Students
MQBS7005 – Research Communications in Business and Economics
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
Unit Convenor
Terry Royce
Contact via email
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
MQBS8005
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| Unit description |
Unit description
The unit provides an introduction to the essential elements of the research process, including developing an effective research proposal. It is designed for students who are undertaking, or who are seeking to undertake, a major higher degree research based project or thesis. Students will explore the purpose of research and its role within the broader community. Topics also include the philosophical aspects of the scientific process and knowledge paradigms, developing a necessary researcher’s mindset, as well as various protocols associated with research conduct and academic writing. Students will acquire a deeper understanding of various elements of the research project/thesis, including effective and comprehensive literature reviews, approaches to research and research methodology, as well as how to make sense of, and report on, data results. Students will learn to discuss and contextualise research results with regard to what has been found in previous literature and their implications for the theoretical foundations of their chosen study. Finally, students will be guided through various aspects of the peer-review process including the submission of manuscripts to conferences and journals as well as addressing reviewer feedback. |
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: Develop knowledge, academic literacy and strategies to write critical reviews of literature in the discipline of business and economics
- ULO2: Develop knowledge, academic literacy and strategies to write the research article, thesis or protocol in the discipline section by section
- ULO3: Reflect on language and academic communication convention styles to inform future academic practice and writing
- ULO4: Receive and address feedback to improve the quality of their research
- ULO5: Orally communicate research ideas to specialist and non-specialist audience
General Assessment Information
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 apply for Special Consideration.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing blogs weekly | 10% | No | Weekly |
| Literature review | 40% | No | 21/04/2024 |
| Oral presentation of the research proposal | 15% | No | 29/05/2024 |
| A research proposal | 35% | No | 12/06/2024 |
Writing blogs weekly
Assessment Type 1: Non-academic writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%
Requires students to choose to write six blogs (Maximum 500 words each) responding to the writing tasks provided in the weekly sessions of the course (except for the last week).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Reflect on language and academic communication convention styles to inform future academic practice and writing
- Receive and address feedback to improve the quality of their research
Literature review
Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 21/04/2024
Weighting: 40%
The literature review requires students to demonstrate their knowledge and stance on the literature pertinent to their preferred subject topic. Students should collect relevant theories and studies from reliable academic sources, and apply critical thinking to evaluate them and critical writing to synthesize arguments and theoretical propositions in their written work. The word limit of the assessment is 3,000 words.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Develop knowledge, academic literacy and strategies to write critical reviews of literature in the discipline of business and economics
- Reflect on language and academic communication convention styles to inform future academic practice and writing
- Receive and address feedback to improve the quality of their research
Oral presentation of the research proposal
Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: 29/05/2024
Weighting: 15%
Students make a 5-min presentation on their proposed study with aid of slides.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Receive and address feedback to improve the quality of their research
- Orally communicate research ideas to specialist and non-specialist audience
A research proposal
Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 12/06/2024
Weighting: 35%
This assignment requires students to compose a compact-version of research proposal on their preferred topic, the one reviewed for the assignment of literature review. In the proposal, students should address only required elements rather than all elements typically seen in a proposal. The word limit of the assessment is 3,000 words.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Develop knowledge, academic literacy and strategies to write the research article, thesis or protocol in the discipline section by section
- Reflect on language and academic communication convention styles to inform future academic practice and writing
- Receive and address feedback to improve the quality of their research
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
Delivery: 3-hour seminar taught F2F on-campus
Resources: Please see iLearn for weekly resources.
Unit Schedule
Week 1 Fundamental Knowledge for Starting a Research Project
Week 2 How to Write a Critical Literature Review
Week 3 Library Skills and Information Literacy Support for Research
Week 4 Critiquing Literature and Developing Research Questions
Week 5 Working with Theory in Research
Week 6 Citation & Writing Style & A Rigorous Description & Justification of Methods
Week 7 Literature Review Rhetorical Structure & Interpret Results and Draw Implications
Week 8 Communicating Research to Specialist and non-Specialist Audiences & Develop Arguments and Write with Good Flow
Week 9 Develop Your Research Proposal
Week 10 Abstracts & Introductions: Develop Arguments and Write with Good Flow
Week 11 The Methods Chapter (Revisited) & Results Chapter
Week 12 The Discussion & Conclusion Chapters
Week 13 Oral Presentation (Assignment 4)
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
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution 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
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.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
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:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
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