Research Project (Clinical and Forensic) B
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
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Cognitive skills to evaluate existing knowledge and ideas in relation to clinical and forensic psychology
- Critically evaluate 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
- Expertly conduct a literature review
- Demonstrate sophisticated communication skills to cogently present, in writing and orally, details of the literature review and plans for the research
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Independent Learning | 12.50 | 12 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Thesis | Individual | 0% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Workshop | Individual | 0% | 1,2,3,4 |
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 participate in a series of four tutorials addressing specific research skills (orientation to the research project, use of Endnote, reference searching, selecting a research design).
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.