Course Design Document
IS470: Guided Research in
Information Systems
Version 2.3
14 June 2010
Table of Contents
1. Versions History
2. Overview of the Module
3. Output and Assessment Summary
4. Group Allocation for Assignments
5. Classroom Planning
6. Course Schedule Summary
7. References
8. Tooling
9. Learning Outcomes, Achievement Methods and Assessment
10. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Versions History
Version / Description of Changes / Author / DateV1.0 / Course design / Pang Hwee Hwa / 25-09-2006
V1.01 / Change course number / Pang Hwee Hwa / 11-10-2006
V2.0 / Course re-design / Lau Hoong Chuin / 15-09-2007
V2.1 / Change in template and minor edits in FAQ / Lau Hoong Chuin / 15-06-2009
V2.2 / Minor edits in FAQ / Lau Hoong Chuin / 24-07-2009
V2.3 / Reformat the document based on the new template / Zheng Baihua / 14-06-2010
2. Overview of the Module
2.1 Synopsis
This module aims to introduce students to academic research in Information Systems. It allows students to experience first hand the challenges and exhilaration of research, discovery and innovation, and enriches their academic experience by working at/near the frontiers of research in IS technology or management.
Each student will work on an independent research project under a mentoring supervision of a faculty. The supervisor will guide the student through one or more phases of research, such as problem/hypothesis formulation, literature survey, case study, solution design and implementation, experimentation and validation, technical writing & presentation. This model enables students to interact and foster closer ties with SIS faculty and their research groups.
The module qualifies as an IS Technology or Management elective, as determined by the supervisor in consultation with the course coordinator.
Students opting to continue with the SIS MSc (Information Systems) Fast Track Program may use this research project as groundwork for the Master’s thesis.
Students who perform excellently (getting at least A-) in this course may apply to extend their research as an IS480 project. This is subject to approval by the course coordinator.
2.2Prerequisites
To register for this module, students must
- Obtain the approval of the course coordinator;
- Pass the following courses: PMSB, IST, EI and SE;
- Have an SIS faculty member who agrees to serve as his/her project supervisor; and
- (Strong preference, exception may be granted) Have a GPA of 3.4 or better.
2.3Objectives
Upon completion of the module, students will:
- Have participated in an academic research project in Information Systems.
- Have acquired special communication and presentation skills.
- Have acquired an appreciation for the intellectual process of inquiry and creative thinking.
- Have acquired background knowledge and experience in the process of research.
- Have surveyed and analyzed relevant literature in the research area.
2.4Expectation
The workload of this module is similar to other SIS courses. The supervisors will provide guidance, but students should be ready to learn technical concepts and conduct investigations independently.
2.5Who Should Register For This Course?
- Students who are interested in continuing with the SIS MSc Fast-Track program.
- Students who are contemplating an academic or research career.
- Other students will also benefit from the critical thinking, solution design & validation, and technical writing skills gained from the research experience.
3. Output and Assessment Summary
Week / Date / Output Assessments / Weighting / Group Weighting1 / Project proposal
- 2-page report, stating the project objectives and scope, schedule and deliverables is due end of week 1. / 5%
2 / Research activities with Supervisor
- the format will differ according to supervisor, it may involve self-study, attending seminars instructed by the supervisor, weekly meetings with supervisor, etc
3
4
5
6
7
8 / R E C E S S
Mid-term Review + Feedback
- Intermediate report due, that will document findings so far, and description of work for the second half of the semester
- Face-to-face meeting with course coordinator to discuss progress and feedback / 35%
(30% report+5% feedback)
9 / Research activities with Supervisor
- ditto weeks 2-7 above
10
11
12
13
14 / Final Presentation (Oral)
- this is a combined meeting involving all students; each student is to make a 45-minute presentation of research project / 20%
15 / Term Paper
- due date is end of week 15; but at the discretion of supervisor, project may be extended over the summer (see comments below) / 40%
Total
/ 100%Each student will work with the supervisor to develop the research project. By the end of the semester, students are expected to write a term paper that may cover one (or more) of the following (non-exclusively):
- (for both IST/ISM projects) deep literature review
- (for both IST/ISM projects) case study
- (for IST projects) problem formulation, initial solution design, evaluation/validation methodology, analysis (note: pure implementation projects are discouraged)
- (for ISM projects) analytical methods (optimization, simulation, industrial organization), empirical methods (surveys, field study, experiments).
At the discretion of the supervisor, the project may span across the summer term. In this case, students will obtain an “I” grade which will be converted to a proper grade by the end of Term 3b. Note that students holding “I” grades will not be eligible for the Dean’s List.
4. Group Allocation for Assignments
Not applicable (individual project).
5.Classroom Planning
Students are expected to attend seminars instructed by the supervisor. These could include the research seminars that the supervisor organizes for his/her research group, SIS research seminars, etc.
