QHO538 Research Methods Project Assignment Task - 2025

Learning Outcomes of QHO538:

• (LO1) Critically evaluate a range of academic sources
• (LO3) Articulate in context the Professional, Legal, Ethical, and societal issues affecting Computing.
• (LO4) Communicated ideas and solutions to problems
• (LO6) Communicate the finding of research to a given set of requirements.

QHO538 Assessment Task:

The purpose of this assessment is to prepare a proposal for your major project that will be completed in the final year of your degree. The report will consist of a basic literature survey on your chosen topic area, a research question or hypothesis, proposed methodologies, and a rough schedule that you will follow to complete the project.

You should consider the following when choosing a final year project:

• Relates to a technical or professional interest.
• Challenges you develop new knowledge and/or skills.
• Relates to your course degree.
• Has relevant academic literature

It must be noted that the project idea you explore for this assessment is not binding. Many students will end up basing their final 3rd year project on a different idea to this assessment. However, should you stick to the same project idea, you will have an advantage moving into the project module in your final year.

QHO538 Report Structure

This assessment’s purpose is to prepare a proposal for your major project that will be undertaken in the final year of your degree. To achieve this, you will define a problem that your final-year project will solve, explore attempts to solve the problem and present how you will tackle it.

Overall, the learning outcomes of this assessment are for you to present a clear, critically sound, and academically styled report. You will be offered a report template to use which contains all the requirements for this assessment.

Coversheet

with your name, course, date and project title.

1. Introduction

Framing your project: Present either a problem statement, research question or hypothesis that your project will address. Identifying clear and well-supported arguments: You should present a clear and well-supported introduction and problem statement to your proposal. You should use evidence comprising cited academic sources to support your claims. You should state the overall aims and objectives of the proposed research.

2. Survey Of Literature

The annotated bibliography serves as a critical part of your final major project proposal. It helps you:

• Demonstrate the depth and breadth of your research.
• Identify key sources that inform and support your project.
• Evaluate the relevance, reliability, and contribution of each source to your work.

Requirements:

• Number of Sources: Include up to 6 sources maximum.
• Diversity of Sources: Incorporate a mix of books, journal articles, reports, credible websites, or other scholarly materials relevant to your project.
• Relevance: Each source must directly relate to your project topic.

3. Proposed Methods

The proposal should describe the research design and methodology, including the participants, procedures, and data analysis methods you plan to use, including how you intend to undertake ethical research.

Technology Options

Short summary of possible technologies and frameworks that you will intend to use within your project based of your research.

How Will You Evaluate Your Project?

This section should cover how will drive and evaluate your project your project including a strategy for gathering literature sources/documentation, data, feedback plus testing and validation etc. and how you intend to evaluate, organise and analysis all collected information.

Project Management

How will you manage your project? – Selection and timing including appropriate rough project milestones based on 400 hours you will be working on your Dissertation from October to mid-May in 3rd year, with the bulk of the work taking place Jan – April including the write up. You can include any hours you spent on prep work over the summer between 2ndand 3rd year if appropriate.

Professional, Legal, Ethical Issues

Discussion of all professional, legal and ethical issues associated with your project

4. Conclusion

The conclusion should summarise the main points of the proposal. It should also reiterate the overall aims and objectives of the proposed research. Further, it should highlight potential limitations and ethical considerations that may arise. Finally, the conclusion should demonstrate the potential impact of the proposed research and how it contributes to the problem you are setting out to solve.

5. Reference List

alphabetical list of all sources referenced to in SU Harvard Style.

Use the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) link for the papers and journals in the Reference and Bibliography lists so your supervisor/marker can easily locate and check them.

6. Appendices

Appendix A: AI Usage Declaration

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Declaration (REQUIRED) This appendix will detail how you have used AI to support both this assessment and on your proposed project, both in practical aspects and in the writing and structuring reports.

Appendix B: Ethical Release

You need to mention that you have Southampton Solent University ethical clearance through the ethics app on the portal signed off by your supervisor and presented in the Methods section of this report.

And any other appendices and required

Living CV

As part of the University’s Work Ready, Future Ready strategy, you will be expected to build a professional, Living CV as you successfully engage and pass each module of your degree.

The Living CV outputs evidenced on completion of this assessment are:

Evidence of a complete project that brings all your skills together.
Please add these to your CV via the Living CV builder platform on Solent Futures Online

Important Information
Solent University Academic Regulations 2023-24
Late Submissions
You are reminded that:

• If this assessment is submitted late i.e. within 7 calendar days of the submission deadline, the mark will be capped at 40% if a pass mark is achieved;
• If this assessment is submitted later than 7 calendar days after the submission deadline, the work will be regarded as a non-submission and will be awarded a zero;
• If this assessment is being submitted as a referred piece of work, then it must be submitted by the deadline date; any Refer assessment submitted late will be regarded as a non-submission and will be awarded a zero.

QHO538 Assessment Regulations

Extenuating Circumstances

The University’s Extenuating Circumstances (EC) procedure is in place if there are genuine short term exceptional circumstances that may prevent you submitting an assessment. You are able to self-certify for up to two assessment dates in any semester without supporting evidence for an extension of up to seven calendar days for coursework or to defer an exam to the resit period.

Alternatively, if you are not ‘fit to study’ (or you have used up your two self-certification opportunities), you can request: 

• an extension to the submission deadline of 7 calendar days, or
• a request to submit the assessment at the next opportunity, i.e. the resit period (as a Defer without capping of the grade). 

In both instances you must submit an EC application with relevant evidence. If accepted under the university regulations there will be no academic penalty for late submission or non-submission dependent on what is requested. You are reminded that EC covers only short-term issues (20 working days) and that if you experience longer term matters that impact on your learning then you must contact the Student Hub for advice.

Please find a link to the EC policy below:

Extenuating Circumstances

Academic Misconduct

Any submission must be your own work and, where facts or ideas have been used from other sources, these sources must be appropriately referenced. The University’s Academic Regulations includes the definitions of all practices that will be deemed to constitute academic misconduct. You should check this link before submitting your work.

Procedures relating to student academic misconduct are given below:

Academic Misconduct

Ethics Policy

The work being carried out must be in compliance with the university Ethics Policy. Where there is an ethical issue, as specified within the Ethics Policy, then you will need an ethics release or ethics approval prior to the start of the project.

The Ethics Policy is contained within Section 2S of the Academic Handbook:

Ethics Policy

Grade Marking

The University uses an alpha numeric grade scale for the marking of assessments. Unless you have been specifically informed otherwise your marked assignment will be awarded a letter/number grade. More detailed information on grade marking and the grade scale can be found on the portal and in the Student Handbook.

Grade Marking Scale

Guidance For Online Submission Through Solent Online Learning (SOL)