Research Guidelines
This document is designed to assist supervisors, students and administrators of units 950-611, 950-612, 950-613 and 950-615.
For further information please contact us.
Contents
Information for students
- Steps to undertaking a research project
- Key dates
- Subject descriptions
- Advice for starting a research project
- FAQs
Information for Supervisors
- Assessment criteria
- Resources
- Oral examinations
- Marking responsibility
- Examination procedure
- Multiple examiners
- Appeals
Appendices
Information for students
1. Steps to undertaking a research subject
- If you are interested in undertaking a research project the first step is to contact your Academic Advisor (either your stream coordinator or the Director of the OEP) and include the subject in your course plan.
- Once your course plan has been approved, it is your responsibility to find a project supervisor. If you are having difficulty in finding a suitable supervisor, your Academic Advisor may be able to help.
- You need to submit a 300 word summary of your project along with the Research Proposal Form (OEP R1), signed by your project supervisor by Monday of the second week of the semester in which you are enrolled.
- Check whether you will need ethics approval for you project. The human ethics department has information on what sort of research requires approval: http://www.research.unimelb.edu.au/humanethics/ Applications are administered through the Faculty of your main supervisor and can take several weeks to be processed, so if your project does need approval, submit your application in plenty of time as you will not be able to start your research without approval.
- Once your project proposal has been approved, it is your responsibility to organise regular meetings with your supervisor. An average of 30 minutes per fortnight is the minimum regarded as appropriate in most cases, but this should be discussed with your supervisor. Each meeting should be recorded on the Research Monitoring and Evaluation Form (OEP R2) for future reference.
- On completion of your project you should submit two copies of the 950-611 report and three copies of the 950-612, 950-613 or 950-615 research project to the OEP, with Research Project Cover Sheet (OEP R3) Projects should be secured with spiral binding or similar (not hard bound). An electronic copy should also be available on request. A receipt will be issued and a copy of the report will be kept on file by the OEP.
The report document must include a title page with the following:
• the title of the research project
• the full name of the degree
• the subject title and number
• the name of the supervisor and his/her school or department
• the month and year of submission.
The report or thesis must also include:
• a short (no more than 200 word) abstract
• a Student Declaration of sole authorship, worded as follows and signed by the student:
‘The work in this project was undertaken in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Melbourne for the degree of Master of Environment. The views expressed are those of the author and might not reflect the views of the University of Melbourne, OEP.”
• full acknowledgment of all other material used and signed by the student.
- The OEP will send the reports for examination, noting date of dispatch. It usually takes a minimum of 4 weeks for projects to be examined.
Submission |
Date |
Submission of 300 word Graduate Research Proposal Form |
Monday of the second week of each semester. |
Submission of research projects (except for 950-615) |
Friday of the week following the end of the teaching period in each semester |
Submission of 950-615 (Research Project Long) |
The week following the last week of the second semester of enrolment in this subject. |
Actual submission dates for the current year are provided in Appendix 1.
Subject descriptions for research project subjects are available on the subject list.
4. Advice for starting a research project
Information and advice about starting research can be found through the Upskills program.
The OEP also runs a seminar at the start of each Semester to introduce students to the principles and practices of good research. Details are available from the Office for Environmental Programs.
5. FAQs
Who can supervise my project?
Supervisors are normally full-time or fractional full-time members of University staff but school or departmental associates or fellows may also be appointed where appropriate. Supervisors will not normally be employed on a sessional basis, though in the case of schools and departments where staff have high supervision loads, a sessional staff member may be appointed as a co-supervisor. Supervisors must be available for the length of the project.
What forms do I need to fill in?
You need to submit a OEP R1 (Research Proposal Form) for approval at the start of your project. The OEP R2, research monitoring form needs to be filled in each time you have a meeting with your supervisor. When you submit your project you need to fill out a cover sheet OEP R3. If you need an extension, fill out the OEP R4 form.
Do I need Ethics approval for my project?
Ethics approval applications must be administered through the Faculty of the Main supervisor. It is the responsibility of the supervisor and the student to conform to the University’s Ethics Policy.
Check the website: http://www.research.unimelb.edu.au/humanethics/ and ask your supervisor at the time of submission of the 300 word summary whether ethics approval will be required.
Can I get an extension for my research project?
Extension of time will be considered only if grounds for extension or special consideration can be established. You must fill out an Application for Extension for Research Project Form (OEP R4) to be returned to the OEP with a signed duplicate copy for the supervisor.
If you require an application for Special Consideration please follow the submission procedures for your special consideration application available at https://sis.unimelb.edu.au/functions/special-consid/info/SubmissionGuidelines.html and notify the OEP of your application.
