COMP4126 Research Methods
Coursework 3: (Abridged) Literature Review
Note: This coursework is similar to the onefor the same module at UNUK.
Number of Credits: 50% of module
Recommended hours: 40-50 hours (for distinction level)
Submission Deadline: 8 May by 16:00
Late submissions will incur a penalty of 5% per day. Submit on Moodle-a link to a submission form. will be provided a few days before the deadline.
Questions: If you have any questions about this coursework, please ask them: 1) in class, 2) after class during the consultation hours of the convenor, or 3) in the Forum at Moodle for Coursework 3. Individual questions received via email will be redirected towards these other options due to the class size.
Aim of the Coursework
• Search, examine, summarize, compare, and categorize 10 academic papers in your area of interest.
• Identify a dissertation topic and supervisor.
Learning Objectives:
• Critically appraise research papers/methods.
• Discuss managerial, political, economic, and ethical challenges in research.
• Apply research approaches to problems.
• Write research proposals.
• Evaluate and compare research strategies.
Task Description
1. Choose a Topic: Align with your dissertation. Select 10 research papers (include DOIs).
2. Summarize Papers: Use the template from Coursework (CW) 1 (1 paragraph per paper).
3. Categorize Papers: Group by themes, methods, application domains, etc. Include a table/figure for categorization.
4. Supplementary Figures:
o Histogram of publication years.
o Representative image from each paper with captions.
5. SurVis Web Page: Create a GitHub-hosted SurVis page. Include a screenshot and URL.
6. References: Alphabetical list with DOIs.
Finding Research Papers
• Start with a recent survey paper if no supervisor.
• Use resources like ConnectedPapers.com and highly cited works.
Summarizing Research Papers
For each paper:
• Explain evaluation methods (qualitative/quantitative, user studies, mathematical proofs, etc.).
• Highlight evidence used (e.g., datasets, performance metrics).
Categorization
Group papers by:
• Themes (e.g., ethics, algorithms).
• Methods (e.g., case studies, interviews).
• Application domains (e.g., healthcare, finance).
Include a brief rationale for categorization.
Literature Review Template
Title: [Your Topic] Literature Review
Name, Student Number
1. Introduction and Motivation (Approximately 1-2 paragraphs)
• Describe the topic’s importance.
• Include a meta-data figure (e.g., publication year histogram).
1.1 Research Field Challenges (Approximately 1 paragraph)
• List challenges (e.g., data privacy, algorithmic bias).
• Support with citations (e.g., Edmunds et al., 2012).
1.2 Survey Scope (Approximately 1-2 paragraphs)
• Define included/excluded topics.
1.3 Search Methodology (Approximately 1-2 paragraphs)
• Name your supervisor.
• Mention keywords/survey papers used.
• Include a ConnectedPapers.com screenshot.
1.4 Classification of Literature (Approximately 1-2 paragraphs)
• Describe categorization logic.
• Add a SurVis screenshot + URL.
2. Paper Summaries
• Organize by categories. The sub-sections correspond to your literature classification (i.e., categories). (e.g., "2.1 Machine Learning").
• Use 1 paragraph for each paper summary based on CW1. Whatever you do, do NOT include the paper title, authors, and words from the paper summary template, e.g., “Concept”, ”Implementation”, etc, in your descriptions. Paper summaries appear as standard natural language text in one paragraph.