Strategic Technology Management Research Project 2024

“If you have a clear sense of what question you’re trying to answer and what knowledge you’re building on, and if you keep careful, clear notes along the way, it’s much easier to use sources effectively and responsibly and, most of all, to write a successful paper.”

(Harvard Guide to Using Sources, 2024- emphasis added)

45% of this module is allocated for a written research project on a relevant subject of your choice. The project is aimed at enhancing your research, analytical and communication skills, and familiarising you further with aspects of the IT industry. You are encouraged to pick a topic that you are interested in, or that might link to your employment/placement.

It will be assessed in stages, with an outline due at the end of October and the final draft due at the end of this of semester. You are also required to make a short (10 minute) recorded presentation on the question(s) you are exploring.

1. Example Topic Areas (based on past topics)

We’ll spend the first couple of weeks looking at current and emerging issues to give ideas.

1. Assessing new developments in IT

• Evaluation of an emerging technology or set of technologies.

Past topics have included aspects of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, digital twins, smart city applications, autonomous vehicles, VR/AR, edge computing, serverless architectures, 5G, low code/no code, generative AI etc.

• A business case for a particular innovation in a particular organisation.
• Comparative case studies e.g. comparing two approaches, technologies, implementations etc.
• An assessment of the merit/risks of a new approach/technology for a particular sector/application area.

2. Assessing Development Practices– what is involved, what is needed for success, including case examples. ( e.g. past examples include aspects of DevOps,  current topics couldinclude MLOps, AI-assisted programming).
3. Developments in UX research- interfaces, methods. Past topics have included immersive realities and their applications in healthcare, dark UI patterns etc.
4. Assessing new platforms/environments(e.g. cloud solutions/migrations including risks and what is required for success).
5. IT System Failures-analysis of what these are, why they happened, how they can be avoided.
6. IT related Legislation and implications for policies and practices within an organisation. How changes in technology require changes in legislation; assessment of the effectiveness of current legislation and the problems that need to be addressed (e.g. GDPR, EU Cybersecurity act). AI is a good current example here- see the EU AI act. Also acts such as the EU digital services act are now becoming relevant, particularly due to the rise of disinformation on large platforms.
7. Ethical/ Societal implications of emerging technologies and ways of addressing these. Past topics here have included : big data and privacy, fake news, damage to democracy, psychological/health issues with gaming/social media etc.
8. Environmental impacts of IT : energy and resource use, proliferation of devices and data centres etc. , supply chain optimisation, tech and the circular economy, how problems can be addressed/managed etc.
9. Security:Emerging threats (e.g. with AI), Security Policy and Strategy : Developing a security policy/strategy for a particular organisation. Examining the security implications of emerging technologies and how these can be (are being) addressed by governments and organisations e.g. security implications of developments in AI.
10. IT Governance– examination of governance frameworks e.g. ITIL, CMMI, COBIT etc. and how they can be applied in different types of organisations. How new trends in computing (e.g. cloud, AI) require or impact on IT governance practices.
11. Various gaming- related topicsg. gaming industry trends, serious games, VR/AR, education, ethical issues e.g. past essays include use of horror in games, addiction etc.
12. If you have your own topic that you would like to explore further, please let me know.

 2. Task Breakdown and Interim deadlines

1. Getting Started: Having a Clear Question or Purpose

 (submit by 9.00am Monday 30^th September for feedback that week)

• Look at some of the trends covered in class and in magazines/sites including research reviews (e.g.  MIT technology review, Sloan Management Review, The Conversation) the technology press (e.g.  Silicon republic, Computing, Information Week) or professional development sites (e.g.  InfoQ, SANs). See can you find any research papers on these topics.
• Choose a topic of interestand write a brief paragraph on the areas you wish to research and why. The key here is to try and think of a specific question/purpose or set of questions, and a reason why you think this would be a good or important question to ask. This must be submitted for feedback by the above date. The more interested you are the better chance of success. Please also submit 2/3 links to articles you’ve looked at, and any other research papers you might have found.

2. Basic Research and Information Gathering. (submit by 28^thOctober)

• Research, gather and read the information you need for your essay.
• List and assess your sources– what type of source, how reliable is it? What are the main points that you are taking from this source? It has become increasingly important to ensure that your sources are reliable.
• Create a draft set of slides on your topic outlining it and summarising your ideas so far.  This should be submitted with an evaluation of your references/sources via Moodle (by the above date), and feedback/advice will be provided. This will act as an outline for the essay you will ultimately submit – 1 slide per paragraph.

3. Draft Report

Use the above resources to write a draft report. Reference where appropriate using an appropriate referencing technique (e.g. Harvard – see the journal databases for examples). If you wish to email the draft report to me for comments before you finally submit, let me know in advance.

4. Write and Submit the final report/essay (submit by 16^thDecember)

• The report should be 2500- 3500 words, excluding diagrams and references.
• It should have an introductory section stating what the aim of the report/essay is and laying out the key question(s) you hope to address. It should also mention the areas the report/essay will cover.
• It will have a number of internal sections, depending on this and a concluding section, summarising your findings.
• A list of references should follow in an appropriate academic format.

5. Create, present  and submit slides (submit slides by 23^rd December)

You will present your topic in the last 2/3 weeks of this term.

3. Referencing, Citation and Plagiarism : Note Well

It is essential that all material used is referenced with citations throughout the text using an appropriate referencing system e.g. Harvard. Failure to do this is called plagiarism and comes with consequences. Just to be clear:

• If any material is paraphrased citations/references are required.
• If a diagram or any text has been directly copied it should be attributed to its source, including page number where appropriate.
• Quotes should be enclosed in quote marks, and there should be a page number in the citation.
• Statistics should also include page numbers in the citations.
• Artificially generated text should not be submitted as your own.Be aware that if you use AI tools (such as ChatGPT or others) to generate an assignment (or part of an assignment) and submit this as if it were your own work, this will be regarded as academic misconduct and treated as such. If you are using tools such as Grammarly, or have made any use at all of generative AI products to improve your writing, or help you write your essay in any other way this should be stated clearly.  Note that your research process is being evaluated as well as the research product. It is important to understand what you are doing and why.
• Essays will be submitted via the plagiarism checker Turnitin, and may be checked other AI detection sites.
• Referencing Guide ATU library: Referencing – Referencing – LibGuides at ATU Library
• Guide for Avoiding Plagiarism: How to Avoid Plagiarism | Harvard Guide to Using Sources
• See also these guidelines on how to use sources:The Nuts & Bolts of Integrating | Harvard Guide to Using Sources
• Academic writing guide: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/introducing-work/