Aim:
This assignment allows you the opportunity to research an area of Global Information Systems (GIS) to identify the current trends and issues therein. You will research, critically analyze, and summarise the relevant literature pertaining to the topic, and document your findings in a report that will enable you to demonstrate your ability to communicate this information.
Task:
You will need to investigate current trends in a topic/theme in Global Information Systems. Your chosen topic should highlight some of the GIS challenges and opportunities. You will conduct a Systematic Literature Review for this purpose. You will develop a report of your findings that demonstrates your ability to interpret and critically evaluate previously published material. Your literature review should include various academic resources such as journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, etc. published after 2012 (focus more on recent literature after 2015).
The topic for the assignment can be something related to a globalisation issue, one that you are passionate about, or one that is consistent with your professional career goals.
Here are some suggested ideas/themes for projects:
Impact and opportunities of IS in the global economic context
Impact of IS in addressing the 2020 global pandemic crisis
Trends in outsourcing in the globalised world
Impact and opportunities of IS in critical infrastructure including in healthcare, transport, energy, water, and food.
Impact and opportunities of IS in achieving global sustainable development goals set by the United Nations
Critical analysis of disruptive innovation in the global arena
Social Media and security issues in the globalised world
Legal issues in Global Business in a geographical area of your choice
Governance for GIS
Any other topic of interest relating to GIS (You will have to get the approval from the Lecturer)
Report Structure:
The report structure is designed to help you work progressively towards a final submission. The report must demonstrate evidence of research from a minimum of 20 references. The report should be no more than 3000 words (excluding Table of Contents and Reference list). For the report, you are to assume that your audience is peers in the same broad field as yourself, but people that may not be experts in your specific topic. Keep this audience in mind when you consider the readability, language, technical terms, and other aspects of your writing in this assignment.
Your literature review should include the following:
The main ideas, theories and concepts related to your topic.
Areas of agreement and disagreement related to your topic.
Issues and trends related to your topic.
Note that your literature review is not just a summary of studies in your chosen topic presented one by one, paragraph by paragraph. Instead, you need to structure the body of your literature review in themes or ideas, synthesizing information from various resources.
Your report should have a clearly organized structure as below:
ABSTRACT
Complete and succinct abstract which briefly introduces the topic, identifies the research question(s), and summarizes the findings of the literature review.
Add 4 key words that would represent your research.
INTRODUCTION
Introduce the topic in general and its importance in GIS.
Identify key trends and perspectives.
Identify the specific focus of this literature review.
Give a brief outline of the structure of the report.
BODY – LITERATURE REVIEW
Include a review of relevant literature or knowledge in the field so that you are able to present the ideas and facts critically. You are required to coherently synthesize the existing literature. A mere summary of the articles will not be sufficient.
Develop themes, highlighting major concepts, influential studies, etc. in relation to your chosen topic.
Focus on areas of agreement, disagreement and issues related to your chosen topic.
Your review should demonstrate a logical flow of ideas. Use strong topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph so the reader can clearly identify the theme or aspect of the theme being discussed.
Demonstrate the use of relevant resources with correct in-text referencing where required.
FINDINGS and CONCLUSION
Summarise major contributions in the literature, in the context of the particular focus mentioned in the introduction.
Conclude by summing up and identifying the significance of the topic in relation to the literature.
REFERENCE LIST
Use APA 7 referencing style.
Report Submission
The individual report should be submitted via the TURNITIN Submission Link on CANVAS
Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct
Incidents of plagiarism and academic misconduct are treated very seriously at UTS. Please refer to the Subject Outline and Canvas site for guidance on plagiarism.