Students

AFIN8005 – Research Methods in Banking and Finance

2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Jianlei Han
jianlei.han@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MFin or ((Admission to MCom in Finance or MBkgFin) and 30cp at 6000 level or above)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
AFIN7005
Unit description Unit description

This unit describes and analyses the methodology of contemporary research in banking and finance. It covers quantitative and qualitative methods to assist students to conduct further research in the future.

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: Recognise research methods used in the banking and finance areas.
  • ULO2: Articulate research questions in response to a business problem or opportunity.
  • ULO3: Apply relevant methods to address finance issues or problems.
  • ULO4: Work productively in a group to design a research study.

General Assessment Information

Late submissions of assessments

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

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 grade of ‘0’ 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 concern.  

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Research Proposal 40% No Week 12
Data Analysis Project 15% No Week 7
Assignment 45% No Week 13

Research Proposal

Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 40%

 

The task involves development of a research proposal, a presentation and an individual literature review. The group work (including research proposal and presentation) is worth 30% and the individual task (that is, the literature review) is worth 10%.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognise research methods used in the banking and finance areas.
  • Articulate research questions in response to a business problem or opportunity.
  • Apply relevant methods to address finance issues or problems.
  • Work productively in a group to design a research study.

Data Analysis Project

Assessment Type 1: Quantitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 15%

 

A project will be designed to test the knowledge of data analysis using statistical software packages.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognise research methods used in the banking and finance areas.
  • Apply relevant methods to address finance issues or problems.

Assignment

Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 45%

 

The assignment will consist of two components. The first component will require students to use relevant software to conduct quantitative analysis. The second component will require students to use the research skills learned to evaluate and connect papers related to finance issues or problems.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognise research methods used in the banking and finance areas.
  • Articulate research questions in response to a business problem or opportunity.
  • Apply relevant methods to address finance issues or problems.

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

Weekly reading materials.

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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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 2024.02 of the Handbook