ASIA3039 Research Project in Asian and Pacific Studies provides students with an opportunity to conduct an in-depth review of the literature on a topic of their interest in the Humanities and Social Sciences, with an Asia Pacific focus. Students develop their research paper along with a select cohort of peers. Each student receives close guidance from the program convenor and professional academic skills advisers as well as structured peer input; students also learn to formulate and provide constructive criticism of others’ work and to edit their own work. This systematic approach helps to appropriately frame the research questions, define the literature to be reviewed, and structure the paper. As the first of an optional two-part undergraduate research sequence in Majors associated with the Bachelor of Asian Studies, ASIA3039 will help to provide a foundation for the subsequent ASIA3012, as well as avenues to and skills for to independent research with guidance from an academic supervisor in Work-Integrated-Learning and/or Honours research.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Discover and critically review scholarly literature pertaining to a specific region, key debate, or outstanding research problem.
2. Systematically evaluate the available evidence—whether numerical, textual, aural, or visual—and the strength of analyses and arguments based on this evidence.
3. Assess, articulate, and extend the limits of their own agency in the research process.
4. Provide an effective sounding board for peers' self reflection and research scoping, as well as critical developmental feedback on peers' work.
5. Understand and apply ethical standards of conduct in the collection and evaluation of data and other resources.
6. Communicate research concepts clearly and effectively both orally and in writing—using appropriate structure, organisation, and writing style for a literature review.

Research-Led Teaching

This class is all about exploring every avenue of desk research available.

The strong reflective component and the process based approach focuses attention and Learning Outcomes on the possibilities and difficulties of research in our time.

The course convener has had years of experience conducting semi-structured research exploration, both in the field and from the desk.

But this course aims to help students develop their own style.

Fundamentally, research involves exploration of unfamiliar territory without a map—formulating and following hunches and finding dead ends and making mistakes and only sometimes getting it right—but all the while learning to navigate, and developing research intuition.

The course provides a forum for energetic and creative students to undertake their own research explorations with peer and academic support, feedback, guidance, and audience.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

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). 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

Academic Skills.

In-class workshops in specific Academic Skills will be arranged and conducted according to the needs of the students in the class in any given teaching session. These might include: use of citation software, such as Endnote; recognition of different citations styles, and their pros and cons, as well as disciplinary preferences; library databases; writing style and paragraph construction; argumentative sequencing;…etc.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introductory session. What this class is about. What do you, as a student, want to make this class about? In this class we are going to push artificial intelligence until it breaks and then we are going to step into that break. We will identify and describe the rupture, or break point, and move beyond it into human intelligence. Exploration without boundaries with principles. This is the meta-principle that guides all of our activities in this Course. Reading in Reverse. Select an article to “excavate.” You may need to read 5 or even 10 articles to get one that is suitable. Choose sources from the article to follow up and read. (Minimum 5 sources.) Do you want to go another layer down? (3–5 sources.) Principles. You are allowed to use any tools to get an idea of the argument/data/style/political angle, etc of the articles/sources and of the author/s. You must document and reflect on how you used the research tools at your disposal, including Internet searches, browsing the library, prompting large language models, and deploying other artificial intelligence tools. The assessment tasks require that students set out their process, findings, and reflections at key stages of the course. The purpose of this “reading in reverse” excavation project is to get to an idea that you are intrigued by. Your aim (the bigger picture purpose) is to find where that idea came from and where it went to. “Came from” means, in question form: Which other ideas and thinkers (and social/economic/political/intellectual contexts) influenced that idea, directly or indirectly? “Went to” means, in question form: How did this idea develop? How did it influence later ideas?	Assessment instructions and exact timing to be discussed and refined in class. For an indication of material content and approach, see the "Assessment Tasks" section below. Class activities and requirements that are not assessed are briefly described in the boxes under this section. Preliminary reading for this class is required. The specific readings will be detailed on Canvas and the readings provided, or linked to. The preliminary readings are examples of articles that could be good for "excavating." The Course convener will discuss and demonstrate how these example readings are appropriate beginning points for self-directed research. This Course facilitates students' exploration of the formation and dissemination of concepts, or ideas. Students will be encouraged to excavate ideas, or specific aspects of ideas, that are familiar to them and that they, or others around them, may even take for granted. The first few weeks of the Course work through processes, including independent research and in-class discussion, which help students to: Comprehend how an idea that they recognise and may even take for granted can be found in similar form in other social and political contexts, and times. Form an understanding of the relationship between the idea that they recognise, a tangible idea, and a more general, or abstract, articulation of that idea. Plenty of examples are given and exercises undertaken to help students to reach this understanding.
2	Excavation. Following the idea "down" in the historical past. Genealogy.This continues through to Week 4.	Students will need to bring in example articles that they propose to begin "excavating." Students will need to explain which of the ideas or references in these articles they have been following, or intend to follow.Students report on their excavations in Week 3 (assessable, Item 1).
4	Extrapolation. Following the idea "up" to see how it diverged and influenced other ideas.This continues through to Week 8.	Students present an initial report on their extrapolation in Week 6 (assessable, Item 2).
8	Bringing it Together.Synopsis of findings. Appendices of research activities and findings, and reflections on what worked and what didn't. Overall reflective report.This wraps up in Week 10.	Assessment Item 3, written only, Week 10.
11	Viva voce.Unscripted presentations.	Assessment Item 4.

