Assignment workshop: research, planning and referencing

This week’s topics

Assignment workshop: research, planning and referencing

1. Unpacking the assignment brief and criteria
2. Finding and evaluating sources
3. Planning and referencing

What you will be able to do

• 1.1 Define information and give examples of information.
• 1.2 Explain what is meant by information privacy.
• 1.3 Analyse the value of information from contrasting perspectives.
• 1.4 Analyse the importance of information privacy and the potential consequences when information is not kept private.
• 2.1 Describe the common types of information security threats for modern computing systems.
• 2.2 Explain the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA Triad) framework and its meaning in the context of information security.
• 2.3 Evaluate several key cyber security models and their focuses.
• 2.4 Analyse the role of risk management in identifying security threats and vulnerabilities.
• 3.1 Describe the classes of common vulnerabilities in software and hardware systems.
• 3.2 Explain the principles of secure design of cyber systems.
• 3.3 Analyse a range of strategies for implementing secure design to prevent and mitigate cyberattacks.
• 4.1 Describe key historic events leading up to the development of modern cryptographic techniques.
• 4.2 Outline basic illustrative cipher techniques.
• 4.3 Compare encryption to hashing.
• 4.4 Explain the value of cryptography for a range of cyber security applications.
• 4.5 Explain the basic mathematical principles underlying encryption.
• 4.6 Analyse a variety of encryption techniques.
• 4.7 Use software to implement public and private key encryption of information and network connections.
• 5.1 Explain the needs for legal and regulatory frameworks to govern Cyber Security and data protection.
• 5.2 Analyse the effectiveness of legal frameworks in ensuring information security.
• 5.3 Evaluate the trade-off between privacy and security in computer systems.

Activity

Start with this week’s 2 videos, then: Plan the unit assignment against every criterion; source and reference the evidence.

Study materials

Videos

• Evaluating Resources with CRAAP · YouTube · Shake Library · 6 min · for registered students
• How to reference with Harvard referencing system – in-text citations & reference list, with examples · YouTube · Degree Doctor · 13 min · for registered students

Further resources

• Evaluating Information: Applying the CRAAP Test · PDF · Meriam Library, CSU Chico, the original one-page CRAAP checklist (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose) · for registered students
• Harvard Referencing Quick Guide (2025) · PDF · York St John University (2025), two-page guide to Harvard in-text citations and reference-list entries · for registered students
• Writing Guide, 13.6: Ethical Research and Plagiarism · PDF · OpenStax Writing Guide with Handbook (2021), 13.6 on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, pp. 445–446 · for registered students
• Source evaluation behaviours of first-year university students · Open-access article · Silva et al. (2018), Journal of Information Literacy. How first-year students actually judge the reliability of sources. · for registered students