. A. Crain and others, Chapter 11, Digital Forensics |
|
9 |
LO4: Understand the theory, and principles of application, of data analytics skills and techniques to forensic accounting
|
Introduction to Financial Analysis Key Ratios Data Mining as an Analysis Tool |
Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts, H. Silverstone and M. Sheetz, Chapter 5, Fundamental Principles of Financial Analysis |
|
10 |
LO4: Understand the theory, and principles of application, of data analytics skills and techniques to forensic accounting |
Disbursement Fraud Payroll Fraud Fraud Risk Structure Data Analysis Data Mining Planning |
The Fraud Audit: Responding to the Risk of Fraud in Core Business Systems, L. W. Vona, Chapter 10, Disbursement Fraud
The Fraud Audit: Responding to the Risk of Fraud in Core Business Systems, L. W. Vona, Chapter 12, Payroll Fraud |
|
11 |
LO5: Recognise mechanisms to uncover or recover evidence from digital devices to support litigation and investigations.
|
Scientific Method and Digital Forensics Digital Forensic Analysis Data Gathering and Observation Conclusions and Reporting |
Handbook of Digital Forensics and Investigation, E. Casey, Chapter 2, Forensic Analysis |
|
12 |
LO5: Diagnose and appraise mechanisms to uncover or recover evidence from digital devices to support litigation and investigations
|
Introduction to Electronic Discovery Case Management Identification of Electronic Data Forensic Preservation of Data Data Processing Production of Electronic Data |
Handbook of Digital Forensics and Investigation, E. Casey, Chapter 3, Electronic Discovery |
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13 |
Revision |
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Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
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Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook