21890 Industry Research Project
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · Spring 202621890 Overview
- University of Technology Sydney
- Spring 2026
- Management
- Postgraduate capstone research project
- Pre-recorded lectures and weekly tutorials
- Assessed by three individual tasks
What the subject is about
Industry Research Project at the University of Technology Sydney is a capstone subject in which Masters students in the Business School bring together the study from their degree in one individual research project.
- Assessed by A research proposal (25%), a viva with a question-and-answer period (35%) and an analytical report (40%).
- Key step Narrowing a broad program topic into one or two questions that published secondary data can actually answer.
- Do first Pick a topic area, skim the literature and email your tutor a short statement of your intended research before Week 3.
What you get in the full 21890 Study & Assessment Guide
- 12 chapters, 59 pages — every assessed topic, week by week
- 37 original practice questions, each with a model answer
- 12 worked examples, solved the way 21890 marks
- 19 computed figures, redrawn from the course’s own numbers
- Before-you-submit checklist for the Assessment task 3 (40%) — what markers reward, what costs marks
Free on this page: assessment table, chapter map, one worked example, key terms, FAQ. The rest is in the full study & assessment guide.
How 21890 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment task 1: Research Proposal (Individual) | 25% | Written proposal of 1,500 words excluding the reference list, in four sections: research objective, research in context, research questions and secondary data. Due 11:59pm, 31 August. |
| Assessment task 2: Viva (Individual) | 35% | Five-minute presentation followed by a five-minute Q&A led by staff; slides and a reflection due 11:59pm, 2 October; vivas held in the weeks set by the schedule released in Week 8. |
| Assessment task 3: Analytical Report (Individual) | 40% | Analytical report of 2,500 words excluding references, with critical analysis of secondary data and three evidence-based recommendations. Due 11:59pm, 2 November. |
Weights and due dates come from each task’s Canvas assignment page and agree with the assessment overview, which names the Subject Outline as the definitive source where details differ. The pages disagree on some details: the viva brief places presentations in weeks 9 and 10 while the overview and schedule say weeks 10 and 11; the reflections are given as 300 words on the overview and 500 words on the reflection pages; the report guidelines describe a 2,000-word report while the brief says 2,500 words; and the overview prints 25 May for the report, where the assignment page and schedule give 2 November. The subject also enforces a compulsory attendance requirement: anyone absent from more than three tutorials without the Subject Coordinator’s approved consent does not meet it.
Assessment structure
What other students are asking about 21890
- Where can I find lecture notes or study guides for 21890 at UTS?
- The 21890 study guide in AskSia Library covers Industry Research Project in 12 chapters, with the assessment table, a chapter-by-chapter topic map, key terms and a worked example, free to read on this page.
- Is there a final exam in 21890?
- No final exam is listed in the offering this AskSia Library guide is built from; 21890 is assessed by Assessment task 1: Research Proposal (Individual) 25%, Assessment task 2: Viva (Individual) 35%, Assessment task 3: Analytical Report (Individual) 40%.
- What does 21890 cover on choosing and narrowing an industry issue?
- In AskSia Library's 21890 guide, the Choosing and Narrowing an Industry Issue chapter explains program topic areas, the tutorial steps for selecting a topic, scope decisions, purpose statements and building on prior studies (Weeks 1 and 2).
- What does 21890 cover on writing researchable research questions?
- In AskSia Library's 21890 guide, the Writing Researchable Research Questions chapter explains the research question as a bridge, descriptive, explanatory, exploratory and interpretive forms, checklists, faults and the issue, symptom, question principle (Week 3).
- What does 21890 cover on literature review and source evaluation?
- In AskSia Library's 21890 guide, the Literature Review and Source Evaluation chapter explains framing a literature review, the 5Ws, SMART check and CRAAP test, reading a paper efficiently, industry databases and the reading matrix (Weeks 2 and 3).
