DataCamp 2024

Dear class. I am pleased to announce that we have been granted 6 months of unrestricted access to DataCamp for self-directed learning (not for credit). Please be aware, this access is an optional additional feature and not formally part of the MIS41020 course.

DataCamp supports self-directed learning to grow and develop your own special tech power.

The "Design Development Creativity (MIS41020)" group Academic subscription starts immediately and runs for 6 months only. This opens unlimited DataCamp Learn Basic access and DataCamp Workspace Starter access for the duration of the access period.

I encourage you to register and explore what DataCamp has on offer. DataCamp provides learning tracks supporting career roles such as Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Data Scientist. It also provides technology centred tracks for acquiring competence with tools like Python, SQL, R, Google Sheets, Excel, ChatGPT, OpenAI and much much more. (Note this access does not include DataCamp Certifications).

Research Project

GENERAL GUIDELINES

0. Scope

The scope for this year's research project, the Game Design Evaluation, is outlined in the document linked here...
https://managingdesignanddevelopment.blogspot.com/2023/09/scope-for-term-paper-2023.html

1. Goal

To write up original methodological research in the style of an academic research article.

Study a product (see Scope above) using a small selection of product-design research methods chosen by you (but not surveys or questionnaires). You will apply a small number of empirical research methods to scrutinise an object or system that you have access to can interact with people who use it. Your aim is to better understand the use of the object. A secondary aim is to form an opinion on the efficacy of the chosen methods. You will generate data and findings applicable to the object (and methods).

Apply two or more chosen research methods (in addition to literature review): You will gather primary research data, applying chosen research methods empirically to technology objects, and their contexts and use situations. These activities are supported by literature review and secondary documentary data, for example scholarly articles etc. which support the main objective - conducting field research.

Tips on how to start this project...

Attempt to gather various kinds of data that you can analyse to make substantial inferences. Contrast your findings with those of other published studies (i.e. mentioned in your literature review).

• Phrase your investigation as a question - the "Working Title".  Initially, phrase a research question as the title of the paper (you can change it later).
• Identify an exemplary paper that you aspire to emulate or to compare your own paper with. 
• Write a statement of intent: This will probably evolve into the 'abstract'. Restate and expand on the research question in the abstract (you can change it later when you have analysed your findings).
• Consider Research Access: Do you have an interest in a particular product, or contacts in a company developing a product? Do you have access to a company that you would like to better understand or experience working on a project that would benefit from being studied like this?

A rubric for your proposal - ask yourself...

1. Wording of the Title stated as a question? 

2. Is/are the research target(s) identified? 

3. Is/are the research target(s) accessible? 

4. Are research methods stated? 

5. Are the research methods suited? 

6. Did you use the template? 

2. Deliverables: Term-paper plus video presentation

Term-paper: Paper May Not Exceed Ten Pages Including References. 

A 1-page Personal Reflection to be written and included as an appendix.

Appendices are not included in the page count limit.

Video presentation: The video presentation can give a concise overview of the subject matter and impact of your term-paper in a short video format (4-minute duration).

You are expected to create your own original narration and/or spoken audio content, similarly you should utilise as much of your own visual/graphical material as possible. You can of course utilise various elements sourced elsewhere (subject to licence) as background or linking pieces, e.g. diagrams, music etc. if needed as content or for artistic balance.

Grade deduction if the presentation/video has text-to-speech narration or uses 'canned animation.'

While not being graded separately from the term-paper, no presentation video results in losing half the available mark for the research project.

3. General pointer on writing...

The term paper is written in an academic style, presenting your background reading, method, research, analysis, theorising and critiquing aspects, for example of the history, situation, processes etc of a particular sourcing context. 

 
You must use the scientific conference template for the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). Choose between either the LaTeX or Word template - copies of both are available on Google Drive, links below.

• Word template (https://drive.google.com/)
• LaTeX template (https://drive.google.com/)
• Papers should be submitted in Brightspace as a ".pdf" file.

Most important! Please ensure that any direct use of 3rd party material (particularly internal documentation) is presented within quotation marks or boxed or otherwise marked in some way and with the appropriate citation/identification.

4. Structure of a typical journal style research paper

 Please note, this is not a rigid structure. The scope of your project may require you to adapt the names of sections and sub-sections as needed.

Title
The title and abstract should both capture the essence of the study.

Abstract 

Introduction / Literature (positioning)
Give a brief introduction to the literature and positioning for the study.

Research Design / Methods / Context
Outline your research protocol, approach etc.

Data / Findings
Tell the story, provide the evidence, findings, account or narrative.

Analysis / Discussion
Analysis and discussion allow you to draw out the significance of what you have discovered. This is where you can apply/trial various analytical models or produce your own interpretation of the data, in order to better understand the evidence.

Conclusions
Conclusions summarise the findings concisely, often in a page. This is an overall synthesis distilling your analysis and its relevance to theory and the literature.

Bibliography/References
The bibliography/reference section is crucial to get right as it is the index to prior research and literature that you have referred to previously.

Appendices (if needed)
Use appendices to provide additional detail if necessary. Usually data samples, or intermediate representations, for example a sample of the data analysis process, coding frames, stages in the coding and summary or intermediate categories from data.

