ACC202 ACCOUNTING THEORY
INDIVIDUAL COURSEWORK 2023-2024
Literature Review Assignment
Details
|
Due:
|
11.59pm on 5 June 2024
|
|
Title:
|
Literature Review Assignment
|
|
Marks:
|
This assignment contributes 65% of the marks available for this module.
|
|
Word limit:
|
2,500
|
|
Requirements:
|
This is an individual assignment, assignments completed in groups will not be assessed.
|
|
File format:
|
Assignments should be submitted in one document using MSWord, size 12 pitch using Arial font, 1.5 line spacing. Full academic referencing, using the Harvard method is required. You must keep a copy of the final version of your submission and be prepared to provide it on request.
|
|
Cover sheet:
|
Attach the assignment coversheet to your coursework. The cover sheet must include module code and title, assignment title, student name and number.
|
|
Turnitin:
|
You must submit a soft copy of the coursework (MS-Word file) to Learning Mall with the Turnitin Test.
|
|
Late
submissions:
|
If you submit your coursework after the deadline, your mark will be reduced by 5% for each day that the coursework is late. If you submit your coursework more than 5 days late, your coursework will be awarded a mark of 0.
|
What is a literature review
A literature review is a critique of what has been published on a research topic (typically in journal articles, conference proceedings, and books) by academic scholars. A literature review summarises, interprets, and critically evaluates existing published research to establish the most up-to-date knowledge of a subject.
Purpose and aims
The purpose of a literature review is to understand and communicate what is known and what is not known about a topic. This is achieved by comparing, contrasting and connecting research findings identified in reviewing published research articles on a selected topic.
The purpose of this assignment is to develop a literature review testing your ability to critically evaluate published research and communicate your learning(s) in written form. This assignment will get you to:
(1) identify and formulate a research question on a topic you would like to enhance your knowledge
(2) analyse research findings found in academic journal articles to understand what is, and is not known on the topic, and
(3) organise your ideas about that topic in a meaningful way using critical analysis to synthesize your newfound knowledge into a written small-scale literature review.
Selecting a topic
In this assignment you will review published research articles related one of the topics in this module (ACC202 Accounting Theory) and write a literature review synthesising what you have learned from reading your selected articles. You are asked to determine an area of inquiry selected from any topic listed in the syllabus between topics 5 to 12.
You should use the topic (5 -12) as a starting point and then decide on a focussed subset of your selected topic (area of inquiry). For example, if you choose Normative Theories of Accounting (Lecture 7) as your broad topic, you must then focus on a particular aspect of this topic (area of inquiry). Such as:
• The effects of hyperinflation on quality of financial reports using historical cost accounting; or
• The implications of adopting the current cost method of accounting as the prescribed form. of financial reporting
Steps to complete your literature review assignment
1. Choose a topic that you are interested in studying (select from topics 5-12 in this module). It is advised to consult with respective teaching staff when choosing a topic (Please contract Professor Steven Dellaportas for topics 5 -8 and Dr. David Xudong Ji for topics 9-12).
2. Formulate an inquiry question (or research question) that specifically describes what you would like to know about your topic.
3. Find and download articles from the library database that correspond well to your inquiry (research) question.
4. Select 6 journal articles related to your chosen topic. An eligible article is one that reports the results of research studies (i.e. not just authors’ opinions) that is published in an academic journal or conference proceedings.
5. Organise your articles by sorting and classifying the findings of your articles in a meaningful way (see ‘Outline’ below for more information) .
6. Write your review.
Outline for writing your literature review:
After reading each article, you must think about how the research findings all fit together. Presenting the findings in the articles in a meaningful way can be done by sorting the results of the research into themes based on the findings (sometimes called results) of the research. The themes should be labelled which then becomes your headings for each section in the body of your review. Do not proceed to present the findings on an article - by-article basis.
The format of your literature review, should include the following:
Introduction
• Identify and define the topic, issue, or area of inquiry (research question) and state your inquiry question for this review
• Provide any background information that helps the reader to understand the topic. Establish the writer's reason (point of view) for reviewing the literature
• Outline the specific information on how many articles you reviewed and how you sorted the articles into common themes based on the findings (results)
Body
• Point out overall trends in what has been published about the topic
• Write 2 or 3 paragraphs (this number is flexible and may vary between themes) for each of the themes you identified in the analysis of your articles
Conclusion
• Include a paragraph to summarize the main findings from the articles that you reviewed.
• Include a paragraph (or 2) outlining the information that you found particularly important to your research question.
• Include a final paragraph outlining and justifying further research opportunities in the form. of research questions or propositions, derived from issues or gaps in knowledge identified from your review of the articles
Reference list
• Include a reference list using the Harvard system of referencing, containing the selected article for this assignment.
Resources
You might find the following resources helpful, to get you started on your project. There are several other similar sites you may want to search on your accord.
https://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/writing-well/litreview.html
https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/getting-started-your-literature-review
https://online.op.ac.nz/assets/Student-Hub-Learning-Support/47c7317d64/Writing-a- literature-review.pdf
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/ua/media/25/learningguide- writingliteraturereview.pdf