CVEN3502 WATER & WASTEWATER ENGINEERING
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CVEN3502 WATER & WASTEWATER ENGINEERING
1-page research assignment
Due: 6pm Tuesday 25 June 2024
Assignment length: Maximum 1 page (size 10 font, 1.3cm margins). A 2nd page may be used for the reference list.
This assignment will introduce students to independent research, relying on academic journal search, retrieval, reading and referencing skills. Students are expected to demonstrate an ability to undertake independent research to explore new (to them) information about a topic related to water and wastewater treatment. The topics that students may select for this assignment are very open. The only constraint is that the relevance to drinking water and/or wastewater treatment must be clear. Students may select to investigate a topic in relatively general terms (e.g. how does it work?) or focus on a particular application (how or why is it used in a specific circumstance?). Other specific focuses (e.g., energy consumption, waste management, economics, public perception, regulatory requirements, etc.) are also acceptable.
Examples of topics that students may consider include:
● Alternative approaches to seawater desalination
● Applications of groundwater desalination
● An application of reverse osmosis
● An application of microfiltration or ultrafiltration
● An application of UV-advanced oxidation
● An application of ozone treatment of drinking water or wastewater
● An application anaerobic sludge digestion
● A new or emerging biological wastewater treatment process
● An application of GAC or PAC for water treatment
● Alternative disinfection processes
● Reuse/recycling of reclaimed wastewater
● Drinking water fluoridation
● Alternative coagulants
● An application of lime softening
● An application of manganese or iron control
● Process monitoring
● Sludge management
● Many other alternative options!
If you select something that is not on this list, this is ok and you do not need permission for any particular topic. Just ensure that the relevance to water and/or wastewater treatment is clear in your report.
Where to find information: For this assignment, a standard Google search will not be sufficient. All sources should be academic journal sources. These should be found using an academic database such as Google Scholar (others, such as Scopus or Web of Science are also perfectly acceptable).
Important information about references: (1) All references should be references to academic journal articles. References to other sources such as websites, trade magazines, textbooks, lecture notes, etc will not attract marks. (2) All references should be for journal articles published in 2022 or more recently. References published before 2022 (or without a clear date) will not attract marks.
Marking criteria: Marks (out of 15) will be awarded according to the following criteria:
● The assignment is well presented and written.
● Follows assignment instructions including “where to find information” and “important information about references”.
● Shows evidence of independent research (beyond a basic Google search).
● Cites sources and includes appropriate references (use any “author-date” or “numbered” referencing style).
● Presents information which is technically accurate and genuinely extends beyond the course lecture notes.
● Makes effective use of space constraints (not by tiny font & margins, but efficient use of key information)
There is no specific number of references that need to be cited, but as a 1-page research assignment, most very good assignments will likely include 5-20 references.
The reference list may be included on a second page (note this is different to previous years, hence different to example assignments provided from previous years). All listed references must be cited in the assignment and all references cited in the assignment must be listed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Where can I get information on referencing?
A. UNSW has a useful website: https://student.unsw.edu.au/referencing
Q. Is there a preferred style for referencing?
A. Any “author-date” or “numbered” referencing style is fine. If you’re not familiar with any of them, see the information in the Harvard referencing style: https://student.unsw.edu.au/harvard-referencing
Q. What is plagiarism and how can I avoid it?
A. See information at: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism
Q. What is the maximum acceptable TurnItIn score?
A. There is no maximum acceptable score. Having a high or low TurnItIn score doesn’t automatically imply that the assignment does/doesn’t include plagiarised material. You could have a high score for a perfectly valid reason (e.g. you may have quoted and appropriately acknowledged the source of some text). Assignments are marked with more sophisticated (human) assessment, than simply considering a computer- generated number.
Q. Can I upload my assignment more than once?
A. No. Your first upload will be your final upload. Students will not be given an opportunity to make any further changes to their assignment after they have uploaded it.
Q. Can I use referencing software such as Endnote or RefWorks?
A. Yes, this is a great skill to learn. You will need to invest some time to learn how to use these resources, but it will be worth your time if you plan to write a research thesis in the future.
Q. Can I see some examples of good quality assignments?
A. Yes, a number of good examples from 2020 are available on the course Moodle page. These are shared with permission of the students who submitted them.
2025-06-24