Marshall & Rossman (1999) Designing Qualitative Research, Sage, Third Edition, ISBN: 0761913408
Sharp & Howard, (1996) The Management of a Student Research Project (2 ed), Aldershot Gower, ISBN: 056607706X
Oliver, P. (1997) Research, Teach Yourself Books, NTC Publishing Group, ISBN: 0844200158
Cottrell, Stella (2003), Skills for Success, Palgrave MacMillan, ISBN 1-4039-1132-0

Must be enrolled on a FCET MSc programme.

Material on Blackboard
PC with Office
University PDP website - My Portfolio.
Access to the Internet
Staffordshire University has subscriptions to electronic book services such as Safari Tech Books, Ebrary and Netlibrary. There are titles in each of the collections that will support students studying computer science. Staffordshire University has subscriptions to IEEExplore, ACM Digital Library, Elsevier Science Direct and Infotrac Computer Database all offering full text electronic access to journals and conference proceedings.

100% coursework including a number of deliverables (Learning outcomes 1-4):

- Each student will develop his or her own personal planning portfolio.
- Presentation of portfolio.
- A short technical report (1-2 pages) including full referencing. (20%)
- A review paper of literature and background investigation of the research project (guide 2-3 pages). (40%)
- An abstract of proposed dissertation project which outlines the topic of research, preliminary research problems, aims/objectives and deliverables (guide 2-3 pages). (20%)
- Dissertation project proposal, which states research programme and reflects the understanding of the research problem in its context and methods adopted in the project (guide 5-6 pages). (20%)

Guidance to familiarise students with the My Portfolio web based system, Career Planning, and Management of time.
Setting up and maintaining an individual personal development record (PDR).
Reflection on personal development in both an academic and a broader context.

Familiarisation of International Students with the UK academic systems and giving them opportunities to articulate their concerns about a new and unfamiliar environment.

The balance between Academic Study and Part-time Work.
The importance of correct referencing in reports.

Opportunities for students to reflect on and discuss the expectations of a Masters Level Award.

Transferable skills that will assist the student in their future career planning .These include developing skills to enable individuals to sell themselves through the development of personal presentation skills, conducting interviews to assist in research and producing technical reports.

Refine skills in project planning, organisation of study materials, presentation and dissemination of research, research proposal specification, techniques of research report writing.

Methods and skills of literature research, gathering of data from a range of sources, selecting and using appropriate technologies available (e.g. library, digital library, Internet facilities and other sources).

The professional issues ever present in the environment, including health and safety, standards, ethical and social issues, professional bodies.

Techniques required to analyse data and to present the results in a suitable format.

Research proposal specification, regulations and supervisor's role. A student will demonstrate a wide range of professional and IT skills such as producing technical documents, research papers and outline project proposals and plans.

The assignment, general principles of research and project management will be presented to students at the outset of the module. These are the key skills that students will require to successfully attempt the assessments. Students will also be introduced to personal goals and career planning in order they can create a personal planning portfolio. Initially students will identify a potential dissertation topic and need to research and develop this through consultation with the module leader over several weeks. Formative feedback can therefore be regularly sought from the tutor. As students develop their work they will need to attempt several assessment components that develop different aspects of academic writing, these include a concise report summary and referencing task, a full literature review, abstract formulation, and a full dissertation proposal.

The module is very much student led in that the student chooses the topic on which to base the dissertation proposal. Skills of project management as well as other key academic skills will be developed in completing the assessment. Throughout the student will need to regularly gain feedback on their progress from the tutor which begins to instil the relationship between student and supervisor in advance of a dissertation project.