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.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Excavation report. Due Week 3. 20	20 %	1,2,3,4,6
Extrapolation report. Due Week 6. 20	20 %	1,2,3,4,6
Synopsis of findings, argument, and reflective report on research process. Due Week 10. (Extensions to Week 11 would be granted if all of the class agrees. Further extension not permitted.) 30	30 %	2,3,5,6
Viva voce. Due Week 11. (Week 12 as standby/overflow.) 30	30 %	2,3,5,6

* 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

Students can only get the best out of this course if they attend class for most of the time, most weeks.

In class, students will have the opportunity to participate in the class discussions, give feedback on their peers' reports and explorations, or receive peer and convener feedback on their own.

Assessment Task 1

Excavation report. Due Week 3. 20

Reports are written and oral combined.

Excavation report is 1000 words.

Appendices can be included, to show AI prompts and responses, for example; these will not be added to the word count.

Oral element is in class discussion, raising questions and examining responses. All students are engaged in this in class each week.

Students may opt to be graded in a one on one discussion with the course convener, instead of how they engage in class. Students wishing to take this option must signal this prior to the class on Week 3. Students taking this option will still need to engage in the in-class discussion of their own and others' research explorations and findings.

Assessment Task 2

Extrapolation report. Due Week 6. 20

Reports are written and oral combined.

Extrapolation report is 1000 words.

Appendices can be included, to show AI prompts and responses, for example; these will not be added to the word count.

It is anticipated that, at this stage, the extrapolation of the idea has been traced in basic outline but the details of each of the directions that the idea took may not have been fully explored by the student/researcher. As such, it is an initial report on the extrapolation and findings.

Oral element is in class discussion, raising questions and examining responses. All students are engaged in this in class each week.

Students may book a time with the course convener to practice their oral presentation skills. These practice sessions could be one on one, or include small groups (two or three) of students, for peer support. This would be ungraded and would prepare them for the oral presentations in Week 6 and Week 11. These practice sessions would need to be requested before the end of class on Week 5.

Assessment Task 3

Synopsis of findings, argument, and reflective report on research process. Due Week 10. (Extensions to Week 11 would be granted if all of the class agrees. Further extension not permitted.) 30

Synopsis of findings, argument, and reflective report on research process is 2000 words.

Appendices can be included, to show AI prompts and responses, for example; these will not be added to the word count.

Written only. Oral component is the viva voce, assessment task 4, below.

Assessment Task 4

Viva voce. Due Week 11. (Week 12 as standby/overflow.) 30

In an informal and supportive full class environment, students present the main points of their "synopsis of findings, argument, and reflective report on research process" (assessment task 3).

It is expected that students will do this in a full class context. By this time, they have had opportunity to develop their speaking skills and comfort with the rest of the class members, as well as opportunity to refine those speaking skills in one on one discussions with the course convener.

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

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.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

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.

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.

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