6. Course Schedule Summary
Week / Topic / Readings1 / Proposal writing / [1,2,3]
2 / Research activities with Supervisor / [4]
[5] (ISM research project)
3
4
5
6
7
8 / Mid-term Review
9 / Research activities with supervisor
10
11
12
13
14 / Final Presentation (Oral)
15 / Term Paper
7. References
[1]E. W. Dijkstra. The Three Golden Rules for Successful Scientific Research.
[2]Paul Leedy and Jeanne Ormrod. Practical Research: Planning and Design (out of print). Chapter 1: What is Research?
[3]U of Minnesota. Research 101 Tutorial www.informedesign.umn.edu.
[4]U of Washington interactive online tutorial http://www.lib.washington.edu/uwill/research101/.
[5]Cooper and Schindler. Business Research Methods (9e), McGraw Hill, 2006.
8. Tooling
Depending on project, students may be exposed to different tools and systems.
9. Learning Outcomes, Achievement Methods and Assessment
IS470 - Guided Research in Information Systems1 / Integration of business & technology in a sector context
1.1 Business IT value linkage skills
1.2 Cost and benefits analysis skills
1.3 Business software solution impact analysis skills
2 / IT architecture, design and development skills
2.1 System requirements specification skills / YY
Ability to:
a)Elicit and understand functional requirements from customer
b)Identify non functional requirements (performance, availability, reliability, security, usability etc…) / YY
c)Analyze and document business processes
2.2 Software and IT architecture analysis and design skills / Y
Ability to:
a)Analyze functional and non-functional requirements to produce a system architecture that meets those requirements. / Y
b) Understand and apply process and methodology in building the application
c)Create design models using known design principles (e.g. layering) and from various view points (logical, physical etc…)
d)Explain and justify all the design choices and tradeoffs done during the application's development / Y
2.3 Implementation skills
Ability to:
a)Realize coding from design and vice versa
b)Learn / practice one programming language
c)Integrate different applications (developed application, cots software, legacy application etc…)
d)Use tools for testing, integration and deployment
2.4 Technology application skills / Y
Ability to:
a)Understand, select and use appropriate technology building blocks, components and packages when developing an enterprise solution (e.g. integration middleware, portal, ERP, CRM, SCM and other enterprise solutions) / Y
3 / Project management skills
3.1 Scope management skills
3.2 Risks management skills
3.3 Project integration and time management skills
3.4 Configuration management skills
3.5 Quality management skills
4 / Learning to learn skills
4.1 Search skills / YY
Ability to:
a) Search for information efficiently and effectively / YY
4.2 Skills for developing a methodology for learning / YY
Ability to:
a) Develop learning heuristics in order to acquire new knowledge skills (focus on HOW to learn versus WHAT to learn ). / YY
b) Abide by appropriate legal, professional and ethical practices for using and citing the intellectual property of others
5 / Collaboration (or team) skills:
5.1 Skills to improve the effectiveness of group processes and work products
6 / Change management skills for enterprise systems
6.1 Skills to diagnose business changes
6.2 Skills to implement and sustain business changes
7 / Skills for working across countries, cultures and borders
7.1 Cross-national awareness skills
7.2 Business across countries facilitation skills
8 / Communication skills
8.1 Presentation skills / YY
Ability to:
a)Provide an effective and efficient presentation on a specified topic. / YY
8.2 Writing skills / YY
Ability to:
a)Provide documentation understandable by users (Requirements specifications, risks management plan, assumptions, constraints, architecture choices, design choices etc…) / YY
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How does IS470 count toward the IS elective requirements?
Students who are doing the IS 2nd Major in Advanced Technology and Applications can count IS470 as one of the five required technology depth electives.
Students who are doing non-IS 2nd Majors need to complete one of the regular technology depth elective courses. IS470 will count only toward the remaining two electives.
Students who are not doing a 2nd Major need to complete one of the regular technology depth elective courses. IS470 will count only toward the remaining two electives.
Q2. How do I identify a research topic?
You should have a sense of the broad research area(s) that you are interested in, e.g. data security.
For information on research areas of our faculty, you may visit http://www.sis.smu.edu.sg/research/research_areas.
You should visit http://is470.smu.edu.sg, which contains the updated list of proposed IS470 projects approximately 2 months prior to the start of the term.
Q3. How do I find a supervisor?
Having identified a potential research project(s), you should consult the respective faculty members who proposed the projects. You can apply for IS470 only after an SIS faculty member has agreed to assign the project to you and serve as your supervisor.
To ensure that there is sufficient time, you should start this process about 6 weeks before the term in which you intend to register.
Q4. How do I register for IS470?
IS470 is not opened for BOSS bidding. You must obtain the approval of the course coordinator before the start of term. The course coordinator will submit your name to the Registrar’s Office in Week 1.
The procedure for application is as follows:
a. Student consults faculty supervisor to discuss possible project topic (examples of project topics can be found in http://is470.smu.edu.sg)
b. Supervisor assesses student's academic background and commitment, and then decide whether to supervise project.
c. Student fills an application form downloadable at (http://is470.smu.edu.sg) to be signed by the supervisor and approved by course coordinator, before start of term.
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