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The Research Subsystem for the Specialist User

This Help page provides the specialist user with information required to establish and manage this subsystem. General use of this subsystem requires that relevant reference data and components of existing systems (configured appropriately for use in the Research Subsystem) exist, before the subsystem can be used. Knowledge of the information provided in the introduction to the Research Subsystem is assumed.

Topics covered include:

• Establishing and Maintaining Reference Data
  • General Research Reference Data
  • Tracking Types and Steps
  • Research Codes
• Configuring Research Calendars and Date Aliases
• Establishing Admission and Enrolment Processes
• Research Course Structures
  • Course Types
  • Attendance Types
• Research Units
  • Unit discontinuation
• Research Grading Schema

See also:

• Special Topics.
• Calculation of EFTD Used/Total and Submission Dates for a Candidature
• EFTSL Calculation for Research Units
• Valid Candidature Attendance Percentage Ranges

Establishing and Maintaining Reference Data

Reference data is input and maintained through the forms listed below. This data is Subsystem-wide reference information and must be available before the Subsystem can be used. These forms would be used by a specialist user, who has responsibility for maintaining the Research Subsystem.

General Research Reference Data

The data established using the following forms allows institution-defined terminology to be used. In some cases (highlighted * in the lists below), these require linking to System-defined Statuses or Types. Refer to the relevant form documentation for detailed explanation, but note that if the data is not established and related to System values correctly, System functionality is affected.

In creating some reference data, access to other reference data is required. Milestone Types must be established before Course Default Milestones are set up. Tracking Types (linked to the System Tracking Types RES_TEX and RES_TPM) should be created before the Thesis Panel Types or Thesis Panel Member Types are established, if a Tracking Type is to be defined as an attribute of a Thesis Panel or Thesis Panel Member Type.

• Maintain Scholarship Types RESF31A0
• Maintain Supervisor Types RESF3122
• Maintain Milestone Types RESF3110
• *Maintain Milestone Statuses RESF31F0
• Maintain Course Default Milestones RESF3231
• *Maintain Thesis Result Codes RESF31B0
• Maintain Thesis Panel Types RESF3181
• Maintain Thesis Examination Types RESF3183
• Maintain Thesis Panel Member Types RESF3184

Tracking Types and Steps

*Maintain Tracking Types TRKF1100

Institution-defined Tracking Types and their associated steps are set up using this form. Two System Tracking Types are defined for the research Subsystem.. Each System Tracking Type has a set of associated System Step Types, which can be used when defining steps for this Tracking Type.

Tracking Types for use in tracking the Thesis Examination must be defined as the System Type 'RES_TEX'; Tracking Types for tracking the Thesis Panel Member must be defined as the System Type 'RES_TPM'.

The System Step Types can be used when defining the Tracking Type Steps, where the default recipient is the appropriate recipient for that step. A System Step Type does not have to be allocated to each Tracking Type Step.

When Tracking Items are created for a particular Thesis examination or panel member (refer to Understanding Research), the steps which have linked System Step Types will have the default recipient inserted.

Example: A tracking item is created for Student ID 98722771 (J. Gambetti) which includes (among others) the following steps. For this candidate the Principal Supervisor is Prof. M.Drake; Chair of the Thesis Panel is Dr. A. James; the research staff member who originated the Tracking Item is J.Kelley.

(For a general understanding of the Tracking Subsystem, refer to Tracking,.)

Research Codes

These codes allow the reporting of information to Government, relating to the studies of research students. There are 3 sets of Government codes used for this purpose. They are the Type of Activity Classification Codes (TOA); the Fields of Study (FOS) and the Socio-Economic Objective Classifications (SEO). It is recommended that institution-defined codes for Fields of Study and Socio-Economic Objective Classifications have a 1:1 mapping to the relevant Government code.

The use of the Government FOS and SEO codes is in transition (at the time of development of the Research Subsystem) from Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DIISRTE) codes to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) codes. Callista provides the ability to use either.

Because of this transition, existing Government Fields of Study codes (STAF1123) may need to be updated, using the relevant form. These codes now require an indicator to be set where the code is an ABS Research Fields, Courses and Disciplines Classification (RFCD).

• Maintain Government Type of Activity Classification Codes RESF31E0
• Maintain Government Socio-Economic Objective Classifications RESF31C0
• Maintain Socio-Economic Objective Classification RESF31D0
• Maintain Government Fields of Study STAF1123
• Maintain Fields of Study CRSF1140

Configuring Research Calendars and Date Aliases

Particular Calendars, Date Aliases and Calendar relationships need to be established for the correct functioning of the Research Subsystem. This should be done by specialists with understanding of both the Calendar and Research Subsystems.

Research studies commonly do not fit the standard Teaching Periods (e.g. Semesters). They may span the full 365 days of a Calendar Year and require Date-to-Date Enrolment. Therefore Teaching Calendars and Date Aliases more appropriate for research must be created.

A research student is usually able to start and stop their research without the penalties that generally apply to coursework students. Consequently appropriate Administrative Unit Statuses and Unit discontinuation Date Aliases allowing withdrawal (without a grading penalty) must be created. (Grading Schema for use in Research should exist).

Accurate load and EFTSL calculations require the correct configuration of Load Calendar structures for research and relationships between Load and Research Teaching Calendars. EFTSL calculations also require accurate maintenance of a candidate's attendance, over the period of their research (refer to EFTSL in Special Topics; also RESF3211 for explanation about maintaining a candidate's attendance details).

An Example Configuration

The Calendars

respic1.gif

The Date Aliases

 Note: It may be appropriate to offset the research Start Date Alias Instances from the Admission Calendar Course Start Date Alias Instances. For the RES-1 (01/01/2004 - 30/06/2004) Calendar in the example above, 'RES-STRT' could be offset from the Course Start Date Alias for the subordinate admission period Calendar instance by 0 days.

The correct configuring of these required elements can be done by following the steps outlined here:

• Establish the required Administrative Unit Statuses, map these to the system-defined Unit Attempt Status of 'DISCONTIN' and link each to a Grading Schema Code and Result (using form ENRF0110). This assumes a Research Grading Schema has already been set up.

• Create the required Date Aliases, using formCALF0420. In particular:
• Date Aliases to represent the start and end of a Research Teaching Period. In the configuration example above, these Date Aliases are 'RES-STRT' and 'RES-END'. These can only exist in a Teaching Calendar so must be of Date Alias and Calendar Category Types of 'TEACHING'. After these Date Aliases have been established they should be linked to the System Effective Start/End Date variables (using RESF31G0).
• Unit discontinuation Date Aliases should be created and matched to either a delete indicator or an appropriate Administrative Unit Status. This mapping is done using form ENRF0170. The linking of a Unit discontinuation Date Alias and an AUS determines whether withdrawal does or does not incur load.

• Set up research Teaching Calendar Types (e.g. 'SUM'; 'RES-1' and 'RES-2') and required instances of these Calendar Types (using CALF0220). Refer to the example configuration above.
• Establish instances of the Date Aliases within each research Teaching Calendar Instance (using form CALF0512). There can be no overlap between sets of Effective Start/End Date Aliases. These Date Alias Instances (e.g. 'RES-STRT' and 'RES-END') have implications for EFTSL calculation, which should be understood before establishing these instances.
  Where instances of 'RES-STRT' / 'RES-END' are in a Teaching Period Calendar, the EFTSL calculation method used is determined by whether the associated Load Calendar has a Load Research % value or not.
  Calendar Quality Checks apply the following checks:
• The Effective Start and End Date Aliases (above) can only exist in a research Teaching Period with a single Census Date. The Effective Start Date must be before the End Date.
• Where a Calendar Instance has the Effective Start/End Date Alias Instances, a single instance of each must exist for the Teaching Period Calendar and one cannot exist without the other.
• Allocate default Load Apportionment by linking existing Load Calendars, research teaching Calendars and Administrative Unit Status Load using form ENRF01K0. In this form, the Load Incurred check box should be set as appropriate, for the Administrative Unit Statuses used.

• Set up the relationships between instances of the Research Teaching Calendar and the applicable Superior Academic Calendar; the applicable Subordinate Calendars (e.g. Admission Calendars).

The Load Research % value should also be set for applicable load Calendars, to ensure correct EFTSL calculation. These relationships and values are established using form CALF0330. The Load Research % is allocated to the appropriate Load Calendars, in the Subordinate Calendars block (scroll across the Spread table to display this field). This Load Research % must total 100% within an Academic Period.

An Example Load Research % Allocation (using the example configuration)

In the standard Australian configuration, research load is equally divided between the two Census Dates (31^st March and 31^st August), so the two Load Calendars which span these Census Dates have the Load Research % divided between them. Load Research % should not be allocated to any other Load Calendar (there should be a null value rather than a 0 value). For students who need to be enrolled in Research Units in Teaching Periods which contribute to other Load Calendars (e.g. the Teaching Period 'SUM' contributing to 'LOAD-CAL-3'), EFTSL is calculated using the standard method (where the number of override or enrolled Credit Points is divided by the standard annual load value explained in EFTSL calculation for Statistics).

Using the example Load Research % allocation above, a student enrolled in a Research Unit in the 'SUM' Teaching Period (because her Research Commencement Date was prior to 1^st March, the Course Start Date Alias Instance for the Admission Calendar instance subordinate to RES-1) would generate EFTSL calculated in the standard way for LOAD-CAL-3, and where her Enrolment continued into RES-1, would generate EFTSL calculated using the Research EFTSL calculation method, for LOAD-CAL-1.

Establishing Admission and Enrolment Processes

Admissions Process

A specialist in the Admissions Subsystem should establish an Admissions Process Category (containing the 'RESEARCH' Admission Step Type) for use in the Admission of Research students. The inclusion of a 'RESEARCH' Admission Step allows the display of the Candidature button on the Direct Admissions form (ADMF3000). An applicant for a Research Course ( one where the Course Type has the Research check box set), cannot be made an offer/conditional offer unless certain components of a Candidature record exist (submission dates, research topic and principal supervisor). For these admission applications, navigation to the Research Candidature Details form (RESF3211) must be available from ADMF3000.

Defining the 'RESEARCH' step as a Mandatory step applies the same requirements for any application made under this Admission Process Category (i.e. before an offer/conditional offer can be made, submission dates, research topic and principal supervisor must exist in the Candidature record).

The creation of Admission Process Categories is explained further in the following documentation:
Admissions Overview; the form documentation Maintain Admission Category - ADMF2M20 and Maintain Admission Process Category Details - ADMF2M30

Enrolment Process

An Enrolment Category containing the Enrolment Procedure Step of 'RESEARCH' must be established, to allow display of the Candidature button on the Record Enrolments form (ENRF3000). The Candidature fields (listed above) must exist before a Student Course Attempt (in a Research Course) can be confirmed. Where this data is not brought forward from an admission application or needs to be maintained at enrolment, access to RESF3211 is required in ENRF3000.

The creation of an Enrolment Category would usually be done by an Enrolments specialist. Further information is available in the following documentation:
Enrolments Subsystem Overview and the form Maintain Enrolment Category Procedure Detail - ENRF0192

Research Course Structures

Course structures would be established by a specialist in the Course Structure and Planning Subsystem. Certain aspects are noted here because of their implications for the Research Subsystem.

Course Types

Each course offered by an institution has a Course Type attribute. Course Types (and their associated Research check box) are maintained in the form Maintain Course Types CRSF1110. The setting of the Research check box does not determine whether the course is classified as a Research Course for Government reporting purposes. However, the Research indicator should be selected for those course types where the institution requires that on Admission/Enrolment, a Candidature record must be created.

An applicant for Admission to a course which has this Research check box set, cannot be offered a place (i.e. have their Admission Outcome Status set to 'OFFER' or 'COND-OFFER') without an existing Candidature and its Mandatory fields (see RESF3211). Where a Student Course Attempt is not created through the pre-enrolment process (from Admissions), the same restriction applies and the SCA cannot be confirmed without Mandatory Candidature details.

Attendance Types

A Course Offering Option has an Attendance Type as one of its attributes (see CRSF1400). The Attendance Types defined by an institution are maintained in the form Maintain Attendance Types CRSF1170. Each Attendance Type should have a Research Percentage value defined, as one of the attributes of the type.

Example:

The default Attendance Percentage for a Candidature (see RESF3211) is derived from the Attendance Type Research Percentage value.

Min Submission Perc

The Research Courses offered by an institution (see Course Type and Research check boxes above) must have a Min Submission Perc attribute value entered. This represents the minimum percentage of effective research days which must be completed before a Thesis can be submitted. This field is defined using the form Maintain Basic Course Details CRSF1210.

Example:

The Min Submission Perc value is used in the System calculation of a candidate's Min Submission Date (refer to Special Topics and RESF3211).