Current 21890 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 31 August, 11:59pm | Assessment task 1: Research Proposal due | Listed in the Week 6 row of the schedule; one Word document of 1,500 words. |
| 2 October, 11:59pm | Assessment task 2: slides and reflection due | Vivas follow in the slots booked from the schedule released in Week 8. |
| 2 November, 11:59pm | Assessment task 3: Analytical Report due | Submit the reflection with it; it falls in the final weeks of the semester, after the second StuVac. |
Dates are as published in the Canvas assignment pages, the assessment overview and the teaching schedule for the Spring 2026 offering. Confirm exact deadlines and submission settings in the live LMS.
What 21890 covers
21890 runs over the Spring 2026 semester. Weeks 1 and 2 cover research and topic choice, Week 3 research questions and the literature review, Week 4 theory, Week 5 secondary data and case research, and Week 6 research ethics, followed by presentations in Week 7 and UTS Careers in Week 8. The mark comes from three individual tasks weighted 25%, 35% and 40%.
Research Foundations for an Industry Project
what counts as research, descriptive, explanatory and evaluative research, ways of knowing, research design and the capstone (Weeks 1 and 2)What research is
The Week 1 lecture defines research as posing a question and working through a disciplined process to answer it.
- What counts as research
- Descriptive, explanatory and evaluative research
- Five ways of knowing
- Ontology and epistemology
- Research design choices
- Skills the capstone builds
Choosing and Narrowing an Industry Issue
program topic areas, the tutorial steps for selecting a topic, scope decisions, purpose statements and building on prior studies (Weeks 1 and 2)Where topics start
Topic areas come from the heads of the Events, Not-For-Profits, HRM, Management, Sports and Supply Chain programs, and they are deliberately broad.
- Program topic areas
- Tutorial steps for selecting a topic
- Narrowing from topic to question
- Scope and constraint decisions
- Purpose statements
- Building on earlier studies
Writing Researchable Research Questions
the research question as a bridge, descriptive, explanatory, exploratory and interpretive forms, checklists, faults and the issue, symptom, question principle (Week 3)What a question must do
The Week 3 lecture calls the research question the central issue a project sets out to resolve, and the Week 1 lecture describes it as a bridge from problem to research design.
- The research question as a bridge
- Descriptive, explanatory, exploratory and interpretive forms
- Questions to avoid
- Common faults in drafts
- Two checklists compared
- Issue, symptom and question
Literature Review and Source Evaluation
framing a literature review, the 5Ws, SMART check and CRAAP test, reading a paper efficiently, industry databases and the reading matrix (Weeks 2 and 3)What the review is for
A preliminary literature review shows what is known and where more knowledge is needed, which is the basis of your research question.
- Purpose of the literature review
- Four steps to frame a review
- The 5Ws, SMART check and CRAAP test
- Critical review questions
- Reading a paper efficiently
- Industry databases and the reading matrix
Theory and Theoretical Frameworks
what theory is, deductive and inductive approaches, building a theoretical framework, constructs and variables, choosing and applying a theory (Week 4)Why theory matters
The Week 4 lecture argues that every management decision rests on some theory, and describes theory as organised, evidence-based knowledge that explains or predicts.
- What theory is
- Deductive and inductive approaches
- Five steps to a theoretical framework
- Concepts, constructs and variables
- What is not a theory
- Linking theory to practice
Secondary Data: Sources, Validity and Coverage
primary and secondary data, merits and challenges, valid measurement and sufficient coverage, handling other people's data and finding sources (Week 5)Why secondary data
Students do not have ethics clearance for primary research, so projects reuse data that others gathered for a different purpose.
- Primary and secondary data
- Why the project uses secondary data
- Merits and challenges
- Valid measurement
- Sufficient coverage
- Finding data through the library
Case Research and Secondary Data Analysis
case research, how many cases, re-analysis, supplementary, supra and amplified analysis, applicability checks, quantitative and qualitative analysis (Week 5)Case research
A case study investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and in its real-life context, drawing on many sources of evidence.
- Case research defined
- How many cases to study
- Re-analysis and supplementary analysis
- Supra and amplified analysis
- Applicability checks
- Quantitative and qualitative analysis
Research Ethics, GenAI and Academic Integrity
principles of research ethics applied to secondary data, permitted and prohibited AI use, acknowledgement and academic integrity (Weeks 5 and 6)Ethics with existing data
Research ethics is the Week 6 topic. The Week 5 tutorial lists six principles: benefit to society, qualified researchers, free participation, informed consent, no harm and honest reporting.
