Course Title: Research Thesis I
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Research Thesis I
Credit Points: 24.00
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
BESC1108 |
Bundoora Campus |
Postgraduate |
150H Health Sciences |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 1 2006, Sem 2 2006 |
BESC1109 |
Bundoora Campus |
Undergraduate |
150H Health Sciences |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 1 2006, Sem 2 2006 |
Course Coordinator: Dr Amanda Richdale
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7366
Course Coordinator Email: amanda.richdale@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: Bundoora
Course Coordinator Availability: Not available Fridays
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
Students undertaking this course must have successfully completed an undergraduate degree and an undergraduate major sequence in Psychology approved by the Australian Psychological Society.
Course Description
This course consists of two components: The research methods and data analysis component is a classroom-based lecture course. The other component comprises the first semester requirements for the 4th Year research project: a research proposal and a literature review. The marks for these two components are combined to provide the final mark for the course.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
In this course students will develop both data analysis skills and research skills that will enable them to critically evaluate scientific literature and design a research project.
At the conclusion of this course, students will be expected to be able to:
1. Describe the major methodological and design issues related to carrying out research in psychology.
2. Describe the conceptual and practical features of several major techniques for analysing data obtained from psychological research.
3. Enter, analyse, and describe data using SPSS.
4. Use the principles and methods taught in this course to design an 4th Year-level research project.
5. Design a research project using one of the common approaches to applied psychological research design, and present that design as a properly formatted research proposal.
6. Carry out a literature review, synthesise and evaluate that literature in the light of their proposed research, and present this material as a properly formatted literature review that conforms in all respects to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).
Overview of Learning Activities
The unit provides a synthesis of didactic and experiential learning. The theoretical material underlying research design and analysis is learnt using traditional lecture/seminar mode, with guided reading and practical data analysis exercises. Students learn the skills of carrying out a piece of scientific research in psychology by directly engaging in the research process in a way that mimics the real-world research process as closely as possible.
Overview of Learning Resources
Course handbook on-line on the RMIT DLS
Access to RMIT student computers
RMIT library - texts and journals
Psychology test library
Student purchased textbook for statistics component
Overview of Assessment
1. A three-hour multiple choice examination on the material taught in the research methods and data analysis component.
2. Analysis of a unique unique data sheet.
3. Research proposal (including ethics application & research budget).
4. Literature review