| Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba | |
| Short Description: | Advanced Research Approaches |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences |
| School or Department : | School of Psychology and Counselling |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 090701 - Psychology |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BSCH (Psychology major 12302) or BPSH or MSCR (Psychology Research)
Other requisites
BPSH students must have completed the first 3 years with a GPA of 5.0 across levels 1 to 3 psychology courses.
Rationale
Students undertaking fourth year study in Psychology need to be able to evaluate a variety of research designs in published research. Studies published in Psychology use a range of research methodologies including multivariate analysis and qualitative research approaches and in common practise there are both qualitative and quantitative (i.e., mixed methods) used simultaneously. This course encourages students to develop both a practical and theoretical understanding of these analysis techniques, which will allow them to evaluate existing research and apply these insights to their own research. This course also forms a major foundation for student research at Masters and PhD level, and for the data analytic aspects of professional elective courses.
Synopsis
There are two major sections of instruction within the course. In the first section of instruction students are taught about both quantitative and qualitative research design methods. At the conclusion of this section the students will develop a mixed methods research proposal using both quantitative and qualitative aspects of design.
In the second section of instruction students are taught about quantitative and qualitative analyses methods. Basic types of analyses and stages within analyses are covered for both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including knowledge about psychometric principles such as norms, reliability, validity, and test construction. At the conclusion of this section the students will choose from several options of data analyses (they will be given data and instruments from hypothetical research protocols), and will conduct an assignment for both quantitative and qualitative analyses.
This course contains a mandatory residential school for both external and on-campus students.
Objectives
On completion of this course students should be able to:
- Identify appropriate analytical techniques to address various kinds of research questions;
- Utilise knowledge of psychometric theory and the principles of test construction .
- Select and apply relevant methods to explore, visualise and evaluate typical research data, resulting in appropriate conclusions being drawn from the findings;
- Accurately report results obtained from the analysis of research findings.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Basic commonalities and distinctions in quantitative and qualitative research methods; introduction to mixed methods researchEffect | 25.00 |
| 2. | Stages and considerations for quantitative and qualitative research design. | 25.00 |
| 3. | Essential aspects and examples of quantitative research analyses. | 25.00 |
| 4. | Essential aspects and examples of qualitative research analyses | 25.00 |
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=PSY4111)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Assessments | 45.00 |
| Private 精东传媒app | 88.00 |
| Workshops | 32.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Objectives Assessed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Res School Attend/Particpate | 1 | 25 Feb 2020 | (see note 1) | ||
| Research Proposal | 60 | 30 | 08 Apr 2020 | 1,3 | |
| Quiz | 40 | 30 | 26 May 2020 | ||
| Report | 100 | 40 | 15 Jun 2020 | 2,4 |
Notes
- Workshop attendance is a mandatory requirement of our APAC accreditation.
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
Attendance at the two, two-day residential schools is mandatory. The location of the all workshops/residential schools for BSCH students will be held at either Ipswich or Toowoomba campus if enrolled as an on-campus student, at the Ipswich campus for BPSH students, and Toowoomba only for external students. It is mandatory that students attend the workshops scheduled for them and participate appropriately in all activities (such as residential schools, laboratories, and practical work), 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 complete the workshop attendance and participation satisfactorily students must achieve 100% for the item. To complete each of the remaining assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the total marks available for each 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 100% of the marks available for the workshop attendance and participation and at least 50% of the total weighted marks 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 /grades obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
As there are no examinations 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 .
Assessment notes
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APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide.
Other requirements
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Students will require access to email (umail) and internet access to UConnect for this course.
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Attendance at the two, two-day intensive workshops associated with this course is mandatory. The location of the all workshops/residential schools for BSCH students will be held at either Ipswich or Toowoomba campus if enrolled as an on-campus student, at the Ipswich campus for BPSH students, and Toowoomba only for external students.