15462 Research Critique and Literature Review

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: School of the Built Environment
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 15312 Project Communication, HR and Stakeholders AND 15319 Project Risk, Procurement and Quality Management AND 15316 Project Scope, Time and Cost Management AND 15310 Project Integration Management
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject enables School of Built Environment higher doctorate research (HDR) students to learn the theoretical and practical processes of critical analysis and literature review development. In preparation for students' first assessment to confirm their candidature, students are guided through the process of critically reading journal articles and other texts appropriate to their thesis topic, leading to a written draft of their literature review chapter by the end of the session. Students are required to source and review relevant research at a rate of four papers per week (or equivalent).

The focus of this subject is on developing the skills to successfully write a literature review. These skills include effective summarisation and paraphrasing of literature, searching for relevant literature, critical evaluation of literature, synthesis of multiple literature sources into a cohesive argument, and identifying literature gaps which in turn demonstrate the relevance and contribution of the research question(s).

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

1.	Explain the ontological, epistemological and methodological underpinnings of research.
2.	Apply research design appropriate to specific research problems and questions.
3.	Demonstrate the ability to collect literature relevant to a particular research problem.
4.	Undertake a critical review of literature obtained in the course of research.
5.	Write a literature review of a standard acceptable for a thesis and published paper.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Communicate effectively through oral communication in projects at a professional level (Oral Communication) (C.1)
• Communicate effectively through written communication in projects at a professional level (Written Communication) (C.2)
• Source and apply tools and techniques to meet contextual demands (Technique Application) (I.1)
• Think critically and synthesise complex data (Critical Engagement) (R.1)
• Define, initiate, and conduct research projects (Research) (R.2)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is taught online with a two-day face-to-face workshop at the City Campus. It is a requirement that students undertake a minimum of 80% of activities online and attend the workshop.

Each week students will be asked to familiarise themselves with a range of different online written and visual resources that relate to the topic which are included in the program descriptions.

Students are expected to use the online tools to ask questions, initiate student discussions with other students, and regularly respond to UTS online postings that clarify questions. Students will also work closely with their supervisors throughout the semester to guide their literature search, but articles should be searched and critiqued by students.

Students will be assessed on their critical evaluation of literature reviews published in academic journals and their peer-assessment of critical assessments completed by other students throughout the semester.

Students will be required to offer constructive feedback verbally and will have several opportunities to receive feedback during the subject. The feedback provided will vary in form, purpose and in its degree of formality:

Formative feedback will be provided during the learning process, typically provided verbally by the subject's teaching staff. It will address the content of work and a student's approach to learning, both in general and more specific ‘assessment orientated’ terms. It is designed to help students improve their performance in time for the submission of an assessment item. For this to occur students need to respond constructively to the feedback provided. This involves critically reflecting on advice given and in response altering the approach taken to a given assessment. Formative feedback may also, on occasion, be provided by other students. It is delivered informally, either in conversation during a tutorial or in the course of discussion at the scale of the whole class. It is the student’s responsibility to record any feedback given during meetings or studio sessions.

Summative feedback is provided in written form with all assessed work. It is published along with indicative grades online at UTS REVIEW. Summative feedback focuses on assessment outcomes. It is used to indicate how successfully a student has performed in terms of specific assessment criteria.

Content (topics)

Topics covered during the semester are:

• Overview of the research process
• Literature search skills and literature review approaches
• Critically evaluating journal articles
• Synthesizing literature from multiple authors to make logically structured arguments
• Using a literature review to identify a gap in the literature
• Using a literature review to develop your research question(s) and make an argument for the relevance of your research question (demonstrate how your research builds upon existing literature)

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Presentation & Summary

Intent:	To provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in academic exposition and critique.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 3 and 4 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): I.1, R.1 and R.2
Type:	Presentation
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	35%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Demonstrate ability to summarise and differentiate the academic literature 33 1 R.2 Demonstrate ability to synthesise relevant academic literature 33 3 I.1 Demonstrate ability to critique the academic literature 34 4 R.1 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Class Exercises

Intent:	To provide students with regular feedback on their acquisition of content knowledge over the duration of the subject.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.1, C.2, R.1 and R.2
Type:	Exercises
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	25%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Demonstrate ability to summarise and differentiate the academic literature 20 1 C.1 Demonstrate ability justify a literature review methodology 20 2 R.2 Demonstrate ability to synthesise relevant academic literature 20 3 R.2 Demonstrate ability to critique the academic literature 20 4 R.1 Demonstrate ability to summarise, review and critique research literature to publication standards 20 5 C.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Draft literature review

Intent:	To provide students with the opportunity to exercise their skills in academic literature review writing.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.1, C.2, R.1 and R.2
Type:	Thesis
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	40%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Demonstrate ability to summarise and differentiate the academic literature 20 1 C.1 Demonstrate ability justify a literature review methodology 20 2 R.2 Demonstrate ability to synthesise relevant academic literature 20 3 R.2 Demonstrate ability to critique the academic literature 20 4 R.1 Demonstrate ability to summarise, review and critique research literature to publication standards 20 5 C.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

Students are required to attend 80% of all classes for all enrolled subjects. Achievement of the subject’s aims is difficult if classes are not attended. Where assessment tasks are to be presented personally in class, attendance is mandatory. Pursuant to UTS rule 3.8.2 students who do not satisfy attendance requirements may be refused permission by the Responsible Academic Officer to be considered for assessment for this subject.

References

Please see on the UTS Canvas.

Other resources

Additional materials will be provided as needed throughout the teaching session via UTS Canvas.