Students

INTS7001 – Special Topics in International Studies: Languages and Cultures

2023 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Ulrike Garde
ulrike.garde@mq.edu.au
Please arrange a consultation hour by email.
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides students the opportunity to conduct targeted research into a particular topic of concern that aligns with the interdisciplinary focus of the Discipline of Languages and Cultures. Working in collaboration with a staff member from the Discipline of Languages and Cultures, students will identify a debate or issue within the scholarship related to their own research interests and conduct a systematic and wide review of this literature with an aim to develop an innovative solution to the identified problem. Through this unit, students will learn fundamental skills in research communication and project development as well as reflect on their own research practices to build high level critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

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: Identify key issues in the academic literature and develop an innovative solution to this problem by deploying relevant methodologies and approaches
  • ULO2: Build skills in critical research work, including identifying relevant scholarly sources and placing them within a broader disciplinary or interdisciplinary context
  • ULO3: Manage a research relationship with a scholarly mentor
  • ULO4: Develop high level research communication skills
  • ULO5: Reflect on research practice to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of‚ 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. 

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due dates.

If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply:

https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Project Statement 10% No 18/08/23 (23:55)
Annotated Bibliography 35% No Week 8 - 29/09/23 (23:55)
Literature Review 35% No Week 12 - 27/10/23 (23:55)
Reflection Tasks 20% No Ongoing - Final submission Week 13, 3/11/23 (23:55)

Project Statement

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 18/08/23 (23:55)
Weighting: 10%

 

Students produce a short abstract identifying the research problem they will explore and outlining how they will approach the review of literature

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key issues in the academic literature and develop an innovative solution to this problem by deploying relevant methodologies and approaches
  • Build skills in critical research work, including identifying relevant scholarly sources and placing them within a broader disciplinary or interdisciplinary context
  • Develop high level research communication skills

Annotated Bibliography

Assessment Type 1: Annotated bibliography
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Week 8 - 29/09/23 (23:55)
Weighting: 35%

 

Under the guidance of a staff mentor, students will conduct a systematic review of relevant scholarship and prepare an annotated bibliography of key texts in the literature

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key issues in the academic literature and develop an innovative solution to this problem by deploying relevant methodologies and approaches
  • Build skills in critical research work, including identifying relevant scholarly sources and placing them within a broader disciplinary or interdisciplinary context
  • Manage a research relationship with a scholarly mentor
  • Develop high level research communication skills

Literature Review

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Week 12 - 27/10/23 (23:55)
Weighting: 35%

 

Students will prepare a literature review based on their annotated bibliography that identifies a research problem and proposes an innovative solution to said problem

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key issues in the academic literature and develop an innovative solution to this problem by deploying relevant methodologies and approaches
  • Build skills in critical research work, including identifying relevant scholarly sources and placing them within a broader disciplinary or interdisciplinary context
  • Develop high level research communication skills

Reflection Tasks

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Ongoing - Final submission Week 13, 3/11/23 (23:55)
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will write an essay in which they reflect upon their research practice and experiences working with an academic mentor

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Manage a research relationship with a scholarly mentor
  • Develop high level research communication skills
  • Reflect on research practice to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills

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

Please see iLearn.

Unit Schedule

Please see iLearn and consult with the academic who is supervising your project.

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:

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

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2023.01R of the Handbook