Semester 06

Summary of the Independent Study Module for CS, SE, and IS Students

The Independent Study module is designed as a pre-requisite research development course that prepares Computer Science (CS), Software Engineering (SE), and Information Systems (IS) undergraduates for their Final-Year Research Project. This module introduces students to the fundamentals of academic research and guides them through a structured process of exploring a research problem within their discipline.

Students are required to undertake either a review-based study (such as a systematic or narrative literature review) or a survey-based empirical study supported by statistical analysis. Through this process, they learn to formulate research questions, identify gaps in existing literature, collect and analyse data, and interpret results using appropriate research methodologies.

The final outcome of the module is a complete research paper prepared according to academic standards and submitted to the Jayewardenepura Computing Symposium (JCoS). The quality of the research paper—its clarity, rigor, analytical depth, and adherence to scholarly guidelines—constitutes the main evaluation criterion of the module.

By completing the Independent Study module, students develop essential research skills, critical thinking abilities, and scholarly writing competence, enabling them to confidently embark on their final-year research project and contribute meaningfully to the computing research community.