This course is designed for Honours students to undertake independent research in business information systems. Student will conduct research in their chosen topic under the supervision of an academic staff member with a relevant research interest. Students will be required to identify research problems, review and synthesize literature, develop an appropriate research design, collect and analyse data, and present their findings effectively in a written thesis.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. problematise within a relevant discipline through both theoretical and empirical critical analysis
2. translate the problem into a set of clearly defined research questions to enable a scientific approach
3. determine the appropriate research design and methodology to acquire evidence relevant to the research questions
4. acquire a body of evidence relevant to the problem by using the appropriate research methods
5. critically analyse the gathered evidence using appropriate method of analysis
6. synthesise results and/or findings to inform appropriate solutions related to the problem
7. consider the theoretical and practical implications of the chosen solutions for both the literature and society
8. produce a structured written thesis which shows the position of the candidate in relation to the underlying problem.

Research-Led Teaching

This course requires students to undertake an in-depth investigation of a problem/topic related to Business Information Systems and other germane disciplines. Supervisors will provide guidance and suggest relevant material to students, all geared towards equipping the student with theoretical knowledge, research skills, and application of that knowledge and skills towards the successful completion of a thesis.

Field Trips

There are no field trips in this course.

Additional Course Costs

There are no additional class costs expected in this course.

Examination Material or equipment

There are no examinations in this course.

Required Resources

No additional required resources in this course, but access to a modern computing device (tablet, laptop or desktop computer) is highly advisable.

Recommended Resources

The course Canvas page and supervisors will provide additional resources as required.

Staff Feedback

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

• written comments
• verbal comments

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

This course is for students enrolled in an RSM Honours program. Students will apply the evidence-based knowledge gained during their program to undertake an independent research project. The agreed topic is to be determined by the student in consultation with their ANU supervisor. The assessment, resulting from 130 hours of study per 6 units of course unit value, will consist of a series of milestones leading up to the final thesis/paper and an oral presentation to an audience of peers and academics.

You must enrol in and complete 24 units, typically in one semester.

All student enrolled are strongly encouraged to speak to the Course Convenor about their future plans (e.g. PhD studies) as the choice of thesis format (and other factors) will impact their ability to meet entrance requirements (depending on the choice of institution).

NOTE: Satisfactory completion of this course does not guarantee that you will be accepted into a HDR degree (e.g. PhD) at ANU, as these are highly competitive, with merit-based entry. Please refer to the RSM PhD Study page for further information.

As this is a research project course, there are no lectures or tutorials. At the start of the semester, supervisor(s) and students will agree to a schedule of frequent (typically weekly) meetings and a timetable of deliverables. Typical assessment is shown in the Assessment tab. However, there may be adjustments to form and due date (as authorised by the supervisor and course convenor) depending on the student's individual requirements and circumstances.

To assist with your research training, a variety of other resources will be made available to you in consultation with your supervisor, such as:

• attendance at school research seminars
• invitations to research training workshops
• opportunities to complete research methods courses
• self-study support materials

The nature of the supervisory arrangements will also be agreed at the start of the semester: that is, who the primary and secondary (if any) supervisors will be for each student. You will also communicate your future plans to them.

Course Schedule

Contact hours for the course will take the form of periodic meetings between the student and their supervisor. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they meet with their supervisor regularly about their research progress and work.

Support for Students

The University offers a number of support services for students. Information on these is available online from http://students.anu.edu.au/studentlife/

Extensions to the assessment due date

All requests for Assessment Adjustment (including Requests for Extension and for Consideration of Extenuating Circumstances) should be submitted via ANUHub.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Use of AI is rapidly growing in all sectors, particularly the use of Large Language Models, of which there are many proprietary brands. In this course, students may choose to use or not use AI tools. In any case where AI tools are used, the student must do so in a way consistent with the ANU Academic Integrity principles for use of GenAI, as well as accurately cite and reference what tools were used, and advise in an appendix how they used the tool. Guidance on how to do this appropriately is provided in the assessment requirements on the course Canvas page, and the ANU provides further broad guidance in the ANU Gen AI LibGuide. As part of handling a potential breach of academic integrity, students are reminded that they may be requested to meet with the Convenor to discuss any assessment submission, including responding to questions on the content of submissions and their understanding of the course concepts assessed by the submission.

Publication of Final Results

The release of final grades may change prior to end of semester. The last return of assessment date (4th Dec 2025) provided in the Assessment Summary table is the latest expected. If results are released earlier, then that assessment item(s) will be returned earlier as well.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	This is a research course with two major components: methods / applied topics courses (4 x 6 units) and a thesis (24 units). At the start of the semester, supervisor(s) and students will agree to a schedule of frequent (typically weekly) meetings and timetable of deliverables, which include successfully completing the 4 x 6u courses and writing a thesis (24u).	Typical assessment can be found in Assessment tab, however there may be adjustments to form and due date (as authorised by the supervisor and course convenor) depending on the student's individual requirements and circumstances. Methods and Applied topics courses will have their own assessment tasks that the Honours student should complete.

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

As there are no separate tutorials in this course, the discussion of the various aspects of the work related to the thesis will be done during meetings with students' respective supervisors.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Thesis Proposal (0%)	0 %	*	*	1,2,3,7
Research Thesis (monograph)	100 %	31/10/2025	04/12/2025	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Academic Skills 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 ‘Canvas’ 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.

Participation

Contact hours for the course will take the form of periodic meetings between student and supervisor(s). Participation is expected in all supervision meetings but not assessed.

Meetings may be held online.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have regular meetings with their supervisor on various aspects of their research work. Their goal is to demonstrate all the learning outcomes for the course through the successful submission of their thesis.

