Overview

This unit is primarily an introduction to the principles and processes involved in research practice and students will learn how to develop a research plan with the necessary components.

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:

  • Identify a research problem and conduct a quasi-literature review on a topic of your choice
  • Review and evaluate a series of published research articles identifying the major components in published research and research design principles
  • Identify the characteristics of good quantitative and qualitative research design and the decision making processes involved in developing such designs
  • Formulate a research plan including the necessary components and identify and describe the major components in a research report

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Online Class		0.25 12 weeks 3
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Online Learning Activities		1.50 12 weeks 18
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		0.25 12 weeks 3
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		10.50 12 weeks 126
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment 1Individual 20% 1,2,3,4 
Assignment 2Individual 30% 1,2,3,4 
Assignment 3Individual 50% 1,2,3,4 

Hurdle

As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:

an overall mark for the unit of 50% or more

Content

Module 1: Framing research in practice

In this Module we will explore framing and formulating research as a process of inquiry. Topics include:

  • Research and its uses
  • Framing research
  • The literature review

 

Module 2: Designing research

In this Module, we will consider elements of research design and key issues in formulating and conducting research studies. Topics include:

  • Methodological strategies
  • Conducting research

 

Module 3: Conducting research

In this Module we will investigate how to develop a research plan. Topics include:

  • Developing a research proposal
  • Communicating about research

Study resources

Reading materials

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