Outline

Overview

Academic research is an opportunity to deeply engage with questions that make a difference in our lives, and to create an original, and defensible, contribution to the common knowledge. In this unit, students will be introduced to the research process and guided through exercises that will enhance their ability to critically engage with texts and data. Students will develop their understanding of rigor and validity in the research process, and their ability to create a sustained and consistent line of argumentation. The unit will culminate in the development of a research proposal, providing a strong foundation for future research activity.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Project Management
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	PMGT5882
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Stewart Clegg, stewart.clegg@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 August 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Interactive oral	Workshop Engagement and Participation Participation may include: • Contribution to workshop discussions • Preparation for class activities • Engagement and participation • Constructive and respectful collaboration	10%	Ongoing	Ongoing	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
In-class quiz	Early Feedback Task Students complete a short online quiz to confirm early engagement with the unit, including engagement with unit materials and initial research topic development.	0%	Week 03 Due date: 23 Aug 2026 at 23:59	10 mins	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Initial Research Proposal Draft Students submit an initial research proposal draft that outlines their developing research topic, research problem, research question, relevant literature, and possible methodology.	20%	Week 07 Due date: 20 Sep 2026 at 23:59	1000 (minimum) - 1500 words maximum	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Portfolio or journal	Weekly Learning Journal Students maintain weekly reflective journals from Week 1 to Week 10, reflecting on pre-class preparation, workshop experiences, and their developing understanding of research and proposal development.	20%	Week 11 Due date: 25 Oct 2026 at 23:59	≤15 pages	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Interactive oral	Provisional Individual Research Presentation Students individually present their final research proposal and respond to questions and feedback from peers and teaching staff.	20%	Week 13	Presentation and Q&A -20 mins per person	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Final Individual Written Research Proposal Students submit a complete individual research proposal demonstrating a clear research problem, focused research question, relevant literature, appropriate methodology, ethical awareness, and a coherent research plan.	30%	Week 13 Due date: 08 Nov 2026 at 23:59	3000 (minimum) - 5000 words (maximum)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = early feedback task ?

Assessment summary

Assessment 1 - Early Feedback Task

This is a short online quiz designed to check students’ early engagement with the unit. Students are required to complete the quiz on Canvas by the end of Week 3. The quiz will provide an early indication of students’ engagement with the unit and their progress in developing a research topic.

The purpose of this task is to help the teaching team identify students who may not yet be engaging with the unit or who may need additional support at an early stage of the semester.

Due date: 21 August 2026 at 23:59
Weight: 0% of final mark
Length: Approximately 10 minutes
Learning outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment 2 - Initial Research Proposal Draft

Students submit a short initial research proposal draft in the middle of the semester. This draft should show how their research idea is developing and how they are beginning to connect their topic, research question, literature, and possible methodology.

The draft may include:

provisional research topic
research problem
initial research question
research aims and objectives
brief rationale for why the topic matters
preliminary literature review
possible research design or methodology
possible data source, sample, or material
initial ethical considerations where relevant

Students are not expected to produce a fully developed proposal at this stage. The aim is to help them organise their early ideas and receive feedback before developing the final proposal.

This task can help students move from a broad interest to a clearer research plan. It also gives them a chance to check whether their topic, question, literature, and method are starting to fit together.

Due date: 20 September 2026 at 23:59, Week 7
Weight: 20% of final mark
Suggested length: 1000-1500 words
Learning outcomes: LO1, LO3, LO4

Assessment 3 - Weekly Reflective Journal

Students complete a weekly journal from Week 1 to Week 10. The journal should function as a cumulative learning diary in which students critically reflect on their experiences throughout the semester. By the end of semester, it should contain a diary of your learning and questioning in relation to the ideas encountered in the unit.

Each weekly entry may include reflections on:

Pre-class preparation

thoughts on readings, videos, and Canvas materials
questions or ideas that emerged before the workshop
connections between the materials and project management practice

Workshop experience

reflections on class discussions and activities
insights gained from peer interaction
reactions to exercises such as article analysis, ethics scenarios, literature discussions, coding activities, or proposal development tasks

Personal research development

how the week’s content helped shape their own research topic or proposal
changes in their understanding of research design, literature, methods, or ethics
new ideas, confusion, progress, or challenges

Overall reflection

reflections on how their thinking has evolved across the semester
personal learning progress
areas they would like to further develop

This task can help students stay engaged throughout the semester rather than only working on assessments at the end. It can also help them see how their understanding of research develops week by week.

Due date: 25 October 2026 at 23:59, Week 11
Weight: 20% of final mark
Length: ≤15 pages
Learning outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment 4 - Provisional Individual Research Presentation

Students individually present their final research proposal during the final weeks of the semester. The showcase is designed to simulate an academic conference or proposal defence environment in which students explain and discuss their research ideas with peers and teaching staff. Following the format of the “three-minute thesis”, students should have a prepared statement of what the poster is about.

Students will individually present their final research proposal during the final weeks of the semester. The showcase is designed to simulate an academic conference or proposal defence environment in which students explain and discuss their research ideas with peers and teaching staff.

Each student will have approximately:

10 minutes for the presentation
5-10 minutes for questions, discussion, and feedback

Students will also be encouraged to respond to questions and feedback from peers and staff during the showcase discussion.

This task can help students consolidate the different parts of the unit into a complete research proposal. It also gives students experience presenting and defending research ideas in a supportive academic environment.

