SEN700 - Research Methodology

Unit details

Year

2026 unit information

Enrolment modesTrimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Credit point(s)1
EFTSL value0.125
Unit chairTrimester 2: Siva Krishnan
Trimester 3: Siva Krishnan
Prerequisite

For students enrolled in S460, S461, S462, S463, S465, S466, S467: Completion of 18 credit points.

For students enrolled in S517, S550, S617, S716, S717, S751, S756, S757, S758, S759, S787: Nil.

For students enrolled in courses outside of the School of Engineering: Unit Chair approval.

CorequisiteNil
Incompatible withNil
Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment

1 x 2 hour practical experiences (workshop) per week.

Typical study commitment

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Content

Research skills are essential for engineers as it helps them find answers to questions, understand trends and prepare for practice. This unit provides students with a structured program to develop skills required to search, locate, manage and critically review research and developments in engineering. Students will be guided through active learning opportunities in weekly workshops to be inquisitive. Through literature reviews, you will identify gaps, generate significant research questions, learn suitable research and engineering methodologies and prepare a research proposal to answer research questions and generate new knowledge. The knowledge and skills developed in this unit will allow students to identify problems and plan projects. Research skills allows engineers to judge the quality and limitations of their own practice and that of others.

Learning outcomes

Each unit in your course is a building block towards Deakin's Graduate Learning Outcomes - not all units develop and assess every Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO).

ULO These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can:

Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs)

ULO1 Use digital technologies to systematically search, retrieve and manage information that relate to theoretical and technical engineering information from peer reviewed publications.

GLO3: Digital literacy

ULO2

Apply critical thinking, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO3

Develop and present views, opinions and research results from a systematic evaluation of relevant and reliable information.

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO4

Communicate ideas for future research directions that includes a discussion on research questions and specific methodology to be utilised for generating new knowledge.

GLO2: Communication
GLO4: Critical thinking

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Learning portfolio

Portfolio consisting of a comprehensive research proposal that demonstrates your capacity to:

  • initiate research
  • find and generate information using appropriate methodology
  • evaluate and reflect on the credibility of selected sources and of data generated
  • reflect on the research processes used
  • analyse and synthesise information critically and synthesise new knowledge to produce coherent understandings
  • communicate understandings and applications of the research considering ethical, social and cultural issues.
100% Weekly task submission with a final submission

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Hurdle requirements

To be eligible to obtain a pass in this unit, students must meet certain milestones as part of the Learning portfolio.

Learning resource

The texts and reading list for SEN700 can be found via the University Library.

Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.

To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.

Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.

Unit fee information

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.