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Unit Summary

Unit type

Hons Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

8

Level of learning

Advanced

Former School/College

Former School of Environment, Science and Engineering

Pre-requisites

288 credit points in Bachelor of Regional and Urban Planning (Honours)

Unit aim

Introduces students to the planning and development of a research topic and commencement of a small research project. Students prepare a plan of research, including a timetable for completion, with the research study completed, presented and examined in the subsequent unit Planning Thesis II. Students are required to complete a literature review and a state-of-the-art appraisal of a contemporary planning topic.

Unit content

Topic 1: Literature Review
Topic 2: Information Resources Available
Topic 3: Project Scope
Topic 4: Writing a Thesis
Topic 5: Oral Defence

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 identify a potential research area and explore existing knowledge on the subject.
2 critically review and evaluate the literature to clarify research objectives.
3 define a research problem consistent with the time and resources available.
4 formulate a research plan designed to produce an appropriate outcome.
5 explain and be able to justify a proposed plan in both written and oral presentation formats.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. identify a potential research area and explore existing knowledge on the subject.
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  2. critically review and evaluate the literature to clarify research objectives.
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  3. define a research problem consistent with the time and resources available.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  4. formulate a research plan designed to produce an appropriate outcome.
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  5. explain and be able to justify a proposed plan in both written and oral presentation formats.
    • GA4:
    • GA6: