EGH404 Assessment 1 –

Research Topic Presentation &

Literature Review: Details

Overview

Task description

For this assessment, you are required to complete a literature review on a research topic relevant to your engineering discipline. In Week 5, you will present your selected topic during the practical session, outlining the research gaps, the central problem, and your guiding research question. Feedback will be provided to support the development of your review.

Following the presentation, you will conduct a critical analysis of current scholarly and industry literature. Your review should identify key trends, knowledge gaps, and recent advancements in the field. The final submission must be presented in a clear, well-structured literature review format.

Conditions

Marks	Assessment 1A – 10 pts  Assessment 1B – 30 pts
Assessment Type	Research Topic Presentation and Literature Review
Length	1,250 words minimum – 1,800 words maximum
Group / Individual	Individual

 

Unit Learning Outcomes Measured

Write a literature review that critically analyses, evaluates, and interprets current scholarly and industry-related literature to identify key trends, knowledge gaps, and advancements in addressing complex engineering problems. 

1.       Critically analyse, evaluate, and interpret engineering literature to identify key trends, knowledge gaps, and advancements at a master’s level.

2.       Demonstrate how to professionally address an engineering research problem that includes an ethical consideration element at a master’s level.

 

What you need to do

This assessment includes two parts:

Part A: Research Topic Presentation

Before you begin, select a research topic from the list of sample topics provided below. These topics have been carefully chosen to reflect the kinds of projects you might undertake in your EGH490 / EGH498 thesis, making them a useful starting point for your Literature Review.

Please note that a few data analytics tasks in Assignment 2 and your assignment 3 would be based on th Assignment 1. Therefore, please choose a topic that you are interested in performing data analytics on a You are welcome to modify the suggested topics or propose your own, as long as your chosen topic is

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You may choose your own research topic, provided it aligns with your engineering discipline. If you are currently enrolled in your Capstone project (EGH490 / EGH498), you may use the same topic for both units. However, you must submit a different literature review for each unit.

If you’re unsure about your topic, please consult your sessional tutor during your practical session for approval before starting your assessment.

Once your topic is selected, begin researching to identify a problem worth investigating. The online modules and practicals will help guide you in identifying research gaps, key problems, and guiding questions.

In Week 5, you’ll present your findings in a presentation during your practical session, focusing on the research gaps, problems, and questions you’ve identified.

Presentation Structure:

You will deliver a 5-minute presentation to a member of the teaching team, based on the topic you have chosen and what your current litreature review has uncovered. Your presentation should focus on the research gaps, problems, and questions you’ve identified. Your presentation should also include a Triangulated Summary Table with the following list of columns (Note that the table has been broken into two sub-tables to improve clarity during your presentations): 

 

Select one paper from your Triangulated Summary Table and include screenshots in your presentation as evidence of the source. Each screenshot must clearly indicate where the reported information  (i.e., research design, sample size, key measures, etc. ) appears in the source.

Your slide deck should include the following sections:

1.       Introduction to the topic

2.       State of the current litreature review explained using a Triangulated Summary Table

3.       Screenshots to verify the information presented in the Triangulated Summary Table

4.       Identified research gap/problem,

5.       Research question/s and how they address the identified research gap The session will consist of:

•        3 minutes for your presentation

•        2 minutes for responding to the questions.   

 

 

Part B: Literature Review

Write your literature review

1.   Determine the scope of your literature review

2.   Find sources

3.   Identify the types of information you need to extract from sources

4.   Read and take notes

5.   Plan your structure – Click on the headings below for more information. 

Length

1,250 words minimum – 1,800 words maximum (excluding Tables, Figure captions, and References)

Structure

The literature review should follow the following structure:

•        Introduction (150-200 words) o Provide an overview of the topic and its significance.  o Describe the aim of your literature review (e.g., identify the research gaps, establish a framework, etc.) and briefly outline the structure of the review 

o     Define the scope of your literature review (e.g., keywords, time period, geographical focus, type and number of sources, etc.).

•        Research Problems and Questions (100-200 words) o State the research problem(s) being addressed. 

o Outline the key research questions guiding this review.  o Explain the relevance of these questions to the broader research context.

•        Review of Existing Literature (750-1000 words – Review a minimum of 3 papers*)

*IMPORTANT – These papers should be contributory papers published in D1/Q1 journals. Review/survey papers, technical reports, conference papers, or book chapters do not count towards the 3 papers in this section. You should also use papers published since 2016.

•        

o   Present and analyse the literature, using one of the following approaches:

▪  Thematic approach: Dividing the literature into themes of subtopics. 

