Overview

To apply and develop skills that have been learned during the undergraduate years to carry out a research project within the area of Psychophysiology/Cognitive Neuroscience. This “Capstone” group-based project provides students with an opportunity to experience real research. Topics may arise from their work in other Swinburne units of study. For example, students may carry forward and complete projects designed in NEU30002 Sleep and Attention. In other cases, students will be given the opportunity to work on projects developed by academic staff or generated by external agencies.

Requisites

Prerequisites
NEU30006 Psychophysiology Project

Assumed Knowledge
Students need to have completed the second year Psych/Psychophysiol at Swinburne (or equivalent)

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Develop and execute a research study
  • Locate resources and develop skills to achieve the project/study aims
  • Manage project workload and resources
  • Demonstrate the ability to work in a collaborative team to achieve project outcomes
  • Understand the ethical implications of the research proposed and working within an ethics-based environment
  • Carry out a research project, documenting project progress and showing reflective practice
  • Communicate the results of research in a coherent fashion designed for a professional research career

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Synchronous Lectures
1.00 6 weeks 6
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial
2.00 12 weeks 24
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Other
1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Individual Study
9.00 12 weeks 108
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
PresentationGroup 20% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 
Reflective JournalIndividual 20% 2,3,4,5,6 
Research ManuscriptGroup 60% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 

Content

The aim of this project is the self-directed education of students in many of the aspects associated with performing research in Psychophysiology/Cognitive Neuroscience under professional research supervision. This subject gives the students the opportunity of applying techniques and skills introduced in the psychophysiology, psychology and statistics disciplines. Students will work in small groups (2-5) to plan and review the literature, and to carry out any analytical or experimental work involved. While experimental and theoretical studies are acceptable, experimental projects are preferred.

For studies involving empirical research students should base their study on previously published research, allowing a clear delineation of their own experimental extensions. Students should collect experimental data on the basis of methodologies they have explicitly replicated from the literature or developed themselves.

The analysis of data that someone else has collected does not generally form an adequate basis for an experimental study. However, the collection of additional data to increase research power, or the development of new analytical goals from derived data, has validity 

In addition to mastering the substantive content relevant to their chosen project, students will have to consolidate skills and knowledge developed throughout their degree including library skills, laboratory techniques, computer skills, statistical techniques, report writing, management, and teamwork skills.

Any projects undertaken involving human subjects will require approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee before they commence. Please aim for low-risk research applications as transit through the ethics process will be much quicker.

Minimum Risk is defined under the Swinburne ORGS site:

http://www.research.swinburne.edu.au/researchers/ethics/human-research/

Study resources

Reading materials

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