Supervised Research

Research-Led Teaching

A key part of the BEc (honours) program is this supervised independent research project undertaken by the student. Students are responsible for the development of a research proposal and plan and undertake this large project over the course of the year to provide an in-depth analysis of a chosen topic.

Field Trips

Not applicable

Additional Course Costs

Not applicable

Examination Material or equipment

Not applicable

Required Resources

Not applicable

Recommended Resources

Not applicable

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Thesis Proposal Review	Thesis Proposal Review (Due around Week 5)
2	Public Presentation	Public Presentation of Work in Progress (around Week 11 or 12 of Semester 1)
3	Examination	Final Examination by Two (or Three) examiners independent of thesis supervisor(s) (Due around Week 10 of Semester 2)

Tutorial Registration

N/A

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Thesis Proposal Review (Mandatory, Hurdle)	0 %	15/03/2021	1,2
Public Presentation (Mandatory, Hurdle)	0 %	17/05/2021	5
Final Examination (Mandatory, Hurdle)	100 %	*	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Thesis Proposal Review (Mandatory, Hurdle)

A written thesis proposal review is due on WATTLE typically in Week 4 of the first semester. In a TPR, you should include:

• A working title and name of Supervisor(s) - chair supervisor must be from the RSE
• What is the economic question? Why is of interest to study?
• Short, critical literature discussion. How does your work add to or differ from the literature?
• Methodology.
• Expected timeline and workflow.

This is a hurdle assessment in line with the student assessment coursework policy (see https://policies.anu.edu.au/ppl/document/ANUP_004603). You must complete this task in order to be eligible to continue in the HECON program.

Assessment Task 2

Public Presentation (Mandatory, Hurdle)

Live presentation (typically 30 minutes including 5 minute Q&A to be held in Week 11 or 12 of Semester 1).

Students should discuss format of their presentation with respective supervisors

The talk should include the following elements:

• What is the economic question? Why is of interest to study?
• Critical literature discussion. How does your work add to or differ from the literature?
• Methodology.
• Any preliminary results and insights.
• Progress report and expected timeline to completion.

Your presentation may be video and audio recorded for training and feedback purposes.

This is a hurdle assessment in line with the student assessment coursework policy (see https://policies.anu.edu.au/ppl/document/ANUP_004603). You must complete this task in order to be eligible to continue in the HECON program.

Assessment Task 3

Final Examination (Mandatory, Hurdle)

The research thesis is a year long project (over Semesters 1 and 2). This is a hurdle assessment in line with the student assessment coursework policy (see https://policies.anu.edu.au/ppl/document/ANUP_004603). You must complete this task in order to be eligible to complete the HECON program.

This task is typically due at the end of Week 10 of Semester 2 of the HECON program.

Thesis format, research integrity and scientific replicability

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Format:

• A thesis should be no more than 15,000 words in length AND no more than 80 physical pages that include text, graphics, tables, references and appendices (i.e., the entire submitted thesis document).
• The word and page limits do not apply to supplementary material such as code files, documentation for code and data.
• Regular text should have at least 12-point sized fonts and page margins (i.e., top, bottom, left and right) should be no less than 3cm.
• The thesis must meet normal academic standards (i.e. be typed with all cited work properly referenced in a bibliography). 
• Template LaTeX and LyX files will be supplied to you at the start of the academic program.
• When uploading to WATTLE:
• Please name your PDF file according to this convention: thesis_ID-NUMBER_LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME.pdf. Example: thesis_u5678901_Bauer_Jack.pdf
• Label the zipped file using the following file-naming convention: source_ID-NUMBER_LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME.zip. For example: source_u5678901_Bauer_Jack.zip. 
• Scientific Replicability and Honesty:
• If your thesis involves theoretical claims (theorems, propositions, lemmas), then written proofs must be clearly presented and explained in the thesis.
• If your claims involve existing observations/results proven by other researchers, then you must clearly cite their respective sources, but you must still explain these intermediate results; and/or:
• If your thesis involves the following: 

1. Data, and,
2. computer source code and/or routine files (e.g. Python, Julia, MATLAB, R, C/C++, Fortran scripts/modules/executables, Stata DO files, Eviews workfiles), 

then you must upload them separately as an archived (i.e., zipped) file. 

• Any parts of your code that are attributable and copyright to other authors must be acknowledged in your thesis and source codes.
• Proprietary data and source code: Should you be working with data or codes that are claimed to be closed to inspection or verification (i.e., proprietary material) then you must get your supervisor to write and sign a statutory declaration stating so. This declaration must refer specifically to the components of your thesis that are claimed to be proprietary. Failure to do so may render the thesis un-examinable. 

Thesis Examination Policy at RSE

Essay Advisor and Advisor’s Report: 

• (An advisor is also known as supervisor above.)
• Every faculty member of RSE is expected to contribute to being an Essay Advisor. 
• Within an academic year, no faculty member may supervise more than TWO Honour essays.
• Each Honours Essay Advisor is to prepare a report on his/her student’s work. 
• This report must be submitted to the Honours Convenor at least 10 working days prior to the Meeting.
• This report will be discussed together with Honours student grades and other Examiners’ Reports during the Meeting.

Examiners' Reports: Every Honours Essay must be examined by TWO academics in RSE (and not including the Essay Advisor). 

• Each examiner must prepare an independent and detailed report on, and must assign a whole mark (0-100 percent) to, the essay. 
• Examiners should not communicate with each other, the student, nor the Essay Advisor in all matters reasonably construed to be related to the Essay.
• A form will be prepare for the examiner to rank and to provide standardised feedback on the student’s work. 
• This form must be submitted together with the examiner’s detailed report. Return these documents to the Honours Convenor.
• The examiner may choose to reveal his/her identity on this form.
• Every faculty member of RSE is expected to contribute to this service. Whenever feasible, at least one examiner will be of a senior rank (i.e., Level D or E faculty member) to ensure that the students benefit from our more experienced faculty members.

Final Mark Resolution: The Meeting has the sole authority to decide on an Essay's final mark. If the initial examiner reports are “drastically different” (*) in their respective award of marks, the following procedure for determining the final mark will be followed:

• The Meeting must hear explanations from the Examiners and also consider their written reports along with the Advisor’s Report;
• The Advisor of the Essay must not be present during the deliberations on the Essay’s final mark;
• The Meeting (or program convenor) may request for an independent Third Examiner, and/or,
• The Meeting may also require the relevant student to attend an Oral Defence of his/her essay.
• An Oral Defence committee must comprise all the essay Examiners, the Advisor, the Honours Convenor, and any external members who may be appointed at the leisure of the Director. 
• The Oral Defence may be open for attendance by anyone within RSE.
• (*) The definition of “drastically different” will be decided by the Meeting.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Examiner reports will be made available to students after official results are released by the ANU.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Not applicable.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students