AssessmentTask

ForAssessment1,youarerequiredtowritearesearchreportthatanalysesanexistingserviceof your choice. This will help to prepare you for future assessment tasks.

Pleaserefer to the Instructions section for detailsonhow to completeAssessment 1.

Context

BackgroundInformation:

Aresearchreportisa comprehensivedocumentpresentingaresearchstudy's findings,analysisand conclusions. It typically includes an introduction, methodology, results, discussion and conclusion sections, providing a detailed account of the research process and outcomes. Research reports are essentialforsharingknowledge,informingdecision-making,andadvancingunderstandinginvarious fields, including service design.

WhatIsthePurposeofThisAssessment?

Writing a research report is an essential part of service design discovery. A research report can provide everyone involved in the service design process clarity on what a service is and is not, the design and research methodologies used to explore the space, the data collected and the implicationsfordesigningorimprovingaservice.Well-structuredresearchreportshelptomitigate potential biases and reduce ambiguities when conducting analysis.

WhatYouWillNeedtoDo:

Youareexpectedtocreatearesearchreportthatincludestheresearchobjectives,methodologies, datacollectedand implicationsfordesigning and/or improvinga service. Yourresearchreportwill serve as the foundation for preparing your service blueprint in Assessment 2.

WhatYouWillGetOutofIt:

Completing this task will give you hands-on experience in developing a research report, which is valuableforanyonewhoconductsandmanagesreal-worldservicedesignprojects.Thisassessment will improve your application of research methods in a service design context, how to synthesise meaningful insights from data and give you a suite of practical tools and methods for your design toolkit. Preparing this research report will help you to study and solidify your understanding of a service ecosystem and how to use design tools to support service design recommendations with stakeholders.

Instructions

Followthese steps tocompleteyourPreliminaryDiscoveryof yourchosen scenario:

Step1:ChooseaScenario

Refer to the scenario choices provided in the Scenario PDF. You will work on your chosen project scenariothistrimester,usingthedesignprocessandmethodsthatyouwilllearnaboutduringthe subject, including the different research methods, to explore the scenario in a service design context.

Your preliminary discovery should explore the scenario; for example, by mapping the ecosystem by drawing on existing data relating to your project scenario from credible sources (such as Torrens Library,academicjournals,AustralianBureauofStatistics,corporatebrandwebsites,newsstoriesor online reviews, etc) to support your research report.

Step2:ResearchObjectives

• Clearlyoutline theobjectivesof theresearch
• Identifythe specific insightsorinformation you aimto
• Determineifanyinformationexiststhatanswerstheobjectivestoavoiddouble-upsor unnecessary work.

Step3:ReviewExistingData

• Gather and review any existing data related to the service, such as user reviews, customer servicereports,operationaldataandmarketThiswillprovideinsightsintocurrent challenges and opportunities.

Step4:IdentifyKeyStakeholders

• Identifyallthestakeholdersinvolvedinorimpactedbytheservicebeingstudiedincluding users, employees, management and other relevant parties.
• Createastakeholder

Step5:ResearchQuestions

• ResearchquestionsarequestionsthataresearchprojectsetsouttoChoosingthe research questions are essential to preparing for research.
• Createalistofprioritisedquestionsthatneedtobeansweredduetotheresearch

Step6:ResearchType

• Basedontheobjectivesandscopeoftheproject,selectthetype(s)ofresearchyouaimto use in the study; for example, primary, secondary, qualitative, quantitative, exploratory, generative and evaluative research or a combination of methods.
• Decide on themost suitable datacollectionanddocumentation

Step7:ResearchTools

• Gather and/orcreate the toolsrequired to conductyourresearch study. This mayinclude a researchguide,observationprotocols,scripts,participantprofilesandothernecessarytools for data collection.
• Ensurethatthesetoolsalignwithyourresearch

Step8:ParticipantsandRecruitment

• Recruit5to7participantsfortheresearch(thesecanbefellowstudents,friends,orfamily members).
• Consider thediversityoftheparticipantsbased onresearch objectives.
• Obtainconsent and confidentialityasnecessary (refertothe ProjectConstraintssection).

