This module will address the following topics:

Project types and styles

What characteristics define an excellent project? (Some qualities of outstanding projects including project types and research approaches, tailoring a project to your own interests, aspirations, and capabilities)

Locating pertinent literature: How to get the most out of the university library; tools and resources that are available; primary and secondary sources.

Studying research papers: Choosing which articles to read; reading intensity; writing notes and summaries; and gathering bibliographic metadata.

Research paper creation: Planning your paper's structure, framing the question, writing styles, tools, and resources; crediting and referencing sources; avoiding plagiarism; and editing and proof-reading are all part of the process.

Evaluation of project results: critical analysis; scope and restrictions; and experimental, analytical, unit-testing, and user analysis assessment methods.

Your MSc project preparation: How to create a workplan that is specific to your project; risk analysis; contingency planning; how to allow enough time for drafting your report.

Academic writing styles

Referencing

Developing a thesis

Preventing plagiarism

Evaluation, metrics, and performance measurement methods

Professional bodies, codes of conduct, and expectation of good practice

Legal, Social, Ethical and Professional Issues

Risk and Safety issues, testing, and problem reduction

Principles of Project Management

Development of computing professional skills

Cultural, global and environmental issues

Copyright and intellectual property topics in the digital world

Software design standards such as PAS 754 (Trustworthy Software)

Principles of Cybersecurity, addressing individual and large scale systems, issues related to information, threats, and management of potential risks

Understanding of peer review processes

Economics of systems and architecture

Design processes and trade offs

Risk assessment and forward thinking

Team organisation, team-working, and effectiveness of individual roles

Professional practices in the domain

Solution support

Utilisation of accepted standards

SPECIFICALLY IN RELATION TO THE EMPLOYABILITY FRAMEWORK, this module covers:

Personal Development Reflection (Personal Development Planning)

Professional CV development and presentation

Personal skills of evaluation and reflection

Determining life goals and developing a career plan.

Career Planning – students to book in with a career advisor for 1-2-1 to discuss their career plan and skills audit

The need for skills currency. Students will self-assess themselves to produce a skills audit to provide a foundation for growth. Identifying skills deficits and action planning.

Understanding personal strengths

Identification of an organisation’s ethos, working, and expectations, and how an individual learns and adapts to these

The need for professional competencies

Identification of potential barriers and organisational restrictions to career paths

Coaching and mentoring approaches

Strategies, efficiencies, and lifelong planning. Students will be introduced to the University Peer and Professional Mentoring Scheme

University Life Mentor – new students have the opportunity to receive a peer mentor to support them in settling into university life.

Giving back to place and society - Continuing students can sign up to become a Life Mentor to support new students.

Professional Mentor - Continuing students have the opportunity to receive a professional mentor from the industry of their choice to support them in their career journey

Working in teams / becoming a team player

Shining a highlight to personal attributes

The University Careers team will input directly to provide sessions on:

Start Where You Are Workshop – assists students in completing self-analysis and reflects on their current position

Career Planning Workshop – students will learn how to create an effective career plan and generate SMART Targets

Written Report – The written report will be a submitted research review document that will do the following. It will identify a project title, explore aims and objectives, identify research method, confirm risks to the project, discuss ethics, relate this to your proposed career, and include a project plan. Formative feedback will be provided throughout its preparation. On submission feedback will be received from members of the marking panel during a verbal feedback session.

1. Understand and apply key research method concepts to the definition of practical projects

Knowledge and Understanding,

Enquiry, Learning

2. Define, plan, and identify the goals and objectives of a dissertation project

Analysis,

Enquiry, Learning

3. Demonstrate the capacity to gather sources, and to comprehend and evaluate previous literature in a complex computing situation

Reflection,

Knowledge and Understanding

4. Show that you can organise and produce a thorough scientific style report in relation to your findings

Analysis,

Application,

Communication

Problem Solving

This module will be delivered via lectures and tutorial sessions. Students will also be expected to use and regularly engage with the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) employed for the delivery of this module. The material will include content and activities that allow students to assimilate the concepts and skills required by the module.

Will be identified by the specific topic of the proposal

Bui, Y, N. (2019) How to Write a Master's Thesis, SAGE Publications, Inc

Mars, N. (2019) Academic Writing & Research: How to Write a Good, Strong, Important and Interesting Thesis, ¿Independently published

Creswell, J, W, (2018), Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, Sage Publications

Blaxter L., Hughes, C., and Tight, M. (2010) How to Research, 4th edition, Open University Press, ISBN 9780335238675.
Crème, P., and Lea, M, (2008) Writing At University: A Guide For Students , 3rd edition, Open University Press
Punch, K. F., Developing Effective Research Proposals, 3rd edition, Sage Publications, London, ISBN 9781473916388.
Lindlof, T. R. and Taylor, B. C. (2018), Qualitative Communication Research Methods, SAGE Publications
Davies., M and Hughes, N. (2014) Doing a Successful Research Project: Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods, 2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan
Sharp, J. A., Peters, J. and Howard, K. (2002) The Management of a Student Research Project, 3rd edition, Gower

Trotman Education, (2022), Careers 2022, Trotman Education; 18th edition

Sosna, E. (2021), The Career Equation: Coaching a Culture of Career Conversations, Open University Press

Newton, A, J. (2021), Start a Successful Career Today in Information Technology: Computer Science + Computer Engineering Career Guide, Independently published

Harbash, R. (2019), Professional Practice in Engineering and Computing: Preparing for Future Careers, CRC Press; 1st edition

Cornwell, D. (2020), Software Company: Advice on how to start, grow and exit a software company, Beaten Metal Books Ltd

The purpose of this module is to introduce the foundational knowledge and abilities you will need to start working on your MSc project. The syllabus will consist of identifying a project, defining goals and objectives, deliverables, and value addition, selecting literature to go in your research review section, how to study research papers, academic writing, and preparing for your MSc dissertation.