Research Units

The Research Subsystem requires the establishment of unique Research Units, designed for students undertaking either a research-only course or a course which combines a Research Unit with some coursework units. The EFTSL for a research candidate enrolled in one of these Research Units (in a Research Teaching Period) is derived using a different method than would be used for a non-Research Unit. This calculation method is explained in detail in the Special Topics section of this documentation.

The other important consequence of enrolment in a Research Unit is that teaching responsibility (and therefore income distribution to Organisational Units within the institution) is derived from the candidate's supervision arrangements. For this reason it is suggested that both ownership (in form CRSF2210) and teaching responsibility (in form CRSF2220) be allocated to a non-academic Organisational Unit, such as the Research Office, when unit details are entered.

It is suggested that a Research Unit be established for each discipline and Research Level offered by an institution.

Example: An institution offers Research Studies at four levels - Higher Doctorate, PhD, Masters or Honours. For each discipline group offered at the institution, four Research Units are created, one at each Research Level. The unit codes indicate the Research Level (2 alphabet characters e.g. PD) and the discipline group (4 digits taken from the discipline group classifications CRSF2110)

The creation of these units and their associated detail is done through the Basic Unit Details form CRSF2210. Particular consideration should be given to certain attributes of the Research Units established.

The Research check box: this must be set for the unit to be classified as a Research Unit.

The Repeatable check box: setting this means the Credit Points associated with the unit (Achievable Credit Points) are attributed to the student's academic record each time the unit is passed. If it is not set, the Credit Points are achievable once only, regardless of the number of times the unit is passed.

Enrolled Credit Points: the value entered for Enrolled Credit Points is used to calculate EFTSL where a student enrols in the unit in a non- research Teaching Period (i.e. one which does not calculate EFTSL using the research calculation method). An Enrolled Credit Points value must exist to ensure the inclusion of the unit enrolments in statistical reports to Government. Where an institution intends configuring Calendars in a similar way to the example configuration, with Research Units offered in a 'SUM' Teaching Period (which uses the standard EFTSL calculation) then an appropriate Enrolled Credit Points value should be entered.

Achievable Credit Points: this value is the number of Credit Points awarded to a student on successful completion of a unit. If it is blank, it is assumed to be the same as the Enrolled Credit Points. Where '0' is recorded, no Credit Points are awarded on completion. This may be appropriate where an institution decides Credit Points are not to be awarded for Research Units at the end of a Semester; instead a 'Satisfactory Progress' grade is to be awarded.

Override Credit Points: this indicator and associated detail, allows the overriding of either the calculated research EFTSL or the enrolled/achievable Credit Points for a specified Student Unit Attempt. For example a full-time research student is enrolled in the Research Unit MRO405 for the following Teaching Periods. For the Student Unit Attempt in the 'SUM' Teaching Period, it may be appropriate to override the Credit Points and use a lower Credit Point value. The maximum EFTSL for this student is generated by the Student Unit Attempts in the RES-1 and RES-2 periods.

Override Title check box: setting this allows the unit title to be overriden for a Student Unit Attempt. For example a student is enrolled in the unit titled 'Honours Research - Chemical Science' as part of a coursework honours course. The title is overriden for this Student Unit Attempt and becomes 'Honours Minor Thesis - Chemical Science'.

All Research Units should be offered in all Research Teaching Periods. This allows a candidate's research to continue from one Teaching Period to the next, through re-enrolling in the Research Unit. The creation of appropriate Unit Offerings is done in form CRSF2310, accessed from CRSF2210.

The Grading Schema to be used for Research Units is assigned in the Unit Offering Options form (CRSF2500, accessed from CRSF2310).

The creation of Research Teaching Calendars is explained in Configuring Research Calendars.

Unit discontinuation

This process is explained fully in Managing Unit discontinuation. The Research Subsystem requires the creation of Unit Discontinuation Date Aliases and Administrative Unit Statuses which allow withdrawal from Research Units without assessment penalty.

Refer to the section Configuring Research Calendars to understand how to establish Unit Discontinuation Date Aliases and appropriate Administrative Unit Statuses for Research Units.

Research Grading Schema

A research candidate, enrolled in a Research Unit is unlikely to complete their research and have their Thesis examined in a single Teaching Period. For this reason, Grading Schema used in other areas of study may not provide the appropriate grades for use with Research Units. A Grading Schema appropriate for use in the Research Subsystem should be established. This would usually be established by an Assessment Subsystem specialist, in consultation with Research specialists. Grading Schema are maintained using form ASSF5110.

Example:

Last Modified on 10 January, 2005