Step9:Timeline

• Createaroughtimelinethatoutlinestheresearchyouplantoconducttoensurethatyou can complete the research in time.

Step10:ConductResearch

• Carryouttheresearchactivitiesaccordingtotheidentifiedobjectives,methods,toolsand FollowthesestepstoReviewandAnalysetheDataCollectionandServiceInsights

Step11:ResearchAnalysisandSynthesis

• Analysethecollecteddatatoidentifypatternsinthemesinthecommonalities, discrepancies and outliers of the data.
• Synthesisethefindingsfromthedataanalysisintokeyinsightsandrecommendationsand organise these into easy-to-understand categories. Followthesestepsto compileyourResearch Report:

Step12:Writeandfinaliseyourresearchreport

• Structure the researchbyusing thefollowingsections:

• Introduction
• Methodology,Themes,Insights
• Recommendations
• NextSteps
• ReferenceList
  • PresenttheserviceinsightsusinganengagingThiscouldmeanusingvisualssuch as photographs, illustrations, charts, graphs and diagrams that support your insights.
  • Provideactionablerecommendationsbasedontheinsights,outliningspecificstepsfor implementing improvements or addressing identified issues.
  • Ensurethat thereportis well-written, freeof jargonandgrammaticalerrors andtheformat isaccessibletoallPleaserefertotheAcademicSkillswebpageforinstructions on how to structure and write a report.
  • Remember to include in-text citations in the report for any sources that were used to supportyourworkandincludeaReferenceListattheendoftheThislistisnot counted towards the total word count.

AssessmentCriteria

Yourassessmentwillbemarkedagainsttherubriccriteria.Ensurethatyourworkaddresseseachof these criteria by referring to the rubric for the specific details.

Deliverables

• YourserviceinsightsshouldbepresentedasaresearchreportsubmittedasaMicrosoft Word or Adobe PDF document.
• Thewordcountis2,000words(+/-10%)andmayincludeimages,diagramsandtablesto enhance your report.

ProjectConstraints

IMPORTANT:TocomplywiththeTorrensUniversityethicsguidelines,researchconductedaspartof assessments in this subject must not contain any information that could identify research participants. Research participants must be anonymous and any identifiable personal information must be removed.

Datathatcouldidentifyresearchparticipantsmayinclude(butisnotlimitedto)theirfirstname,last name, address, phone number, email address, student numbers, photographs, audio recordings, video recordings and any form of identification documents. Adhering to the ethics guidelines forms partofthe marking criteria.Pleasereadtheethical guidance documentattachedasan appendix for more information about Torrens University's ethical guidelines.

Referencing

It is essential that you use current APA style for citing and referencing the sources that you use. PleaseseemoreinformationoncitingandreferencingguidelinesontheAcademicSkillswebpage.

SubmissionInstructions

Saveyour documentsusing thefollowingfile namingconvention:

DSG405_LastName_FirstNameInitial_Assessment1

(e.g.,DSG405_Jones_S_Assessment1)

SubmitthistaskviaAssessments>Briefs&SubmissionsinthemainnavigationmenuinDSG405 Service Design.

YourLearningFacilitatorwillprovidefeedbackviatheGradeCentreintheLMSportal.Feedbackcan be viewed in My Grades.

AcademicIntegrity

Allstudentsareresponsibleforensuringthatallworksubmittedistheirown,isacademicallywritten and appropriately referenced following the Academic Writing Guide. Students also need to have read and be aware of the Torrens University Australia Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures and subsequent penalties for academic misconduct. These are available online.

Studentsmustalsokeepacopyofallsubmittedmaterialandanyassessmentdrafts.

SpecialConsideration

To apply for special consideration for a modification to an assessment task or exam due to unexpected or extenuating circumstances, please consult the Assessment Policy for HigherEducationCourseworkandELICOSand,ifapplicabletoyourcircumstance,submitacompleted Application for Assessment Special Consideration Formto your Learning Facilitator.