Overview

The aims of these units are to develop and extend:

  • Skills in literature searching, plus review and integration of psychological literature
  • Advanced understanding of research methodology as applied to a moderately sized independent research project
  • Skills in psychological measurement and statistical or qualitative analysis applied to an independent research project
  • Practical research skills such as interviewing, recruitment of research participants, liaising with community organisations and completing ethics applications
  • Skills in presenting research proposals and findings both orally and in writing and to produce a 40,000 to 60,000 empirical research thesis that is an original and significant contribution to knowledge in the Clinical Psychology field.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Acquire knowledge of research principles and methodology relevant to clinical and forensic psychology
  • Develop cognitive skills to comprehend existing knowledge and systematically reflect on theory and practice to design a research project that is likely to make a significant contribution to knowledge and practice
  • Acquire sophisticated communication skills to cogently present, in writing and orally, details of the research project

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Unspecified Activities
Various		 30.12  26 weeks  783
TOTAL     783

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Review Individual  Pass/Fail 1,2,3 

Content

The content of research units varies according to the particular research project and the supervisor-supervisee working relationship. Within the supervision sessions it is expected that the supervisor will suggest reading materials, discuss reading and conceptual ideas, work with the student to plan the research project, give assistance with development or selection of appropriate measures and methodologies, give guidance with respect to ethics applications, data analysis and writing the thesis. It is expected that the student will read extensively, engage in high level conceptual analysis of written material and present that analysis in written form, plan an independent original empirical research project, present the project plan for feedback to a group of staff and students, negotiate all ethical approvals and permissions necessary for the study to proceed, recruit study participants, collate and analyse data, and develop the project into a written thesis of 40,000 to 60,000 words.

In this unit, students will complete the Higher Degree Research student Online Induction package provided by Graduate Research, read and orientate themselves to the requirements of the Doctor of Psychology research training program and the Research Training Statement of Practice, and complete their Pre-confirmation of Candidature. 

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.