(1) This Guideline is governed by the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure. (2) This Guideline applies to: (3) The terms used in this Guideline are consistent with the Glossary of Student and Course Terms. For this policy, the following definitions are also used: (4) The research component, in whatever form it takes, must be compliant with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level 8 Specifications. At a minimum, it must comprise the following: (5) Work with a value of a value of less than 40 credit points and not more than 20,000 words in length. The research component, in whatever form it takes, must be compliant with the Australian Qualifications Framework Level 9 Specifications. At a minimum, a research project must: (6) Work with a value of equal to or greater than 40 credit points and not more than 30,000 words in length. The research component, in whatever form it takes, must be compliant with the Australian Qualifications Framework Level 9 Specifications. At a minimum, a Masters level thesis undertaken in a coursework program must: (7) The principal supervisor will be an ACU academic staff member appointed by the National Head of School or nominee. A co-supervisor may also be appointed. (8) The academic staff involved in supervising students will hold at least one qualification level higher than the student and have the expertise to appropriately support the student through their program of research. (9) Involvement in supervision by qualified non-academics, for example from industry, may be appropriate as co-supervisor. (10) The supervision of students enrolled will be conducted in a manner consistent with the best practice and expectations of quality supervision outlined in the Higher Degree Research Supervision Policy. (11) The supervisor will provide students with an induction to relevant policies for the conduct of their research. This should be inclusive of each of the matters in Section 6 of this Guideline. (12) Students will be provided with a collegial and productive learning environment, including a coordinated program of activity to integrate them into the learning environment. (13) All students must familiarise themselves with the Student Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy prior to commencing their program. (14) All students undertaking the research component within a coursework program are required to comply with the Research Code of Conduct. Where appropriate, students must obtain ethics clearance prior to commencing their program. (15) All students undertaking a research component within a coursework program are required to comply with the Intellectual Property Policy prior to commencing any data collection. (16) Schools will monitor the student’s performance through a structured process and will provide regular and systematic feedback to students on their progress and performance. (17) Students should periodically present their research and scholarship in modes determined by their School. (18) Schools will develop explicit criteria for the assessment of Honours and coursework Masters research. Such criteria will include expected standards of performance in relation to: (19) All students and examiners will be provided with a clear statement of the criteria and standards. (20) The Thesis will follow the discourse conventions of research in the discipline, however the typical structure will normally be as follows: (21) A Thesis should: (22) On completion of the course of study and research, a candidate will submit a written report in the form of either a Research Report in the case of a Research Project, based on work carried out during the period of study and research. (23) An Honours or Masters student may apply to the National Head of School or nominee for an extension to the submission date of a thesis or research project. The maximum extension which may be granted is 6 months. Requests for extension must be: (24) Every Honours thesis will be examined by two examiners appointed by the National Head of School or nominee. This may include one internal and one external examiner and will exclude the student’s supervisor(s). (25) Examiners will be appointed by the National Head of School or nominee, after consultation with the supervisor. (26) One or two examiners will be appointed for a Research Report. This may include one internal and one external examiner and will exclude the student’s supervisor(s). (27) Two examiners will be appointed for a Thesis – Masters. At least one examiner must be external to ACU and independent of the supervisor. A candidate's supervisor must not be appointed to be an examiner. (28) Examiners will be requested to provide a grade and numerical mark for the Honours Thesis, which will be calculated in accordance with the following: (29) Examiners should refer to: (30) The examiners will examine the research report or thesis and make separate reports which will be submitted for consideration to the National Head of School or nominee. Each examiner’s report will include a recommendation that the student: (31) Where two examiners recommend results that are more than 15 marks apart or where only one examiner requires revisions, the National Head of School or nominee will appoint an external adjudicator who is not a person who has been involved in the supervision or examination of the thesis. (32) The adjudicator will be provided with the examiners’ reports and the thesis and will recommend a mark based on the examiners’ reports and the thesis. (33) The research report or thesis will be graded as submitted for examination and not based on a version produced after revisions have been made in the light of examiners’ comments. (34) Normally the grade of the Honours or Masters thesis will be calculated based on the average of the marks awarded by the examiners, unless an adjudicator has been appointed in which case the National Head of School may accept the adjudicator’s recommendation of a final mark. (35) The conditions for the revision and submission of an Honours thesis are: (36) The conditions for the revision and submission of a research and submission of Research Report or Thesis - Masters are: (37) The final Honours grade will be: (38) The National Head of School or nominee will maintain written records of the criteria used for grading students’ performance to facilitate comparability from year to year. (39) Written records of the process followed in determining final grades for students will be maintained. (40) The right of review and appeal against a decision under this Guideline will be in accordance with the Student Appeals Policy. (41) Unless otherwise indicated, this policy will still apply beyond the review date. (42) For related legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines and any supporting resources please refer to theAssessment of Research in Coursework Programs Guideline
Section 1 - Governing Policy
Section 2 - Scope of Guideline
Top of PageSection 3 - Definitions
Definition
Thesis
means the output of research undertaken and may be:
Research Project
means the output of research undertaken under the auspice of an assessment regime articulated in a unit outline and approved by Academic Board.
