This postgraduate computer science assignment requires students to prepare an Interim Report establishing the research protocol for a systematic literature review. The assessment focuses on whether the proposed research question is suitable for computer science research, clearly formulated, appropriately motivated by existing literature, and capable of being investigated through a systematic review. The main body of the report must not exceed 500 words, while supporting evidence may be provided separately where appropriate. The report is structured around three main chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the selected research area and summarises the purpose and structure of the report. Chapter 2 provides relevant background and a brief history of the chosen research domain, identifies the problem being addressed, and supports the discussion with at least two relevant academic citations. Chapter 3 presents the formal Literature Review Protocol, including the research question, its context, and the associated PICO elements: Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome. Students must also develop and test a Boolean search string using IEEE Xplore and report the number of papers returned by that search. The search strategy is accompanied by explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria governing which studies will be considered for the review. The supplied protocol template requires students to document these elements through two structured tables: one covering the research question and PICO framework, and another recording the search string, paper count, and study-selection criteria. The assessment places significant emphasis on methodological consistency. The research question, PICO elements, search strategy, paper count and inclusion/exclusion criteria must align logically with one another. Students are also assessed on the justification and motivation of the research question, document structure, presentation quality, spelling, grammar and academic referencing. The report must include a title page, table of contents, bibliography and the required research-protocol tables. Harvard referencing is required for both in-text citations and the final reference list. Overall, the assignment develops the foundational skills required for conducting a rigorous systematic literature review, including research-question formulation, structured evidence searching, transparent study-selection procedures, academic justification and professional research reporting.
Research Methods · Systematic Literature Review · Research Question · PICO Framework · Literature Review Protocol · IEEE Xplore · Boolean Search · Search Strategy · Inclusion Criteria · Exclusion Criteria · Computer Science Research · Academic Research
Megaminds has supported academic requirements in computer science / research methods, research methods and related disciplines.