▪  Methodological approach: Compare and contrast research methodologies used.

o   For each theme or section:

▪  Identify trends, themes, and theoretical frameworks used in previous studies. Use a Triangulated Summary Table to support this discussion.

▪  Discuss different perspectives, methodologies, and key findings

▪  Critically analyse the strengths, limitations, and gaps of each paper. 

▪  Comparative Analysis and Contradiction Resolution:

▪  Identify at least one contradiction or inconsistency among the papers (e.g., conflicting findings, different effect sizes).

▪  Explain why this contradiction might exist (methodology, sample, context, measurement).

▪  Support your explanation with specific numeric evidence and page references from the Triangulated Summary Table.

 

Note: Please use the following columns when preparing your Triangulated Summary

  Conclusion (150 – 200 words)

o   In this section, you should:

▪  Summarise your key findings and link them to your research

▪  Discuss the implications (e.g., how the reviewed findings can influence current engineering practices, policy, techniques, or methodologies, provide recommendations or directions for future research).

•        References (Does not count towards word count, 8+ references*)

*Note – In Section 3, you are required to review a minimum of three research papers.

However, you will likely include additional references in the Introduction and Research Problems and Questions sections to provide relevant background. As a result, your final reference list should consist of at least eight papers in total.

•        

o       Ensure proper referencing style is used (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, etc.) and follow formatting guidelines appropriate to the chosen citation style.

o       Include all sources cited in the literature review. o              Include a table in the appendix that demonstrates the quality of your selected references. Use the CRAAP Test to justify their credibility, and follow the structure provided for this table.

Ensure that your assignment adheres to the following:

o       Quoted material should be used sparingly and should not exceed 5% of the text.

o       Paraphrased or summarised text must be cited and referenced. o    In-text citations should directly match your end-text references. o           Your reference list follows proper referencing style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, etc.)

QUT provides a range of resources to assist with academic writing and referencing, including:

o       Cite|write: QUT’s comprehensive online guide to referencing styles o              Academic help and workshops: A comprehensive list of online resources and workshops provided by QUT to assist with academic study, writing, and referencing.

Previously submitted and assessed work cannot be resubmitted. For more information, see Academic honesty.

6.   Write your review.

Click on the heading below to view additional resources and guides to help you find relevant literature and write your literature review. 

Library guides and online resources to help you find relevant literature and write your literature review.  

Finding relevant literature:

o       Develop a search statement o Search strategy and technique o Search for peer-reviewed engineering literature.

Preparing and writing your Literature Review:

o       Tips for writing clear paragraphsLinks to an external site. o Tips for making your writing clear and easy to followLinks to an external site. o Tips for being criticalLinks to an external site.

Write Up drop-in support is also available to help you develop your academic writing skills.

Watch this video to hear about the writing support available to you every weekday during Semester 1 and 2 from the people who deliver the service.

The following resources from the University of Manchester might also be helpful

o       Academic PhrasebankLinks to an external site. o Referring to sourcesLinks to an external site. o Being criticalLinks to an external site.

 

Example Submissions

Below are some sample responses for Assessment 1B. Please note that these examples cover only the first four sections of the assessment.

While the samples follow the structure and approach expected by the teaching team, they are provided for guidance only. Their inclusion does not imply that they would receive full marks.

1.       Improving generalization of heart sound anomaly detection using foundation models.pdfDownload Improving generalization of heart sound anomaly detection using foundation models.pdf

2.       Pathways for Energy Efficient, High-Purity Green Hydrogen Production from

Seawater.pdfDownload Pathways for Energy Efficient, High-Purity Green Hydrogen Production from Seawater.pdf

3.       Phosphate Removal in Wastewater Treatment.pdfDownload Phosphate Removal in Wastewater Treatment.pdf

Submission requirements

Part A: In-class Presentation – assessed INDIVIDUALLY (due week 5)

o       There is no submission required for this task. o              However, you are expected to attend your scheduled class and participate in the presentation. The presentation should address the identified research gaps, key research problems, and guiding questions.  NOTE: The presentation slot allocations will be announced closer to the week 5.

You will each present individually and be marked individually. These marks contribute 10 marks towards your total grade for Part B.

Part B: Literature Review (due week 6)

o       Submit your Literature Review as a PDF file. o      Do not include or upload copies of the original articles or publications you referenced.

o       The deadline for submission is 11:59 PM, Friday of Week 6.

o       Your work will be assessed according to the criteria outlined on the EGH404 Assessment 1B – Literature Review: Submission page.