Overview

This subject aims to develop the skills necessary to undertake a research project and to assist the student in identifying appropriate research topics and methodologies.

Requisites

Prerequisites
NPS60001 Research Skills

Assumed Knowledge
Exposure to some background in literature searching and assignment writing

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:

  • Independently gain the necessary knowledge to undertake meaningful research
  • Identify appropriate research topics and methodologies
  • Perform basic data management tasks and analyses using a computer
  • Apply tools of research preparation including problem formulation, undertaking a literature review, research designs, developing a hypothesis, ethical implications, time management, and assessing resource implications
  • Articulate the contributions of qualitative and quantitative methods to a specific discipline
  • Carry out initial critical appraisals of academic literature
  • Develop academic paper/report writing skills and understand the structure for publication

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Lecture
2.00 12 weeks 24
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial
1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 40% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 
ExaminationIndividual 40% 1,2,4,5 
Mid-Semester TestIndividual 20% 1,2,4,5,7 

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:

(i) an aggregate mark of 50% or more, and(ii) at least 40% in the final exam.Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.

Content

  • Identification of proposed research topic, methodology and hypotheses
  • Research preparation: Problem formulation, research design, objectives and scope, ethics
  • Planning strategies, information sources, time management and team work
  • Research methodologies appropriate to the health sciences
  • Literature review: abstracting and paraphrasing, citations and bibliographies
  • Research presentation and follow up: layout, style, press release and follow-up strategies

Study resources

Reading materials

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