- Six principles of research ethics
- Ethics of secondary data
- Permitted uses of generative AI
- Acknowledging AI use
- Vivas as verification
- Reuse, sharing and plagiarism
Writing the Research Proposal
the proposal task, its four sections, the rubric criteria and bands, formatting and submission (Assessment 1)The task
Assessment task 1 is an individual proposal worth 25%, 1,500 words excluding references, due at 11:59pm on 31 August as one Word document.
Four sections
Explain how you arrived at your research objective, set the research in context with your literature and search strings, state and justify one or two research questions, and name the specific secondary data sources for each question.
How it is marked
The rubric gives 15 points to the research question and objectives, 20 to writing and presentation, 20 to research and APA references, and 45 to analysis of the industry issue, which includes Indigenous perspectives.
- Proposal task and length
- Section 1: arriving at the objective
- Section 2: research in context
- Section 3: research questions
- Section 4: specific secondary data
- Rubric criteria and bands
Defending Your Research in the Viva
the viva format, graded criteria, defending choices under questioning and the required reflection (Assessment 2)The format
Assessment task 2 is an individual viva worth 35%: up to five minutes presenting an update on your research, then a five-minute question-and-answer period led by staff.
- Viva format and timing
- Graded criteria and bands
- Defending choices under questioning
- Time management
- The required reflection
- Peer review before the viva
The Analytical Report and Its Recommendations
report length and structure, critical analysis by theme, deriving evidence-based recommendations, rubric and reflection (Assessment 3)The task
Assessment task 3 is an individual analytical report worth 40%, due at 11:59pm on 2 November.
- Report task and due date
- Report length and section budget
- Recommended structure
- Critical analysis by theme
- Three evidence-based recommendations
- Rubric and required reflection
Careers, Reflection and Professional Conduct
the careers modules, interview questions and the STAR method, SMART learning goals, reflective practice, feedback and workplace conduct (Week 8)The careers modules
Week 8 brings a UTS Careers lecture, and seven careers modules on Canvas cover work-integrated learning, career design, job search, applications, interviews, learning goals and reflection, and workplace conduct.
Interviews and goals
Behavioural interview questions ask for real stories, best structured with the STAR method of situation, task, actions and results.
- The seven careers modules
- Work-integrated learning
- Introductory and behavioural questions
- The STAR method
- SMART learning goals
- Reflection, feedback and conduct
You choose an industry issue, starting from broad topic areas nominated by the heads of the Events, Not-For-Profits, HRM, Management, Sports and Supply Chain programs, narrow it into one or two research questions, answer them using secondary data, and finish by proposing evidence-based solutions.
Primary research such as surveys, focus groups or interviews is not permitted, because students hold no university ethics clearance for it.
How the weeks build
Pre-recorded lectures and weekly tutorials walk through the research process. The first two weeks cover what research is, its descriptive, explanatory and evaluative types, and how to choose and narrow a topic.
Week 3 turns to research questions and the literature review, Week 4 to theory and theoretical frameworks, and Week 5 to secondary data and case research. Research ethics follows in Week 6, crafting an effective presentation in Week 7 and a UTS Careers lecture in Week 8, supported by seven careers modules on Canvas.
After the mid-semester break come a peer review session for the viva and a session on the expectations for the final report.
How you are assessed
Three individual tasks build one project: a Research Proposal of 1,500 words worth 25%, a Viva worth 35% made up of a five-minute presentation and a five-minute question-and-answer period, and an Analytical Report of 2,500 words worth 40%.
An unmarked reflection must be submitted with the viva and another with the report, and the subject enforces a compulsory tutorial attendance requirement.
How this guide is organised
Eight chapters follow the research process in teaching order, three take each assessment task through its brief and rubric, and a final chapter covers the careers modules.
Every chapter works an example built for this guide, never a past student project, and ends with practice items and answers.
Worked example · free
Check whether a data set covers a sport participation question
- 1Count the period the question needs: 2019 to 2025 inclusive is 7 years.
- 1Find the overlap with the data: the data stop in 2023, so the shared years are 2019 to 2023, which is 5 years, and 5 divided by 7 is about 71% of the period.
- 1Check the population: the data describe one state, while the question asks about Australia, so coverage also fails on people.
- 1Decide: either narrow the question to New South Wales from 2019 to 2023, or add sources that cover the missing years and states before relying on it.
Key terms
- Research Question
- The central issue a research project sets out to resolve, phrased as an answerable question rather than a statement.
- Industry Issue
- A current problem facing an industry or organisation that a project investigates and proposes solutions for.
- Purpose Statement
- A one-sentence statement of what a project is meant to achieve or explain.
- Secondary Data
- Data that already exists, collected for another purpose, which a researcher reuses to answer a new question.
- Primary Data
- New data collected specifically for the current project, such as a survey the researcher designs and runs.
- Secondary Analysis
- Further analysis of existing data by a researcher who was not its original user.
- Literature Review
- A critical synthesis of existing research that shows what is known about an issue and where more knowledge is needed.
- Theoretical Framework
- A structure of concepts, assumptions and propositions taken from theory and used as a lens on a phenomenon.
- Deductive Approach
- A research approach that starts from theory and tests it against data collected in the situation studied.
- Inductive Approach
- A research approach that starts from observations of a phenomenon and builds a theory from the patterns found.
- Case Study
- An in-depth inquiry into a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, drawing on multiple sources of evidence.
- CRAAP Test
- A source-evaluation checklist covering currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose.
- Viva
- An oral assessment in which a student presents their research and defends it under questioning.
21890 FAQ
How is Industry Research Project at UTS assessed?
Three individual tasks make up the mark: a 1,500-word Research Proposal worth 25%, a Viva worth 35% with a five-minute presentation and a five-minute question-and-answer period, and a 2,500-word Analytical Report worth 40%. Each later task builds on the earlier ones, and an unmarked reflection must be submitted with the viva and with the report.
How do I choose a research topic for the industry project?
Start from the broad topic areas nominated by the heads of the Masters programs, grouped into Events, Not-For-Profits, HRM, Management, Sports and Supply Chain. Pick an aspect that interests you, read around it, and narrow it to something secondary data can answer. A topic outside the list is possible after you discuss it with your tutor and receive approval.
Can I run my own survey or interviews for the project?
No primary research is permitted, so surveys, focus groups and interviews are out. The reason given is that students hold no university ethics clearance for primary research, and primary data also takes a long time to collect. Instead you analyse secondary data, such as industry databases, company reports and government statistics, which was collected for another purpose.
How many research questions should the proposal include?
The Week 3 lecture recommends two at most, and many projects need only one. Each should address the research problem, be clear, researchable, nontrivial and phrased as a question. The proposal brief adds seven characteristics, including manageable, specific and answerable, and asks you to explain how your questions meet them.
What happens in the viva for the industry research project?
You present an update on your research for up to five minutes, then answer questions from a staff member for five minutes. The brief grades your defence of the industry, issue and recommendations at 40%, the research behind them at 20% and the quality of delivery at 40%. Slides and a reflection are submitted beforehand, and sessions are recorded.
What should the analytical report contain?
The recommended structure runs from an executive summary and introduction through method, critical analysis of secondary data and discussion, conclusions and recommendations, to references and appendices. The rubric gives 50 points to analysis, 30 to three evidence-based recommendations and 20 to research and professional presentation, and the guidelines ask for 30 to 40 references.
Am I allowed to use generative AI in the assessments?
You may use AI tools for background research and self-study, and the briefs recommend Copilot through the UTS Library. You may not use AI to generate content and present it as your own work, which counts as misconduct. Acknowledge any use in the format the brief gives, and expect that a viva may be used to check your understanding.
Questions students ask in each 21890 chapter
- What is the difference between research and collecting data?
