Research Project (Clinical and Forensic) D
Overview
The aims of the eight research 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
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Acquire substantial knowledge of research principles and methodology relevant to clinical and forensic psychology and high-level written communication skills
- Acquire expert skills in data collection and management of research data
- Critically appraise ethical issues related to the conduct of research in clinical and forensic psychology and demonstrate professional ethical behaviour in the conduct of research
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Seminar | 0.67 | 12 weeks | 8 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Independent Learning | 11.83 | 12 weeks | 142 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Thesis | Individual | 0% | 1,2,3 |
Content
The content of the 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 also complete 10 hours of advanced research methods seminars, present their research progress to a formal faculty review and attend a tutorial preparing them for this review presentation.
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.