Individual Research Project
ELEE1166
Literature & Specifications Report
Dr Anna Romanova
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Outline:
• Key Dates
• Purpose & Questions
• Structure
• Sections in Details
• Academic Support
• Literature Search
• Referencing & Plagiarism
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Specification & Literature Survey:
• Assessment Type: Coursework
• Title: Literature Survey
• Weighting: 15%
• Date Due: 01/06/2021
• Aims:
To review the existing literature relevant to the project and write functional specification.
• Outcomes:
Upload a themed analysis of the literature and functional spec.
• Description:
At least 20 references of which 15 must be Journal papers and no more than 2 web pages.
10 pages (main body) or app. 2500 words.
• Marking Scheme:
Report 100% (Rubric in Moodle)
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Ethics Form:
• Soft copies of forms should be sent to [email protected] by 5pm
on Wednesday 14th April 2021 at the latest.
• Please ensure your full application is combined
into ONE WORD document, using the new template for 2020/21, as
this will be returned to you.
• Both forms (and additional guidance regarding their completion) can
be found on the Faculty Ethics Moodle page.
• For queries regarding the forms/process, please contact your
Supervisor first. JIC, department representatives are: Wim Melis and
Radi Dontcheva for Engineering.
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Purpose:
• Overview of
completed works
• Evaluation of
arguments
• Demonstration of
the weaknesses
(gaps)
• Supporting your
study importance
What has been done?
How does it help?
What could be improved?
What is the blind spot?
What is required?
Where will it fit?
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Questions:
• What’s been done in this topic area to date?
• What are the significant discoveries, key concepts, arguments, and/or theories that scholars have put forward?
• Which are the important works?
• On which particular areas of the topic has previous research concentrated?
• Have there been developments over time?
• What methodologies have been used?
• Are there any gaps in the research?
• Are there areas that have not been looked at closely yet, but which should be?
• Are there new ways of looking at the topic?
• Are there improved methodologies for researching this subject?
• What future directions should research in this subject take?
• How will your research build on or depart from current and previous research on the topic?
• What contribution will your research make to the field?
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Structure:
• Title Page
• Content
• Background
• Literature Review
• Project Scope
• Methodology
• Gantt Chart
• References
.. How long?
• 1p
• 1p
• 1p
• 5p
• 1p
• 1-2p
• 1p
• 1-2p
.. 12-15 pages
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(1) Title page:
• University of Greenwich
• Literature Survey
• Project Title
• Student Name
• Programme
• Date
• Supervisor Name
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(2) Content:
• Sections (refer to slide 7)
• Sub-Sections (split your topic’s into smaller parts)
..include page numbers
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(3) Background:
• Description of the ‘global’ problem and
why your is important (200 words).
• Project Aim (1 sentence).
• Project Objectives (3-5 points).
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(4) Literature review:
• Provide generic overview of the area of your research followed by more
detailed focal review of the ‘target’ question.
• Split by: Themes, Timeline, Research Questions, Objectives, etc.
Is: a critical evaluation of knowledge relevance.
Is NOT: a summary.
Is NOT: an annotated bibliography.
• Summary that demonstrated the Gap in Knowledge.
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Cont.. Organisation:
• Chronological: knowledge development over time
• Thematic: reoccurring themes or sub-themes
• Methodological: assessment of approaches
• Qualitative vs quantitative research
• Empirical vs theoretical scholarship
• Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
• Theoretical: discussion of theories, models, concepts
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Cont.. Summary & Gap in Knowledge:
• Clearly define
what knowledge has been gathered?
what is the ‘gap’ in knowledge?
how your work will improve / solve the problem?
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(5) Project Scope:
• What is included?!
• Should clearly state the focal point of your
work, i.e. description of project and end
‘product’ (direct links to the aim and the
research / knowledge gap).
• Expand objectives to define the
underlying deliverables and requirements.
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(6) Methodology
• How it is done?!
• Justified method of HOW objectives are achieved:
• Primary, Secondary
• Experimental, Theoretical
• Qualitative, Quantitative
• What resources will be utilized?
• Software, Hardware, Experimental Equipment, Contacts, Companies, Surveys, Materials, etc.
• What are the associated risks?
• Risk Assessment Document
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(6.1) Risk Assessment – RA
• What affects project timeline?
..
• Lab / Experiments
• Data collection
• Interview / Surveys
• Other dependencies
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RA (1)
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RA (2)
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(7) Gantt Chart
• What is done?
• When?
• What is the link?
• What is delivered?
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Academic Support Team:
• Report Writing Skills
• Book online or email: http://libcal.gre.ac.uk/appointments/
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Literature Search:
• “Drill Hall Library” https://librarysearch.gre.ac.uk
• Types of materials:
Books from all campuses.
Electronic books (e-books).
Journal articles.
[Some] newspaper articles.
Databases and tools e.g.
General enquiries: [email protected],
https://libguides.medway.ac.uk/computingandengineering 27
cont.. Specifying search (1):
• Think of keywords to describe your topic or question
• Don’t type a whole question or sentence into LibrarySearch
• Avoid being too vague or too specific!
• Substitute different words or expressions used to describe your keywords, particularly technical
terminology
• E.g. CSR can also be “corporate social responsibility”, heart attack can also be “cardiac arrest”, athlete can also be
sportsman/sportsmen/sportswoman etc.
• Think about different spellings/different meanings
• Search for phrases using quotation marks and only find results with those words together
• E.g. “chemical weathering”, “plant ecology”, “muscle strain”
• Categorically refine by journal title/database/year published
• E.g. articles published since 2015
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cont.. Specifying search (2):
• Use ‘Publication finder’ to search for a specific e-book or journal title
• Search more than once, and document what you’ve done
• Add/remove keywords one at a time, try different combinations, use more concrete or abstract concepts
• Take note of searches that didn’t work, so that you don’t search them again!
• Find a great article? Borrow some of its keywords and/or references
• Or get a feel for the literature and then use frequently occurring terms
• Read the abstract first
• Don’t waste time reading an article that looked good but doesn’t deliver
• Take note of the reference!
• It will save you time later on
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cont.. Databases:
• Use subject specific databases
• You can use more than one, but
search them one at a time
• How to access them:
Log in to the portal/
My learning/Online databases
and academic journals
(A-Z list of all databases)
• Off-campus access available
• May include full text, but not
always
• Guides/tutorials available
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(8) Referencing & Plagiarism:
• Harvard System or Numbering System (!)
• Similarity threshold 20% (referenced & cited works)
• Use EndNote to keep track: https://www.gre.ac.uk/it-and-library/az/it-for-teaching-and-learning/reference/endnote
• For further help:
https://libguides.gre.ac.uk/referencing
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AssignmentTutorOnline