Due date: Week 12 and Week 13
Weight: 20% of final mark
Length: Presentation and Q&A (20 mins per person)
Learning outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment 5 - Final Individual Research Proposal

Students individually submit their final research proposal during the last weeks of the semester. The proposal should demonstrate:

a clear research topic and research problem
a focused research question
research aims and objectives
engagement with relevant literature
an appropriate research design and methodology
awareness of ethical considerations
a coherent and defensible research plan

Due date: 8 November 2026 at 23:59, Week 13
Weight: 30% of final mark
Length: 3000-4000 words
Learning outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment 6 - Workshop Engagement and Participation

Students are assessed on their active engagement throughout the semester.

Participation may include:

Preparation for class activities
Contribution to workshop discussions
Engagement and participation
Constructive and respectful collaboration

The purpose of this assessment is to support a highly interactive workshop environment consistent with the unit’s practice-based and discussion-oriented learning philosophy.

This component encourages students to actively participate in the research learning process rather than passively attend workshops.

Due date: Ongoing, Week 1 to Week 13
Weight: 10% of final mark
Length: Not applicable
Learning outcomes: All Learning Outcomes

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. The penalty will be calculated by first marking the work, and then subtracting 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. Example: Consider an assignment's maximum awardable mark is 10; the assignment is submitted 2 days late, and the assignment is marked as 7/10. After applying the penalty, marks will be: 7 - (0.5 x 2) = 6/10. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded. The marker may elect to, but is not required to, provide feedback on such work. Refer to section 7A of the Assessment procedures policy available at: http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/267&RendNum=0

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Ongoing	Independent study (weekly activities and assessments completion)	Self-directed learning (100 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to Research and Research Methods	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Writing a Research Proposal	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	From Topic to Research Question	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Understanding Research Literature and the Literature Review	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Research Feasibility and Ethics	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Qualitative Research in Project Studies	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Quantitative Research Methods	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Research Design — Aligning Questions, Strategies and Methods; Quantitative or Qualitative Design?	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Coding, Interpretation and Narrative in Qualitative Research	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Integrating the Research Proposal	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Exemplary Research	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Research pitch and presentations, Proposal development	Tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Research pitch and presentations, Proposal development	Tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

As per the Faculty of Engineering Coursework Awards Resolutions, students are expected to attend and actively engage in all timetabled activities of their respective units of study.

For this unit of study, students are expected to attend a minimum of 90 percent of timetabled activities. Exceptions to this requirement may be granted only by the Dean or the Head of School.

Failure to meet the minimum attendance requirement may result in a fail grade.

Heads of School, Program Directors and / or Unit of Study Coordinators may set additional assessment items where the attendance requirement differs from 90 percent.

Workshop Participation:

Students are required to engage in a professional manner during workshops. This includes being fully prepared by thoroughly reviewing and engaging with all materials provided by the Unit of Study Coordinator and / or teaching team BEFORE the workshop where applicable. Active participation in class activities, discussions, and team-based tasks is expected to ensure meaningful contributions and effective collaboration.

Students participating in learning activities, including workshops conducted remotely or online, are strongly encouraged to have their cameras turned on for the duration of the session. Failure to comply may result in a request to show cause. Continued non-compliance may be deemed as non-participation, which could impact assessment outcomes.

Hands-on use of analysis tools (IBM SPSS and NVivo)

The learning and application of quantitative and qualitative analysis tools is self-directed. Resources are provided on Canvas to support learning of these software tools.

Students are required to download the SPSS and NVivo software prior to attending class. Instructions and links to the university licensed cloud-based software to be used can be found on Canvas in the relevant weeks for the hands-on learning, team demonstrations and practice sessions.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

To be provided in class as required.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Identify a suitable topic for research on project studies and construct a clear research question and develop research aims and objectives
LO2. Plan and conduct appropriate techniques to search for papers in the project studies literature, review and evaluate the relevant literature, write a related literature review, avoid plagiarism, provide an AI declaration and cite references correctly.
LO3. Select and formulate a research strategy, using an appropriate source of data, sample, data collection method and analysis approach to address your research question and/or aims and objectives.
LO4. Demonstrate an understanding of research ethics by ensuring that your own research is ethical.
LO5. Develop a full research proposal, avoid plagiarism, provide an AI declaration where it has been used and cite references correctly.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The Unit of Study feedback has been very positive, which indicates that we are getting the important elements mostly right. The individual poster presentation in Week12 has been replaced by an opportunity to present their research discursively and give feedback to others. The feed-forwards in class and detailed assignment feedback were also indicated as useful to help students improve. Real world applications and being part of the learning community is emphasized through hands-on research applications, peer-to-peer learning and demonstrations and a structured research learning portfolio capturing research progress, contributions and learning. The in-class participation and verbal reflection tasks promote more in-class engagement and active learning. Thesis A & B seminar attendance is incorporated within reflection tasks. Students may also now attend other research workshops, talks and seminars to facilitate their scholarly research development and networks and forms part of 'Research Networks and Engagement'.

Additional information

Requests for References from Teaching Staff:

Unit of Study Coordinators and the teaching team for this unit are not obligated to, and typically will not, provide personal references for students.

Students requiring a letter of good standing should direct their request to the Student Centre as the first point of contact.

Support with Administrative / Enrolment Matters:

The Student Centre is the primary point of contact for students seeking assistance with administrative, enrolment, or timetable matters.

In certain cases, the School’s Administrative Team may be able to provide additional support and can be contacted at: project.management@sydney.edu.au.

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice.

Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PMGT5862: Introduction to Research in Project Studies

Semester 2, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links