Examination(s)

Once a thesis is completed, it will be sent for examination by on campus or external academics with expertise in the topic covered in the thesis.

Assessment Task 1

Thesis Proposal (0%)

The thesis proposal within the Honours program is an exercise that allows the Honours student to outline to their supervisor and/or audience, if a presentation is carried out, the research problem they want to tackle, their critical appreciation of extant knowledge in the domain examined, and the research design to be adopted. This exercise carries no weight but provides the student with some important feedback from the academic community on the proposed research. The proposal should be submitted within 2 months of completion of all methods courses.

Student and supervisor will agree on how formal they want the proposal (oral presentation and written form) to be. Tasks to be completed within the thesis proposal include:

• Submission of a written thesis proposal to the thesis supervisor 
• Submission of thesis timeline to thesis supervisor 
• Presentation of thesis proposal to academic staff
• Submission of presentation slides

Assessment Task 2

Research Thesis (monograph)

Details of Task

Research Thesis

Value:

100%

Purpose of Task

The research thesis/manuscript is completed over the 24 units and provides evidence of the student’s ability to undertake original research under supervision. It represents the most significant piece of research and writing completed in an undergraduate coursework career, and typically accounts for a semester's worth of study. It is a form of apprentice’s ‘masterpiece’ in which students demonstrate their level of comprehension of a body of academic knowledge and the scholarly skills used in the discipline in which the research is embedded. It is also an important indicator of the student’s ability to take part, at a junior level, in the discourses of the discipline.

Marking Criteria

Further guidelines and marking criteria, including the Honours Program Guide, will be provided by your supervisor(s) and the RSM Honours Convenor in Week 4 on the course Canvas page.

Word Limit

A 24-unit thesis normally has an upper limit of 100 typed A4 pages. All tables, diagrams, figures, charts or exhibits should be included within the page limit. This limit excludes references and bibliographies, appendices, tables of contents, tables of figures, and tables of tables. Any parts over the page limit will neither be read nor assessed. Referencing should be consistent throughout and follow one style of referencing only.

Submission Method

via the course Canvas page - your supervisor or course convenor will tell you if any other form of submission is also required

Due Date of Assessment

11:59 pm Friday, the first week of exam period. Mark and feedback will be returned when final grades are released.

Extensions are granted only under exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Deputy Director (Education) in consultation with the Course Convenor. Exceptional circumstances may include:

• Prolonged periods of illness during the candidature;
• Serious illness in the month prior to the due date;
• Inability of the supervisor to provide timely advice or feedback owing to the supervisor’s illness, death, unexpected extended absence (other than on Sabbatical leave, as this will be known prior to the commencement of the thesis), or resignation from ANU;
• Serious illness or death of a family member or close friend; or
• Unexpected significant caring responsibilities for a family member.

Non-acceptable grounds for extension include:

• Computer malfunction (students should implement risk management strategies);
• Loss of documents or data (students should implement risk management strategies);
• Difficulties in obtaining data;
• English-language difficulties; or
• Work commitments.

Additional notes

The research thesis/manuscript (hereafter just referred to as thesis) is completed over the 24 units and provides evidence of the student’s ability to undertake original research under supervision. It represents the most significant piece of research and writing completed in a postgraduate coursework career, and typically accounts for a semester's worth of study. It is a form of apprentice’s ‘masterpiece’ in which students demonstrate their level of comprehension of a body of academic knowledge and the scholarly skills used in the discipline in which the research is embedded. It is also an important indicator of the student’s ability to take part, at a junior level, in the discourses of the discipline.

Ideally, the thesis acts as an important indicator of the student’s:

• knowledge and understanding of the conceptual, theoretical, empirical and methodological contents of the discipline;
• ability, under guidance, to apply that knowledge to identify and to resolve existing problems occurring within the discipline OR, to identify new problems worthy of examining, AND/OR to identify and use new data and hypotheses for those purposes;
• proficiency in the research processes and methods used in the discipline;
• ability to engage in forms and styles of critical and analytical discourses used in the discipline;
• ability to research, marshal evidence, and to argue (based on critical discussion and methodical analysis) a case persuasively, coherently and cogently, in a simple, direct and positive style of English expression that allows the reader to follow the argument without undue difficulty; and
• future potential to progress to a higher degree involving significant amounts of original research.

Further details on the thesis will be given to enrolled students by email and by their supervisors. Two examiners within the discipline group or domain on- or off-campus will be identified by the supervisor and/or the course convenor.

Examiners assess the standard of the thesis against the following:

• Statement of study focus, problem/research objectives and research questions
• Appropriateness of the title: Does it accurately reflect the content
• Review of relevant literature
• Development of propositions/hypotheses
• Research design and data
• Description of research methodology
• Analysis and discussion of results
• Acknowledgement of limitations of the study
• Conclusion, recommendations and implications
• Logical argument/Structure of thesis
• Clarity of presentation

iThenticate:

Once the thesis is ready for submission, it must be checked for plagiarism through iThenticate. The Supervisor should verify the results and approve moving the thesis for examination

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

The ANU uses 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. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Learning Platforms website.

You will submit your thesis by emailing the final copy to your thesis supervisor.

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.

An e-copy of a successful thesis will be kept in the ANU digital theses collection at the ANU library. Students may submit a hardcopy at RSM thesis repository.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

All requests for Assessment Adjustment (including Requests for Extension and for Consideration of Extenuating Circumstances) should be submitted via ANUHub.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

You will receive detailed comments on your thesis by email after it has been assessed by examiners.

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

Resubmission of your thesis is not possible.

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 Accessibility 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 supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students