Individual Assessment Cover page

Instructions

Assignment Title: Practical Application and Research on Contemporary Systems Analysis and Design Issues

Assessment Overview:

This assessment relates to the unit learning outcomes as in the Unit of Study Guide. This assessment is designed to give students skills to explore the latest system analysis and design trends, challenges, and future directions.

In this individual research paper, you will explore a contemporary issue in systems analysis and design, integrating academic research with practical application. The assignment is designed to deepen your understanding of the selected issue and its real-world impact on business information systems. You will critically analyse the issue, apply relevant methodologies to a real-world or hypothetical scenario, and propose solutions to address the challenges it presents.

1. Issue Selection:

• What You’ll Do: Choose a contemporary issue from the list provided by the unit coordinator. Some examples of issues you might consider include:

  • Agile vs. Waterfall Methodologies: The challenges and benefits of agile methodologies compared to traditional waterfall approaches in system development.

  • Data Privacy and Security: How emerging privacy regulations, such as GDPR, impact system design and the challenges of ensuring compliance while maintaining system efficiency.

  • Integration of AI in System Design: The opportunities and challenges of incorporating artificial intelligence into business information systems, including issues related to data quality, bias, and explainability.

  • Cloud-Based Systems vs. On-Premises Systems: The considerations and trade-offs involved in choosing cloud-based solutions over traditional on-premises systems, including security, cost, and scalability.

  • User-Centred Design: The importance of user experience (UX) in systems analysis and design, and the challenges of balancing user needs with technical requirements.

2. Research and Practical Application:

• What You’ll Do: Start by conducting a literature review on your chosen issue. Look for academic articles, industry reports, and case studies that discuss the issue in depth. Then, apply the insights from your research to a practical scenario. For example:

  • Agile vs. Waterfall Methodologies: After reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches, you could apply them to a project management scenario in a software development company. You might create a prototype or design document showing how an agile approach could be adapted to a traditionally waterfall project, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges.

  • Data Privacy and Security: If your issue is data privacy, you could apply your research to a company that needs to redesign its information systems to comply with GDPR. This could involve proposing specific changes to data storage and processing practices and demonstrating how these changes would be implemented.

3. Impact and Solution Analysis:

• What You’ll Do: Analyse how the selected issue impacts the design and implementation of business information systems in your scenario. Discuss how the issue affects system functionality, data management, and the communication of requirements to stakeholders. Then, propose practical solutions or methodologies that could address these challenges. For example:

  • Agile vs. Waterfall Methodologies: Your analysis might reveal that while agile offers greater flexibility, it may be less effective in highly regulated industries where detailed documentation is required. You could propose a hybrid approach that incorporates the flexibility of agile with the structure of waterfall.

  • Integration of AI in System Design: You might identify that the use of AI introduces new challenges in data quality and bias. To address this, you could propose a framework for regular audits of AI systems to ensure they are fair and transparent.

4. Documentation and Communication:

• What You’ll Do: Compile your findings, analysis, and proposed solutions into a well-organized research paper. Your paper should clearly articulate both the theoretical research and the practical application. Ensure your writing is accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences, using clear explanations and supporting your arguments with evidence from your research and application.
  

The report submission structure is as follows:

1. Cover Page

2. Executive Summary

• Overview: Briefly summarize the issue, your research approach, key findings, and proposed solutions.

• Key Takeaways: Highlight the most critical points of your analysis and conclusions.

3. Table of Contents

• List all the sections and sub-sections with corresponding page numbers.

4. Introduction

• Background: Provide an overview of the selected issue and its relevance in the context of systems analysis and design.

• Purpose: State the purpose of the report and what you intend to achieve through your analysis.

• Scope: Outline the scope of your research, including the specific business information system you are focusing on.

• Structure: Briefly describe the structure of the report to guide the reader.

5. Literature Review

• Theoretical Background: Discuss the key concepts, theories, and methodologies relevant to the selected issue.

• Current Research: Summarize the findings of recent studies and reports related to your issue, identifying any gaps or areas of debate.

• Relevance to Business Information Systems: Connect the literature to the business information system you are analysing, explaining how the issue impacts this system.

6. Analysis of the Issue

• Description of the Issue: Provide a detailed explanation of the issue, including any challenges and implications for system design and implementation.

• Impact on Business Information System: Analyse how the issue affects the specific business information system you are focusing on. Use examples or case studies to illustrate your points.

• Comparison of Methodologies/Approaches: Compare different methodologies or approaches that could be used to address the issue within the context of the selected system.

7. Practical Application

• Scenario Description: Describe the real-world or hypothetical business scenario where the issue is being addressed.

• Application of Methodologies: Explain how you applied the selected methodologies or techniques to address the issue in this scenario.

• Outcome: Discuss the results of your application, including any improvements or challenges encountered.

8. Proposed Solutions

• Solution Description: Present the solutions or strategies you propose to address the issue within the selected business information system.

• Justification: Justify your proposed solutions based on your research and practical application, including any advantages or potential limitations.

• Implementation Plan: Outline a high-level plan for implementing the proposed solutions, including key steps, resources required, and potential risks.

9. Conclusion

• Summary of Findings: Recap the key findings from your research and analysis.

• Implications: Discuss the broader implications of your findings for the field of systems analysis and design.

• Future Research: Suggest areas for future research that could build on your work.

10. Recommendations

• Actionable Steps: Provide specific recommendations for organizations or practitioners dealing with the selected issue in the context of the business information system.

• Best Practices: Highlight best practices that could be adopted based on your findings.

11. References
    

Student Assessment Citation and Referencing Rules

Adapted Harvard Referencing Rules

Holmes has implemented a revised Harvard approach to referencing. The following rules apply:

1. Reference sources in assignments are limited to sources that provide full-text access to thesource’s content for lecturers and markers.

2. The reference list must be located on a separate page at the end of the essay and titled: “References”.

3. The reference list must include the details of all the in-text citations, arranged A-Z alphabetically by author surname with each reference numbered (1 to 10, etc.) and each reference MUST

include a hyperlink to the full text of the cited reference source. For example:

4. All assignments must include in-text citations to the listed references. These must include the surname of the author/s or name of the authoring body, year of publication, page number of the content, and paragraph where the content can be found. For example, “The company decided to implement an enterprise-wide data warehouse business intelligence strategies (Hawking et al., 2004, p3(4)).”

Non-Adherence to Referencing Rules

Where students do not follow the above rules:

1. For students who submit assignments that do not comply with the rules, a 10% penalty will be applied.

2. As per the Student Handbook, late penalties will apply each day after the student/s has been notified of the due date.

3. Students who comply with rules and the citations are “fake” may be reported for academic misconduct.