96054 Research Project 2
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Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 96046 Research Project 1 AND 96047 Clinical Placement 1 AND 96048 Adult Clinical Psychology 2 AND 96050 Clinical Health Psychology AND 96051c Clinical Placement 2 AND 96052c Clinical Placement 3 AND 96053c Advanced Clinical Skills 1
The lower case 'c' after the subject code indicates that the subject is a corequisite. See definitions for details.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject introduces students to research designs, concepts and advanced statistical analyses commonly used in clinical psychology research. Students are encouraged to develop a critical perspective on contemporary clinical psychology research practices. Students continue regular meetings with their research project supervisor(s) for support throughout the literature review, data collection, and data analysis stages of their clinical research project.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 001. | Locate scholarly literature relevant to a given topic |
|---|---|
| 002. | Critique selected research |
| 003. | Formulate a research question |
| 004. | Undertake a review of the literature related to a research question |
| 005. | Select a research methodology relevant to a given research question |
| 009. | Conduct approved research |
| 010. | Interpret research data using appropriate methodology |
| 011. | Evaluate research data in the context of the literature |
| 012. | Communicate research findings and outcomes |
| 013. | Assess the impact of research |
| 014. | Suggest modifications and directions for further research |
| 057. | Use written and spoken communication in a manner appropriate to the target audience |
| 058. | Produce accurate, succinct and well-organised written communications |
| 062. | Communicate own work to supervisors and other stakeholders |
| 063. | Openly reflect on own work with supervisor |
| 064. | Maintain a professional relationship with supervisor |
| 066. | Accept supervisory input |
| 079. | Engage minority or marginalised groups appropriately |
| 100. | Apply knowledge from a strengths-based perspective and aligned to the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC) ethical guidelines for the conduct of clinical psychology research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:
- Interpret, implement and evaluate psychological assessments and interventions using psychological theories, models and evidence to optimise client or organisational health. (02.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Research Project 2 supports students in the implementation of a clinical research project by (a) engaging students in a thorough literature review that will become the basis for a research project, and (b), supporting students in the collection, analyses, and interpretation of data relevant to a clinical research project. This Subject is a pre-requisite to Research Project 3 (96056) in Semester 4 of the 2-year sequence.
Lifelong learning
Graduates of the Master of Clinical Psychology are lifelong learners, committed to and capable of reflection and inquiry in their quest for personal development and excellence in professional practice.
Professional capacity
Graduates of the Master of Clinical Psychology are client-focused, ethical practitioners with the understanding and proficiency to be leaders in their profession, capable of effectively researching and communicating solutions in a global context.
Global citizenship
Graduates of the Master of Clinical Psychology contribute to society, resolving to undertake those actions and responsibilities that will enhance their role in local, national and global communities.
Cultural competence
Graduates of the Master of Clinical Psychology are culturally competent professionals, able to reflect on and explain their own cultural perspectives, accommodate cultural differences and achieve optimal outcomes through the adoption of a consultative approach to patient care with indigenous Australians and other cultural groups.
Teaching and learning strategies
Teaching methods will comprise lecture and workshop formats. For the workshop component, students will have the opportunity to engage in group-based exercises during class. The emphasis of class exercises will be the application of research methods in clinical contexts. Additional research methods consultation times will also be offered to allow students to discuss and receive feedback on specific challenges regarding their projects, particularly in relation to data analysis.
Preparation for Learning:
Students are required to prepare for learning by completing required readings prior to attending the lectures and seminars.
Active Lectures and workshops:
Because of the small class size during lectures, the lecturer will encourage real-time interaction with students. For example, the lecturer will request clinical examples for statistical concepts, plus discussion of controversial issues (at times in small groups, if time is available). The lecturer will provide feedback to student commentary. During computer workshops, students will work individually on a data set, and the instructor will provide individual assistance as required.
Case-based Learning:
Real-world clinical examples will be provided to clarify key features of research design and statistics. These will assist students in learning how to apply the skills taught in class to real world examples. Students will also initiate their own research project, specifically deciding on research questions, hypotheses, research design, sample and variables. Students will also submit their project for ethics approval.
Paradigm Focus:
This course frequently mentions the paradigm of evidence-based practice in clinical psychology, that is, critical thinking about clinical treatments that work, as based on well-designed clinical trials, or on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of such trials. Therefore, students learn to how to locate and evaluate appropriate research studies, including assessment of the validity of the studies. Students are encouraged to come to class prepared to engage the lecturer in discussion about this evidence base.
