ACCTFIN 7005 - Research Project in Financial Statement Analysis (M)

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2024

This research-based capstone course allows students to develop business research skills through the analysis of accounting, finance and industry information. This will be achieved through the delivery of a series of topics allowing students to develop research skills that will be applied in professionally-oriented research projects. Students will work in teams to design and execute a research project and communicate their findings. This course will require application of attained knowledge in previous accounting and finance courses. The pedagogy adopted for this course is deliberately designed to allow students to develop their own research style through the opportunity to source and synthesise a diverse range of material as part of the development of a business research report.

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Course Details

Course Code	ACCTFIN 7005
Course	Research Project in Financial Statement Analysis (M)
Coordinating Unit	Accounting
Term	Semester 2
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 36 hours
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	ACCTFIN 7017 and (ACCTING 7020 or CORPFIN 7039)
Assumed Knowledge	Completion of 30 units in the Program
Assessment	Test, Participation, Oral Presentation, Research Proposals and Reports

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Janice Loftus

Associate Professor Janice Loftus
Location: 13:10, Level 13,
10 Pulteney Street (Nexus 10)
Telephone: 8313 1024
email: janice.loftus@adelaide.edu.au

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Integrate advanced theoretical and technical knowledge of financial analysis and related areas
2. Apply advanced technical knowledge and skills to critically analyse financial data to investigate problems in accounting or finance contexts
3. Select and use information from data bases used in accounting and finance
4. Design and execute research in collaboration with others
5. Communicate research findings to specialist and non-specialist audiences

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1, 2, 3
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	2, 3, 4
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	4, 5
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	3, 4, 5
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	.
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	.
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	3
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	4

Learning Resources
Required Resources

Suggested readings will be provided, however extensive use of library facilities including texts, journal articles and databases is necessary.

Recommended Resources
- Rogers, J. 2019, Strategy, Value and Risk, 4th Edition, Springer.
- Palepu, K. G., Healy, P. M., Wright, S., Bradbury, M., Coulton, J. 2020. Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial
  Statements, 3rd Asia Pacific Edition. Cengage.
- Subramanyam, K. R. 2014. Financial Statement Analysis, 11th Edition, McGraw-Hill New York.
- Online databases: DataAnalysis Premium; Connect 4 Annual Report Database; IBISWorld.
- Neuman, W.L., 2014. Social Research Methods, Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 7th edition, Pearson Education, Inc.
- Benninga S. 2014. Financial Modeling, 4th edition, The MIT Press.
Online Learning

The course is supported by a course website on MyUni. Students will need to access this regularly for content, assignment submission and announcements.

Learning & Teaching Modes

This regular class session is structured as a seminar with varied activities on a weekly basis. In most weeks, new material is introduced on-line in the form of a pre-recorded lecutre. Students should complete any prescribed readings and listen to the recorded lecture component before the scheduled class. Two classes will be held in most weeks within the timetabled session. One class will be face-to-face in the timetables classroom and the other will be a zoom meeting. These arrangements are varied in certain weeks to accommodate the scheduled learning activities. Some weeks the learning activity is to have a group meeting and consultation for your group research project. Whether group meetings are held in the classroom or in zoom will depend on the composition of the group. Options for oral presentations are face-to-face and zoom. Students should check the course website on MyUni for confirmation of the scheduling of weekly class activities and zoom meeting details.

To facilitate a full understanding of any topic, students are encouraged to both ask questions and participate in in-class activities. If there is material that any student does not understand, asking of questions at any time during class is encouraged. Concepts from previous courses will serve as foundation for many of the topics under consideration.

As this is a research based course there is a high expectation that students will

engage in additional readings, as well as the provided readings to gain a full appreciation of all aspects of the course
undertake their research activities prior to class to ensure that they have the ability to apply the topic under discussion to a number of possible scenarios.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. As this course is a 6 unit course it is anticipated that you will be undertaking more study time for this course than you would have undertaken in your previous 3 unit courses.

Students in this course are expected to attend all classes

Learning Activities Summary

Week	Topic / Activities during class
1	Financial statements and introduction to research
2	Research in accounting and finance and introduce research projects
3	Industry analysis technigues
4	Portfolio anlaysis, test on topics 1 - 3
5	Developing research, teamwork and communication skills: Using databases
6	Developing research, teamwork and communication skills: Report writing workshop 1
7	Developing research, teamwork and communication skills: workshop on using and providing feedback on writing
8	Developing research, teamwork and communication skills: Oral presentation workshop
9	Developing research, teamwork and communication skills: Report writing workshop 2 (executive summary)
10	Developing research, teamwork and communication skills: Practice presentations
11	Developing research, teamwork and communication skills: Group meeting and consultation
12	Presentation of report - oral presentations

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weight	Learning Outcomes
Class test	Individual	10%	1, 2
Industry analysis	Individual	20%	1 - 5
Research proposal	Group	10%	1, 2, 4
Participation in group activities	Individual	10%	4, 5
Research project report - oral presentation	Individual	10%	1 - 5
Research project written report - individual component	Individual	25%	1 - 5
Research project written report - group component	Group	15%	1 - 5
Total		100%

All assessment tasks are summative in nature, that is, all tasks form part of your overall grade for the course.

Assessment Related Requirements

Groups: will consist of five people.
Industry selection: each group will select sufficient industries to ensure each group member will have their own unique industry to investigate.

Assessment Detail

Class test (10%)
Held online. Scope: topics 1-3 (ie material covered in weeks 1-3).

Industry analysis (20%)
Provide a written strategic evaluation of an indsutry utilising evaluation technique(s).

Research proposal (10%)
A written submission of a draft research design outlining the objectives and research methods of the grouip research project.

Participation in group activiites (10%)
Reflects engagement in group activities during class and peer assessment of contribution to the group project.

Research project report (50% total)
Each group must do an accounting research project OR a finance research project. The assessment of the group research project comprises:

Individual oral presentation (10%)
Written report (40%) comprising:a group component (15%)
an individual component (25%).

Submission

Notes on assessment

All assignments must be provided by the due date and must be genuine attempts, to complete the course.
Presentation and the quality of English expression are considered to be integral parts of the assessment process.

Submission of assignments

Retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
All written assignments must be submitted via the MyUni link provided. All team members are expected to contribute equitably to the group research project as outlined in the group research proposal.
Assignments not complying with the University’s policy on plagiarism will be forwarded to Academic Integrity for investigation.

Communications skills guide
A link is provided on MyUni. This resource provides guidelines on a range of other important communication skills including writing essays and management reports, making oral presentations etc. In preparing any written piece of assessment for your postgraduate studies it is important to draw on the relevant ‘literature’ to support critical analysis. Also essential is to reference the literature used. Correct referencing is important because it identifies the source of the ideas and arguments that you present, and sometimes the source of the actual words you use, and helps to avoid the problem of plagiarism. (Further information on plagiarism is provided later in this course outline.)

The Harvard system is the preferred style of referencing for this course. Guidelines for the use of this style of referencing can be found in the Communication Skills Guide.

In addition we encourage you to utilise the resources available via online links in the Student Support Section of this outline

Return of assignments
Every attempt is made to provide feedback on assessment to students within three (3) weeks of the due date. Assessment of the major component of assessment (the report) is anticipated to take longer than the nominal three (3) weeks.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

We acknowledge the benefit of feedback from students to assist our ongoing improvement of the course.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator