| Semester 1, 2020 Online | |
| Short Description: | Becoming a Researcher |
| Units : | 2 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 100700 - Communication & Media Studies |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: MARA or BAHN or BCAH
Other requisites
Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course. This course is designed for students preparing to undertake a large research project (eg thesis or exegesis). It assumes that students have an idea for this project in mind at the beginning of the course.
Rationale
Honours and Masters level students currently undertaking communications, creative arts, humanities and social sciences require knowledge of a range of techniques for researching and writing. This course introduces students to the skills to be able to survey a field of literature, identify a research problem, decide on research objectives and select appropriate method/s to carry out the research. It will also assist students in developing an awareness of discipline-specific requirements, such as the need to ensure epistemological consistency between their aims, methodologies, data collection and analysis of results in a manner appropriate to their discipline areas.
Synopsis
Students will explore the practical skills and methodological choices necessary and available to researchers in communications, creative arts, humanities and social sciences. They will also examine the processes and requirements of research project management, including articulating a research focus, finding and reviewing relevant literature, and structuring and presenting a long research project in both written and oral form. Students will also investigate different methods, methodologies and theories and discuss their values and uses for developing research in these disciplines.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students will have:
- identify a unique research question or problem;
- be aware of how academic theses are presented and planned;
- critique existing research from a range of critical perspectives;
- evaluate and defend a methodology of research appropriate to their chosen topic;
- apply a knowledge of the appropriate use of informed consent and ethical clearance documentation;
- present an overview of their proposed project.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Research in the discipline areas | 25.00 |
| 2. | Structure and argument | 20.00 |
| 3. | Reviewing the literature | 20.00 |
| 4. | Understanding and selecting method and methodology | 25.00 |
| 5. | Presenting the thesis | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=HMT4007)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed 精东传媒app | 270.00 |
| Private 精东传媒app | 60.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESSAY 500 WORDS | 100 | 10 | 16 Mar 2020 | |
| ESSAY 1500 WORDS | 100 | 40 | 27 Apr 2020 | |
| ESSAY 3000 WORDS | 100 | 50 | 01 Jun 2020 |
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures and tutorials) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative items for the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination for this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
精东传媒app Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .