Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 4
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
This course is designed to enable students to undertake supervised independent research in an area of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander studies. The course should interest anyone who is likely to work professionally with Indigenous people. The potential audience thus encompasses students in areas of the Arts, Humanities and Social and Behavioural Sciences such as archaeology, anthropology, criminology, history and sociology, but also includes those in fields as diverse as gender studies, law, music, education, architecture, geography, earth and environmental sciences, civil and environmental engineering, medicine and allied health sciences, mining engineering, planning and resource management. Students should expect to gain a deeper knowledge of the topic and to acquire research skills in independent study and thinking. Entry to this course requires the approval of the Course Coordinator as well as the agreement of a Unit staff member (if not the Course Coordinator) to supervise and assess the work submitted.
This course is designed to enable students to undertake supervised independent research in an area of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Studies. The course should interest anyone who is likely to work professionally with and for Indigenous people. The course is relevant to students in areas of the Arts, Humanities and Social and Behavioural Sciences such as archaeology, anthropology, criminology, history and sociology, but also includes those in fields as diverse as gender studies, law, music, education, architecture, geography, earth and environmental sciences, civil and environmental engineering, medicine and allied health sciences, mining engineering, planning and resource management. Students should expect to gain a deeper knowledge of the topic and to acquire research skills in independent study and thinking.
This course can be credited towards a major in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Some background in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies or a cognate discipline (e.g. social sciences or humanities with relevant content) is desirable.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ABST3080, ABTS2080
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
Additional timetable information
This course has no regular, formal classes. Students are expected to spend the equivalent of 10 hours per week reading in the library or otherwise conducting individual and in-depth research on their topic. Students are expected to meet with their course coordinator at least once each fortnight over the course of the semester to report on progress and to discuss any issues or problems that arise during research.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide you with a deeper knowledge of an area of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Studies and to develop research skills in independent study and critical thinking.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Develop deeper knowledge of an area of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Studies, situated in broad interdisciplinary and international scholarship.
LO2.
Enhance your capacity to define a research problem, develop an appropriate methodology and apply that methodology to the investigation of that problem.
LO3.
Demonstrate a sound grasp on the ethical considerations of undertaking the selected research project.
LO4.
Refine your skills in the self-directed acquisition and critical analysis of information relevant to a defined problem.
LO5.
Refine your skills in the self-directed acquisition and critical analysis of information relevant to a defined problem.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Research Proposal | 20% | |
| Presentation | Presentation | 35% | |
| Project | Project Report | 45% |
Assessment details
Research Proposal
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
Task description
The first piece of assessment for this course is a research project proposal that outlines the main topic you will explore in your project this semester. The focus will be on a topic related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. You will devise your own topic in consultation with the course coordinator. This proposal will identify the main issue/s you will explore during the semester and define the parameters of the project.
The research proposal should include the following:
- A concise description of the research project including aims, purpose and approach
- Research questions to be examined
- Relevant texts and resources to support your topic
- Short critical reflection on your positioning in relation to the topic
- Consideration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
- Bibliography
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit online via Turnitin on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 21 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Presentation
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 35%
Task description
Prepare a 15 minute presentation on your research project to present to the course coordinator. This is to be presented as a 'work in progress' to demonstrate the progress you have made on the topic you are exploring. Consider the following questions in your presentation:
- what is your research topic aims?
- what relevant literature you are drawing on? Where are the gaps in literature
- what are the ethical considerations for the research?
- what questions do you still have?
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit PowerPoint slides online via Turnitin on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 21 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Project Report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 45%
Task description
The final piece of assessment for this course is a final write up of the understandings you have gained and gathered from your independent research project. This piece of assessment comprises 45% of your overall mark for this course and should be approximately 5000 words. You will be guidance throughout the semester on how to complete this task.
Your Project Report should include the following:
- A detailed description of your project including aims, purpose and approach
- Analysis of relevant texts and resources to support project
- Consideration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
- Critical reflection on your personal positioning in relation to your topic
- Consideration of feedback from research proposal
- Bibliography
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit online via Turnitin on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 21 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | <p>0</p> - |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Absenceﾠof evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.</p> |
| 2 (Fail) | <p>0</p> - |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Minimalﾠevidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.</p> |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: <p>Demonstrated evidence ofﾠdevelopingﾠachievement of course learning outcomes.</p> |
| 4 (Pass) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Satisfactory standards of presentation, expression, exposition, coverage and comprehension of literature, could do with some improvement in some or all of these areas.</p> |
| 5 (Credit) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Above average presentation and expression, sound coverage and comprehension of literature, an attempt to put across an argument and shows some independent thought.</p> |
| 6 (Distinction) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Excellent. Very well written and presented, broad coverage and outstanding comprehension of literature, cogent argument with convincing support balanced by acknowledgement of problems and alternatives, significant independent thought and some originality.</p> |
| 7 (High Distinction) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Exceptional. Clearly exhibits a capacity to produce original work showing initiative and ingenuity and of a very high quality.</p> |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Other learning resources or information required relevant to your topic will be provided by your course coordinator.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks |
Not Timetabled |
Independent Study Students are expected to spend the equivalent of 10 hours per week reading in the library or otherwise conducting individual and in-depth research on their topic. In special cases, limited practical work may be permitted along with the library research. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.