Thesis A - Research Project Development
Overview
Students in the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) must complete and report on an original research project comprising: 1) a literature review, and 2) an empirical study. This unit helps students develop knowledge and skills required to undertake these tasks, including: literature review techniques, framing research questions, research design, data collection considerations, and ethical considerations in human research. Students will apply their learning to develop a proposal and plan for their research project – a project they will complete over the remaining thesis unit.
Requisites
Rule
Enrolment in GD-PSYADS Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced)
05-October-2025
08-February-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Develop and frame various types of research questions
- Explain the purpose of different types of literature review, and elect an appropriate style of literature review for a given psychological problem or area of research
- Describe and identify a range of empirical research designs, and analyse the trade-offs of different designs for given research problems
- Identify ethical issues in the conduct of research involving human participants and explain how to address them
- Determine the nature and quantity of resources required to undertake a research project (e.g., samples, equipment, funding)
- Develop, document, and communicate research questions, research designs, and research project plans for psychological studies
Teaching methods
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 11.50 | 12 weeks | 138 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Tests | Individual | 15% | 2,3,4,5 |
| Project Proposal | Individual | 85% | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
Content
- Content will depend on the nature of student projects
- Typical topics include:
- Developing research questions
- Processes and applications for different types of literature review
- Database searching techniques
- Citation management
- Literature evaluation and coding
- Selecting appropriate research methodologies
- Ethical issues in human research and compliance with ethical standards
- Locating research tools
- Sampling considerations and recruiting human research participants
- Developing project proposals and plans
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.