- Research asks a question and answers it through a structured, systematic process. Collecting figures without a question is not research, because nothing decides which data matter or what would count as an answer. The lecture adds that research must keep a link to practice. Chapter 01 · Research Foundations for an Industry Project
- Can I research a topic that is not on the program heads' list?
- Yes, provided you discuss it with your tutor and receive approval before you start. The listed areas are deliberately broad, so many students find an angle inside them, but a topic linked to your own work or interests is acceptable once approved. Chapter 02 · Choosing and Narrowing an Industry Issue
- What makes a research question researchable?
- It must be answerable by research that is feasible given practical and ethical limits, and scoped so it is neither too broad nor too narrow. In this subject that also means answerable from secondary data you can name, since primary data collection is not permitted. Chapter 03 · Writing Researchable Research Questions
- Which source evaluation framework should I use?
- All three taught in Week 2 cover similar ground. The lecture notes that the SMART check suits newspaper sources, while the CRAAP test is a quick screen for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose. Using one consistently, and saying so in your method, matters more than which you choose. Chapter 04 · Literature Review and Source Evaluation
- Does my project need a theoretical framework?
- The Week 4 page says applied and academic research both need to consider theory, and the lecture closes by asking whether your project will use a framework as a lens or not. Most strong projects name a theory and show which relationships it explains in their case. Chapter 05 · Theory and Theoretical Frameworks
- What counts as secondary data for this project?
- Existing data gathered by others for a different purpose, such as government statistics, industry database reports, company annual reports, minutes of meetings or published survey results. Your literature review discusses research; secondary data is the material you analyse to produce findings. Chapter 06 · Secondary Data: Sources, Validity and Coverage
- How many cases should my project include?
- The Week 5 lecture's guidance starts from your resources: each case you leave out frees time for more depth in the rest. More cases help comparison but thin the evidence per case, so choose the number your time and the available secondary data can support. Chapter 07 · Case Research and Secondary Data Analysis
- Do I need ethics approval for a secondary data project?
- The research process slide notes that ethics is discussed in Week 6 but is not a formal course requirement. Primary research is ruled out because students lack ethics clearance, and the principles of no harm, anonymity and honest reporting still apply to how you use existing data. Chapter 08 · Research Ethics, GenAI and Academic Integrity
- What are the four sections of the research proposal?
- Arriving at your research objective, your research in context, your research questions, and secondary data. Each section has its own questions in the brief, from how you narrowed the topic to the specific sources you will use for each question, so follow that order and answer each prompt. Chapter 09 · Writing the Research Proposal
- How long is the viva presentation?
- The presentation runs for a maximum of five minutes and is followed by a five-minute question-and-answer period led by a member of staff. The delivery criterion mentions time management in its lower bands, so rehearse to stay inside five minutes. Chapter 10 · Defending Your Research in the Viva
- How long should the analytical report be?
- The brief and the assessment overview give 2,500 words excluding references, while the separate guidelines describe a 2,000-word report whose section guides total exactly 2,000. Treat the guides as proportions within the brief's limit and confirm the limit on Canvas. Chapter 11 · The Analytical Report and Its Recommendations
- How can the research project help in job interviews?
- It gives you a recent, specific example for behavioural questions, such as applying newly acquired knowledge or solving a difficult problem. Structured with the STAR method, it shows the situation, your task, the actions you personally took and the results you delivered. Chapter 12 · Careers, Reflection and Professional Conduct
How to prepare for the assessments
Treat the semester as one project and keep a running file from Week 1: the topic you chose and why, the search strings you tried, a reading matrix row for every source, and your draft questions with the feedback you received. That file becomes Sections 1 and 2 of the proposal and the raw material for both reflections.
Each week, apply the new lecture idea to your own project straight away: write a purpose statement after Week 2, test your questions against both checklists after Week 3, choose and justify a theory after Week 4, and run a validity and coverage check on every data source after Week 5. Before the viva, list every claim on your slides and prepare the evidence and the limit behind each one, then rehearse to five minutes.
For the report, plan around the guideline proportions, with analysis by theme taking the largest share, and trace each of your three recommendations to a finding. When a step will not come together, ask Sia to test your question, framework or recommendation against the rubric wording one criterion at a time.
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