5. Grading

Grading will consider the following criteria:

1. The research project is clearly explained.
2. Critical positioning in literature.
3. Empirical work, data and evidence presented.
4. Overall quality of the document as a finished product.
5. Contributions are clear.

A brief explanation of letter grade descriptors is provided below.

Modular (letter) grades.

A+/A

• The report is suitable for submitting to conference, journal, or executive with little revision.
• There is a compelling logic to the report that reveals clear insight and understanding of the issues.
• Analytical techniques used are appropriate and correctly deployed.
• The analysis is convincing, complete and enables creative insight.
• The report is written in a clear, lucid, thoughtful and integrated manner-with complete grammatical accuracy and appropriate transitions.
• The report is complete and covers all important topics.
• Appropriate significance is attached to the information presented.
• Research gathered is summarised in some way, research and analytical methods described and discussed, evidence linked to argument and conclusions.

A-/B+

• The report may be suitable for submitting to conference, journal, or executive if sections are revised and improved.
• There is a clear logic to the report that reveals insight.
• Analytical techniques used are appropriate and correctly deployed.
• The analysis is convincing, complete and enables clear insight.
• The report is written in a clear, lucid, and thoughtful manner-with a high degree of grammatical accuracy.
• The report is complete and covers all important topics.
• Appropriate significance is attached to the information presented.

B/B-

• The report may be suitable as a discussion draft for further development or refinement.
• There is a clear logic to the report.
• Analytical techniques are deployed appropriately.
• The analysis is clear and the authors draw clear, but not comprehensive conclusions for their analyses.
• The report is written in a clear, lucid and thoughtful manner, with a good degree of grammatical accuracy.
• The report is substantially complete, but an important aspect of the topic is not addressed.
• The report may have used or presented some information in a way that was inappropriate. 

C

• The report may be suitable as a preliminary draft but needs substantial revision in a number of areas to develop further.
• The basic structure of the report is well organised but may need rebalancing.
• The content of the report may be partial, incomplete or unfinished with important aspects not addressed.
• The report used information that was substantially irrelevant, inappropriate or inappropriately deployed.
• The report’s analysis is incomplete and authors fail to draw relevant conclusions.
• The report may contain many errors in expression, grammar, spelling.

D/E

• The report may appear to be preliminary, speculative, and/or substantially incomplete.
• Whatever information provided is used inappropriately.
• The structure of the report may be inappropriate or need substantial reorganisation and/or rebalancing.
• There may be little analysis, evidence may not be founded, the findings may be inconclusive.
• The report appears to frequently use information that is substantially irrelevant, inappropriate or inappropriately deployed.
• The report may be poorly written, organised and presented.
• Frequent errors of grammatical expression.

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Scope for the Term Paper

Game Design Evaluation

A design evaluation of an indie boardgame released at Spiel 22, Spiel 23, Spiel 24 e.g. see the Spiel website - SPIEL ESSEN - https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/  Each student to select a recent game published within the last 3 years. No mainstream games or videogames. Cross check the game details on BoardGameGeek BBG https://boardgamegeek.com/.

The term-paper will be a practical project based on your personal-plus-friends evaluation of an indie (independent/small company) board game as the 'whole product'. You will consider overall design, its playability, potential for improvement, its digital aspects or digital potential, and product variants such as expansions, spin-offs etc. 

Audience: Create a document that tells a story that people such as the designer, investor and publisher would benefit from learning about what you learnt by using and observing others using the product. It could be a useful input for a journalist to use in preparation for writing a product review.  Content and structure may include any/all of the following...

Pitch warm-up

---------

In a sentence “It’s like…”

Single player, multiplayer, puzzle, builder, collaborative, cooperative, competitive, open-world, sandbox etc?

Family/Adult, player age, number of players, time to play. Casual vs campaigning etc. 

Background research

----------

Inspiration? 

Genre?

Related titles in this genre? 

Published influences, related and similar titles (even, if you look for it, references in the game literature!!!!) 

Design structural elements

--------

Game design elements? Gamifications?

Outcomes? Win/lose? Display/sharing?

The application of emotion principles?

The application of the uncertainty principles?

Narrative backdrop constructed by the design

Narrative potential constructed by the players

Complexity, scope? Too much, too little?  

Developer perspective

------

Paper prototype or mock-ups?

Any playtest feedback?

Comment on ease to ‘onboard’ new players? Simple version, complex version. House rules.

Identified ideal player types, market segment? Appeals to who?

Market perspective

-------

Potential to adapt or expand, levels, extent, add-ons, expansions? Is it a platform.

Market size of equivalent or similar titles?

Route to market? (publisher, self-publish, Kickstarter, Gamefound, crowdfunded)

Packaging/presentation? (box, components, online, platforms) look and feel.

Countries/languages? Cultural fit. Suggest markets. 

Product Production: Value, costs, price, effort

--------

Price-point/Pricing? Cost to design/develop?

Cost to service/operate?

IP or licensing questions?

Potential to rebrand or repurpose the ‘engine’ to another genre?