Can I do more than one research project?
It is possible to do more than one research project, but this will need to be agreed with your Academic Advisor as part of an approved course plan.
Who do I contact if I am having problems with my project?
In the first instance it is advisable to contact your project supervisor. If you need further assistance, contact the Office for Environmental Programs.
Who pays for the resources that I need for my project (eg stationery or equipment) or Facilities such as laboratory space?
Any resources and facilities required for completion of the project should be supplied by the faculty of your project supervisor.
Information for Supervisors
1. Assessment Criteria
Students’ research papers are to be assessed on the following criteria:
• Definition of the problem to be investigated.
• Demonstration of knowledge of the relevant literature and a capacity to analyse it in relation to the problem defined.
• Use of literature and proven techniques of investigation, to solve or to clarify the readers understanding of the problem being investigated.
• Explanations of limitations within the students own work and the nature of any contribution made.
• Demonstration of competence in technical and/or discipline specific writing.
• Assembly of a logical report that is well laid out (presentation).
2. Resources
It is requested that any resources and facilities required for completion of the project must be supplied by the faculty of the supervisor.
3. Oral Examinations
In some faculties an oral presentation will comprise part of the final assessment in this project. This needs to be detailed in the Supervisor Comments section of the initial Graduate Research Proposal (OEP R1), stating the percentage of the final grade that will be attributed from this presentation. In addition, the form used by the faculty to assess the oral presentation must be submitted to the OEP by the supervisor for consideration by the Director.
Project |
Marking responsibility |
950-611 (12.5 points |
Supervisor. |
950-612 (25 points) |
Supervisor and one other academic. |
950-613 and 950-615 (50 points) |
Two academics who are not the students’ supervisor. |
5. Examination Procedure
Each examiner is expected to mark independently and will complete a Proforma Examiner’s Report, Research Projects (OEP R6). Each examiner should also produce a written report of approximately 300 words, which will be made available to the student.
Examiners should not contact each other or the student during the examination process (except on matters other than the research), and should not release their mark directly to the student.
Examiners should aim to complete the process within a period of four weeks.
At the completion of the marking process the examiner is to return the copy to the OEP. Masters coursework research projects are not required to be retained by schools or departments or deposited in university libraries. Any school or department that wishes to do so should make arrangements with students individually, and arrange for the cost to be borne by the school or department. The OEP will retain copies for a minimum of one year.
6. Multiple Examiners
In the case where a second and/or a third examiner is required the examiner can be from the same school or department as the student’s supervisor. Usually they are employed on a full-time basis; but sometimes they can come from outside the school or department or even outside the University, or be appointed on a sessional basis for reasons of special expertise.
Supervisors will notify the Director of the OEP of their selection of an examiner by emailing or sending a hard copy of the Approval to Submit Research Project (OEP R5) form to the OEP. Supervisors must indicate on the form that the nominated examiner has been contacted and agrees to return a report within a period of FOUR weeks from receipt of project.
The Director of the OEP will derive one mark, generally by averaging the two. If the difference between two examiners’ marks is greater than a whole grade level, the Director will consult with the examiners. If no resolution is possible, then a third examiner will usually be sought. The result of the third assessment will be forwarded to the OEP and the Director will derive a mark (by averaging the best two of the three). The final result will be recorded and signed using the Director’s Final Result (Research Projects) (OEP R7) form.
Only the final agreed grade and mark is released to the student. This will occur after it has been confirmed by the OEP. The OEP will do this by constituting a Board of Examiners comprising the supervisor, the Director of OEP and one other academic, generally to be an OEP Deputy Director.
7. Appeals
Students who wish to appeal against the grade, must make a case in writing to the Director of the OEP within a month of the official release of the results. The Director may dismiss the appeal if s/he believes an adequate case for re-marking has not been made. The Director may ask the supervisor to appoint an additional examiner who will make an independent assessment of the research project and provide a mark and a 300 word report to the Director.
The Director will then act as the arbitrator of the appeal process, based on the three reports and a letter from the supervisor indicating the supervisor's position. The original mark will then be confirmed or adjusted.
Any reduction (or change) in the mark as a result of the appeal, will be reported to the Academic Board. Students retain the right of appeal beyond the OEP to the Academic Board, but it should be noted that such appeals will address only procedural matters and not questions of academic judgment.
APPENDICES
Graduate Research Subject Submission Dates 2008
RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
• Semester 1 2008 by Monday 10 March
• Semester 2 2008 by Monday 4 August
RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMISSION
• Semester 1 2008 by Friday 6 June
• Semester 2 2008 by Friday 7 November