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Computer Science / Research Methods / Specialist Research
2,800 words
Research Specialism Report: Critical Review of Open Research Questions in Computer Science
This Advanced Research Topics in Computer Science assessment requires students to critically examine a research paper associated with their chosen MSc specialism and demonstrate an understanding of how established research techniques are used to create and extend knowledge in computer science. Eligible specialisms include Artificial Intelligence, Networking, Cyber Security, Software Engineering and Data Science. The assessment is intended to prepare students for deeper independent research as part of their Master's project. 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… Students begin by providing a clear introduction to their selected research specialism and explaining the broader research area in a way that is accessible to readers with general computer-science knowledge. The report then identifies the open research question presented in the relevant 7COM1084 specialist lecture paper, explains the problem in detail and evaluates why it is scientifically significant or relevant to a real-world application. 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… A substantial literature-review section requires students to examine existing and related research beyond the specialist lecture paper. The aim is to identify what previous work has achieved, explain why existing approaches do not fully solve the research problem and identify further unresolved questions. 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… The research-methods section focuses on the approaches used in the selected specialist paper. Students are expected to describe and critically evaluate those methods, considering both their strengths and limitations. They must then propose an alternative or extended research approach that could build on the published work and investigate related open problems, drawing on principles of experimental design and theoretical or practical research. 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… The final reflective component asks students to explain their personal investment in the research area, including why the selected question interests them and how their own strengths and prior experience would support future research in that domain. 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… The report must not exceed 2,800 words ±10%, must use the Harvard referencing system, and must include at least 20 references, one of which must be the relevant 7COM1084 specialist paper. 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… 7COM1084+Research+specialism+re… Overall, the assessment integrates research specialism knowledge, literature review, open-problem identification, methodological critique, research design, future-work development and scholarly communication within a Level 7 computer-science research context.
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Computer Science
2,800 words
Specialism Research Report
The Specialism Research Report is an individual assessment for the Advanced Research Topics in Computer Science module. The assignment provides students with an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of a selected computer science research specialism and to investigate an open research question within that area. The available research specialisms are Artificial Intelligence, Networking, Cyber Security, Software Engineering and Data Science. Students are expected to examine the research specialism associated with their degree route and develop their understanding of current research challenges, established techniques and potential future research directions. The report requires students to provide an overview of the research paper presented in the relevant 7COM1084 Research Specialism Lecture. The report must identify and explain the research question addressed by the specialist paper, consider why the research problem is scientifically interesting or relevant to a real-world application, and investigate possible approaches for addressing the question. Students must also identify further research that could build upon the existing work and consider their own personal strengths, interests and experience in relation to the proposed research. The report is structured into five main sections. The first section, Introduction of Research Specialism, provides a general overview of the selected research area and is intended to be accessible to readers with broad computer science knowledge. The second section, Open Research Question, identifies and explains the research problem discussed in the specialist lecture paper and considers its scientific or practical significance. The third section, Existing and Related Work, provides a literature review of research beyond the specialist paper, identifies limitations in existing approaches and discusses related open research problems. The fourth section, Research Approach, examines the methods used in the specialist paper, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, and proposes an approach for extending the research. The fifth section, Personal Investment, explains the student's interest in the research question and evaluates their personal strengths and experience relevant to conducting the proposed research. Students are expected to use module reading materials and secondary research to support their discussion. The report must use Harvard referencing and include at least 20 references, including the 7COM1084 specialist paper. The references are excluded from the word count. The submission must not exceed 2,800 words, with a permitted range of ±10%. The assessment develops students' ability to understand established research techniques, identify research problems from relevant literature, propose alternative solutions, critically evaluate research literature, develop approaches for future research and communicate research knowledge effectively in a scholarly manner.
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Computer Science / Research Methods
500 words
Interim Report: Systematic Literature Review Research Protocol
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.
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Research Methods (Computer Science / Systematic Literature Review)
500 words
Interim Report – Research Methods (7COM1085)
This assignment is an Interim Report for the Research Methods module (7COM1085). The purpose of the report is to demonstrate that the research team has identified a suitable Computer Science research topic and developed a systematic literature review protocol that can be used for the final dissertation or research project. Students are required to formulate a clear and well-justified research question, define the associated PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) elements, create an IEEE Xplore Boolean search strategy, and establish appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting academic literature. The report must also provide background information on the chosen research area and justify the importance of the research question using relevant scholarly sources. The interim report should follow a structured academic format consisting of an Introduction, Background, Literature Review Protocol, and Bibliography. Students must use Harvard referencing throughout the report and ensure that all citations are properly integrated within the text. The report should demonstrate consistency between the research question, search strategy, and selection criteria while maintaining a professional academic presentation. The main body of the report must not exceed 500 words, although supporting materials such as search results, screenshots, and other evidence may be included in appendices. The assignment is designed to assess students' understanding of research methodologies, systematic literature reviews, critical analysis of academic sources, and their ability to design a rigorous research protocol for a Computer Science investigation.
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