Section 4 - Characteristics of the Research Component of Coursework Programs
Honours Thesis
Research Project – Masters
Thesis – Masters Coursework
Top of PageSection 5 - Supervision of the Research Component of Coursework Programs
Appointment of Supervisors
Procedures for Supervisors
Induction to Research
Section 6 - Conduct of the Research Component of Coursework Programs
Research environment
Academic Integrity
Research Code of Conduct
Ownership of Intellectual Property
Research Progress
Presentation of Research
Section 7 - Criteria for Assessment of Thesis or Research Project
Section 8 - Submission of the Research Project or Thesis for Examination
Thesis Format
Submission
Postgraduate Coursework Research Projects
Requests for Extension
Top of PageSection 9 - Examination of the Research Report or Thesis
Appointment of Examiners - Honours
Appointment of Examiners – Postgraduate Coursework
Assessment Framework for the Honours Thesis
Grade
Numerical Marks
Explanation
HD
85-100
Work of exceptional quality showing clear understanding of subject matter and appreciation of issues; well formulated; arguments clearly developed and sustained; relevant literature referenced; marked evidence of creative ability and high level of intellectual work. The thesis suggests excellent potential for future research work.
DI
75-84
Work of high quality showing strong grasp of subject matter and appreciation of dominant issues; arguments clearly developed; relevant literature referenced; evidence of creative ability. The thesis suggests high potential for future research work.
CR
65-74
Work showing competent understanding of subject matter and appreciation of main issues; arguments developed and supported by references; some evidence of creative ability; well prepared and presented. The thesis suggests some potential for future research work.
PA
50-64
Adequate, but lacking breadth and depth; work generally has gaps; frequently work of this grade takes a simple factual approach and does not attempt to interpret the findings; at the lower end, indicates a need for considerable effort to achieve improvement. The thesis suggests limited potential for future research work.
NN
0-49
Unsatisfactory; demonstrates lack of understanding of the topic and inadequacy in degree of relevance and/or completeness. The thesis does not suggest potential for future research work.
Assessment Framework for the Research Report and Thesis – Masters
Grade
Numerical Marks
Explanation
HD
85-100
The Thesis - Masters demonstrates a level of competence which suggests excellent potential for further research work
DI
75-84
With some strengthening of present competence, the Thesis - Masters suggests high potential for further research work
CR
65-74
The Thesis - Masters is a competent piece of work and suggests some potential for further research work
PA
60-64
The Thesis - Masters presented is an adequate piece of work and suggests limited potential for further research work
NN
0-49
The Thesis - Masters should not be passed
Examiners’ Reports
Resolution of Significant Differences in Thesis Marks
Allocation of the Grade for the Honours Thesis
Revision and Resubmission – Honours
Revision and Resubmission – Coursework Masters
Top of PageSection 10 - Calculation of the Honours Level Classification
Top of PageSection 11 - Record Keeping
Section 12 - Review and Appeal
Section 13 - Revisions Made to This Policy
Section 14 - Associated Information
Associated Information tab.
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