This course provides an opportunity for students to work on an applied project in finance.  Students will work on one of a range of possible topics, each of which are motivated by recent innovations in financial markets.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Write an academically rigorous research report in the finance discipline;
2. Communicate arguments, principles and findings using the language and conventions of the finance discipline;
3. Apply prior learning in finance to produce a practitioner-oriented report; and
4. Effectively work in groups and discuss results of the activities undertaken in a team.

Research-Led Teaching

Studies show that, when you explicitly link research and teaching, students become more aware of their learning, which can motivate them to learn more deeply. In this course you will become aware of faculty research and its importance; develop your ability to ask questions and answer them in a rigorous way; and engage in your own research project. Students will be provided with some of the basic tools necessary to undertake research in both university- and industry-based settings.

Field Trips

N/A

Additional Course Costs

N/A

Examination Material or equipment

There is no examination in this course.

Required Resources

No textbook is required.

Recommended Resources

Students can access to relevant resources via the ANU library web at https://anulib.anu.edu.au/.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments;
• Verbal comments;
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Research introduction
2	Research question and pitching research
3	Developing a literature review	Group formation and research brief
4	Data and methodology I
5	Data and methodology II	Literature, data, and methodology review
6	Project report overview
7	Group meetings: self-directed work on a research project
8	Group meetings: self-directed work on a research project
9	Group meetings: self-directed work on a research project
10	Group meetings: self-directed work on a research project	Submission of group presentations
11	Group meetings: self-directed work on a research project
12	Group meetings: self-directed work on a research project

Tutorial Registration

No formal tutorials

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Group formation and research brief (Individual)	15 %	11/08/2023	25/08/2023	2
Literature, data, and methodology review (Group)	20 %	25/08/2023	08/09/2023	1,2
Presenation of the group research project (Group)	10 %	09/10/2023	23/10/2023	2
Final project report (Group)	55 %	02/11/2023	30/11/2023	1,2,3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Groups are expected to be formed by the students by the end of Week 3. Each student is expected to contribute equally to the group assessments. In general, one mark will be given to students of the same group. However, failure to provide sufficient contribution will result in a penalty in the mark of the group assessments.

Examination(s)

There is no examination in this course.

Assessment Task 1

Group formation and research brief (Individual)

This assessment is designed to ensure that students have a viable research project that can be completed in the required time. Although groups collectively choose a research topic, project briefs must be written individually. Each student needs to use their own words to clearly outline the research question to be investigated and the importance of the contribution. The brief should draw on three or five main research articles and clearly outline the work plan for this semester (including proposed completion dates). Students will be graded on their ability to justify a valid research question and design an appropriate method for investigation. The brief should be completed in a maximum of 1,500 words and be submitted via the Wattle link by the end of Week 3 (11 August). There is no formal penalty if the brief exceeds the word limit, but the lecturer may choose not to read and examine the excess material (over the word limit). The assessment will be returned two weeks after the submission date.

Assessment Task 2

Literature, data, and methodology review (Group)

The purpose of this assessment is to ensure that students (i) have positioned their research question in the existing literature; (ii) are aware of the data required to complete the project; and (iii) are familiar with the estimation method(s) required in the course of the project. Students should clearly outline the research question and justify the research using relevant literature. Students should discuss the dataset(s) available for the proposed project. Also, students should design an appropriate statistical method for investigation. Students will be graded on their ability to synthesize themes in the literature and demonstrate a credible argument to justify their research project. The review should be completed in a maximum of 5 pages and be submitted via the Wattle link by the end of Week 5 (25 August). There is no formal penalty if the review exceeds the word limit, but the lecturer may choose not to read and examine the excess material (over the word limit). The assessment will be returned two weeks after the submission date.

Assessment Task 3

Presenation of the group research project (Group)

This assessment will ensure that each student is fully aware of the elements of the group research project. Each group will present their research in a maximum of 15 minutes in a video conference meeting (via Zoom). Each element of the pitch template needs to be covered in this presentation. The presentation should cover the main research question, previous research, methodology used, and main (preliminary) findings. The presentation slides need to be submitted (via ANU email). The presentations will be scheduled in Week 10. The assessment will be returned two weeks after the submission date.

Assessment Task 4

Final project report (Group)

The purpose of this assessment is to produce an original, relevant, and rigorous piece of research. While the basis of the project can be a replication attempt of an existing paper, a critique of the article’s limitations with tested extensions of the original publication is vital. Groups will submit their report with the following clearly-written chapters: introduction, literature review (this can be brief and included in the introduction chapter), methodology, sample selection and data sources, empirical results, and conclusions. The writing style should be polished and fluid and present a clear picture of the replication, extension as well as the findings/conclusions of both. Students will be graded on their ability to frame their paper with the relevant literature, identify valid limitations in the published article, design an appropriate method for the investigation, present their analysis, and discuss the results, forming relevant conclusions. The report should be completed in a maximum of 8,000 words, excluding tables and references. There is no formal penalty if the report exceeds the word limit, but the lecturer may choose not to read and examine the excess material (over the word limit). The submission method is through Turnitin. The reports must be submitted on 2 November 2023.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

Please refer to the assessment section for detailed submission method for each assessment. The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

The use of online submission for assignments via Turnitin is compulsory unless an exemption is granted.

Late Submission

No late submission is permitted in this course. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Grade and feedback on assessments will be provided via Wattle. Please refer to the assessment section for the detailed returning dates for each assessment.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

N/A

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students