Comprehensive Study Guide: Assignment 2 Research Report and Industry Showcase

Acknowledgment of Traditional Ownership

The campuses of the university, specifically the Melbourne East and Adelaide East locations, are situated on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. Respect is paid to their elders past, present, and emerging. This acknowledgment extends to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, partners, and visitors associated with the institution.

Feedback and Academic Standards for Portfolio Development

The previous assessment required students to develop and present an article in the specific style of "The Conversation" online publication. High-quality submissions successfully adopted this journalistic tone while constructing a clear argument regarding the for or against regulation of online dating. A common pitfall observed was students becoming distracted by psychological or behavioral tangents—such as the reasons people choose online dating—without explicitly connecting these points back to the central question of regulation. If behavioral psychology is discussed, it must serve the purpose of influencing or determining specific regulatory strategies.

Technical adherence to the provided diagrams and instructions is essential for achieving a professional format. The inclusion of "big banner pictures," related thematic imagery, and multimedia elements like podcasts or social media links significantly enhances the article's alignment with professional standards. Referencing in this format differs from traditional academic papers; it requires the embedding of links directly into the text or phrases of the article rather than using traditional in-text citations or a bibliography.

Journalistic writing requires the use of "pars," which is the industry term for short paragraphs. In a professional media context, a par often consists of only $1$ to $3$ sentences. Occasionally, a single key sentence is separated from the main body for emphasis. This structure deviates from standard academic "TEEL" paragraphs and is a requirement for imitating professional digital journalism.

Academic rigor must be maintained through the use of a minimum of $5$ academic sources, specifically peer-reviewed journal articles or university-level books. While media reports, university media releases, and news articles can be used as case studies to support a position, they do not qualify as high-quality academic sources and should not be over-relied upon in the final submission.

Assignment 2: The Capstone Research Report

Assignment $2$ is a comprehensive project worth $60\%$ of the total unit grade. It requires a written report of approximately $6,000$ words (with a allowance of $\pm 10\%$ ) and a creative element. The deadline is set for $11:59\,p.m.$ on Sunday, September 27, which marks the end of Week $11$ . This deadline is strict because the Industry Week begins on the following Monday, leaving no room for significant extensions. Teams are tasked with providing in-depth analysis and valuable insights into online dating safety to guide stakeholders such as Members of Parliament ( $MPs$ ), private sector leaders, and non-government organizations ( $NGOs$ ).

The report must maintain an academic voice and be grounded in both peer-reviewed research and "grey literature." Grey literature refers to data-driven, non-peer-reviewed materials like government reports, such as those from the Australian Bureau of Statistics ( $ABS$ ), the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ( $AIHW$ ), or the Australian Institute of Criminology ( $AIC$ ). For a balanced bibliography, peer-reviewed sources should comprise the majority of the research, with grey literature and media reports making up approximately $20-30\%$ of the total references.

Standardized Structure for the Written Report

The written report must be professionally formatted with the following distinct sections, many of which must begin on separate pages:

Title Page: A standalone page with a professional title that clearly indicates the report's content and the team's position on the issue.
Abstract or Executive Summary: A separate page of approximately $250$ words. This summary is not counted toward the word limit. It must synthesize the entire report, including context, main arguments, and specific recommendations. It should be written in the third person and should avoid vague statements; instead, it should explicitly summarize what the recommendations will be.
Table of Contents: A separate page listing major and minor sections and their corresponding page numbers. It should be concise and not exceed one page.
Introduction: Approximately $250$ words that outline the main contention, the significance of the problem, the purpose of the report, and any limitations or assumptions regarding the data.
Discussion and Body: The largest portion of the report, containing roughly $5,500$ words. This should be organized into chapters or sections with clear headings and subheadings. It must address current laws, self-policing strategies within the industry, and historical safety failures. At least one key insight from the national roundtable mentioned in unit module $1.4$ must be incorporated.
Conclusion and Recommendations: A section of about $250$ words that summarizes findings without introducing new evidence. Recommendations must be evidence-based, realistic, achievable, and logically derived from the preceding body paragraphs.
Reference List: A separate page utilizing $APA\,7$ referencing in alphabetical order. Only sources cited in the body should be included. Links must remain active and clickable to facilitate marking and to demonstrate that the sources are not generated by General Artificial Intelligence ( $Gen\,AI$ ).

The Creative Element and Miro Board Portfolio

The creative element is a visually or auditorily engaging summary of the report’s key findings, designed for a diverse audience. This element must be posted to the unit's Miro board for review by industry experts. Examples of creative elements include:

Infographics: Visualizing data and recommendations using tools like Canva or Adobe Express.
Digital Posters: Summarizing core elements and incorporating charts via templates like Crello.
Interactive Presentations: Using Google Slides or Adobe Express to include moving animations or clickable elements.
Short Videos or Animations: Summaries limited to a duration of approximately $1$ to $2$ minutes.
Podcasts: Audio scripts that can involve interviews or roleplays among team members, uploaded to SoundCloud or OneDrive and linked on the Miro board.

Clarity and impact are the primary goals of the creative element. Use bold headings, icons, and bullet points to ensure findings are accessible. The focus should be on Australian online dating safety, although international data may be used for comparison.

Industry Week and Professional Networking

Industry Week commences at $9:00\,a.m.$ on Monday, September 28 (Week $12$ ), and runs until $5:00\,p.m.$ on Friday. During this period, the Miro board is opened to industry professionals, including lawyers, policymakers, academics in criminology and psychology, and government representatives. Teams should establish a daily roster to check the board and respond to comments from peers and professionals. Engaging respectfully on the Miro board is critical for professional networking and could lead to future mentorships or collaborative opportunities.

Unit Timeline and Final Milestones

The schedule for the remainder of the unit includes several key dates:

August 31: Informal session for a progress check-in on Assignment $2$ .
September 7: Collaborative session for Assignment $3$ (Reflective Essay).
September 24: Final informal session covering Assignment $3$ .
September 27: Submission deadline for the research report and creative element ( $11:59\,p.m.$ ).
September 28: Industry Week official launch ( $9:00\,a.m.$ ).

Assignment $3$ is a short reflective essay completed after the major report. Marking for the Assignment $2$ report is extensive, taking approximately $2.5$ hours per group submission to ensure quality feedback and assessment.