School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering

Assessment Brief

Module Code: 18CVP319

Module Name: Research methods

Assessment Title: Individual presentation of the Research plan

Assessment Other Other:

Type: Presentation
Date Due: 4th December Date Returned: Friday 18th January
2018 2019
(9:00 to 18:00)

Method of Other Feedback via Learn

Submission delivery:
Weighting: 30% Other:
Individual or Individual
Group:
Word Length Other Other: 10-minute presentation + up to
5 minutes of Questions
Total number of hours expected to be spent on 27
assignment per student:

Assessment aims:

To be able to:
• Individually produce and defend a Research plan in the same topic of your dissertation
• Summarise its contents and convey the most relevant to a small audience in a 10’
presentation
• Identify the most relevant contents and present them succinctly but effectively.

Task Description:

Along the sessions of this module you have been creating and successively polishing a
Research Plan. Now, you need to put together all what you have developed on the topic of
your dissertation for the time being and present its highlights to a small audience.

You are requested to create a 10’ presentation (in Power Point or any other software or
media, as long as it can be delivered in one of the booked classrooms (WAV115, D202 or
J205)). With the aid of this presentation you will need to talk about:

1. Introduction (what is the problem you are analysing and why that problem is
important)
 2. Research aims (at least one, suggested maximum 2) and objectives (at least 2,
max. 4)
3. Literature review outline (Identify the Research gap, that is how previous works
have not addressed, neglected it or have proven to be insufficient)
4. Research method(s) outline (what will you do to answer your research
question(s)).
5. References – Format, completeness and relevance (do not forget to support your
most relevant claims with appropriate references).

You will make a presentation in front of another classmates taking turns. Each of you will
have 10’ for the presentation and 5’ for receiving questions from the two markers. The
markers will correspond to dissertation supervisors of your or other students.

Additionally, to your presentation contents, you will also be assessed on your presentation
skills and time management (see next section).

Assessment Criteria:

This presentation is worth 30% of the module mark and will be undertaken individually. A
breakdown of the marks allocated for each section is shown below.

Presentation Element Max Mark (%)

Content-related elements
Introduction (problem existence and problem importance) 10
Research aims and objectives (what will your research 10
achieve, how it will achieve it)
Literature review outline (what has been done in the past 10
and why previous efforts are insufficient)
Research method(s) outline (how you will abstract reality 10
so that you can analyse it and produce valid claims)
References (consistency, completeness and relevance) 10
Other elements
Time management 12.5
• The maximum mark will be received for those
presentations taking 8 to 10’.
Visuals quality 12.5
• Measuring the nicer slides or presentation material.
There is need to embellish unnecessarily your
presentation. Simple is beautiful. Resort to
uncluttered slides as much as possible.
Presentation skills 12.5
• Measuring how professionally you deliver your
research plan. This includes your appearance
(smart attire is recommended), your speech and the
way you defend your presentation contents.
Answers to questions
• This item will measure how effectively, concisely 12.5
and scientifically you answer the questions the
presentation markers launch at you after your
presentation.
Total 100
Submission Details:

There is no submission involved in this assignment. It is only required that you come in
person with your presentation on the specified date and location and defend it within the
allotted 15’ time (10’ presentation + 5’ questions).

Additional Information:

The following material will assist you for the coursework: Lecture notes, particularly the
session on “How to write a dissertation” (week 3).

Pablo Ballesteros-Pérez
November 2018