Collaborative Learning:
Much work as clinical psychologists involves working with multi-disciplinary teams as well as teams made up of multiple psychologists. Therefore, clinical psychology students should develop skills in teamwork. In this subject, students are required to discuss with each other their proposed research projects, thus providing peer feedback. Fellow students can also act as participants in a pilot study (to check for unrecognized flaws).
Reflective Learning:
Reflective practice is an essential skill of a clinical psychologist. This subject aims to foster reflective practice by asking students to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses regarding research methods and statistics, and strategies to overcome such weaknesses.
Practice-based and Self-Directed Learning:
Students are encouraged to continually search for and evaluate newly published research in clinical psychology, particularly in their topics of special interest, such as required for their Clinical Masters thesis. Students are also encouraged to meet in groups and discuss potential problems related to designing their research projects.
Ongoing Feedback:
Feedback is an important teaching and learning strategy employed throughout the subject. The lecturer will provide detailed feedback regarding assessment tasks, and students should seek feedback from their peers. Students will also meet regularly with their research supervisor across the semester who will provide feedback on their progress.
Content (topics)
This subject is designed to continue to support students through a process of contextualizing their research knowledge through a clinical lens, introduce them to advanced topics in clinical research, and supervising them through to completion and dissemination of a piece of research. As such, the following topics are covered; (a) conducting narrative reviews and literature searches in clinical psychology, (b) conducting clinical psychology research with Indigenous communities, (c) qualitative research in clinical psychology, (d) contemporary issues in clinical psychology research, and (f) dissemination of research in Clinical Psychology.
A weekly timetable will be provided separately to this course outline. The topics to be covered are described below in four modules.
Module 1: Literature searching and narrative reviews
Introduction to the unit.
Searching the published literature (Library guest presenter).
Researching and writing narrative reviews.
Module 2: Data-informed clinical psychology practice
Interactions (mediators and moderators) in clinical psychology research.
Program evaluation.
Module 3: Special clinical research topics.
Researching Indigenous health (Guest presenter).
Contemporary research issues in clinical psychology. Selected topics from this list:
- replication crises in psychology
- expanding evidence-based practice (biological and community context of mental illness)
Publishing and dissemination of clinical psychology research (Ian Kneebone).
Module 4: Group consultations regarding your individual research project
Students are divided into three groups over successive weeks. During each week, each student will discuss their project, and lecturers and other students will provide advice and feedback.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: In-class test
| Intent: | This task is intended to test your knowledge of the topics and methodologies discussed in seminars 1-5. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 010, 011, 013, 079 and 100 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: .005, .006, .007 and .011 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Length: | 1 hour |
| Criteria: | Your total grade on the test equates to the number of correct answers you obtain. |
Assessment task 2: Narrative literature review
| Intent: | This assessment is designed to meet the requirements of APAC for an empirical research project, as it supports the final thesis article to be submitted as a part of Research Project 3. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 010, 011, 012, 013 and 014 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: .005, .006 and .011 |
| Type: | Literature review |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 60% |
| Length: | 4000-5000 words |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria available on Canvas. |
Assessment task 3: Research progress and evaluation report
| Intent: | This assessment task is designed to evaluate the student’s ability to undertake clinical psychology research and to assist students in tracking progress and identifying any hurdles to timely completion. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 009, 057, 058, 062, 063, 064 and 066 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: .006, .008, .009, .010 and 02.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 25% |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria available on Canvas. |
Minimum requirements
Students are required to attend a minimum 100% of classes.
To pass this subject students must achieve a minimum grade of 50%.
Note: there is a must-pass assessment in this Subject. Please check assessment descriptions for details.
Required texts
Coursework Assessments Procedures
Graduate School of Health Policy, Guidelines and Procedures (login required)
Recommended texts
Links to recommended readings will be provided on Canvas a week in advance of the respective class.
Examples of references are listed below:
Module 1: Literature searching and narrative reviews
Baker, J. D. (2016). The purpose, process, and methods of writing a literature review. AORN Journal,103, 265 – 269.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing narrative literature reviews. Review of General Psychology, 1, 311 – 320.
Gernsbacher, M. A. (2018). Writing empirical articles. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 1,403 – 414.
Module 2: Data-informed clinical psychology practice
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173 – 1182.
Grembowski, D. (2016). The practice of health program evaluation (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kettner, P. M. et al. (2017). Designing and managing programs: An effectiveness approach (5th edition). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Titov, N. et al. (2017). The first 30 months of the Mindspot Clinic evaluation of a national e-mental health service against project expectations. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 1227 – 1239.
Module 3: Special clinical research topics
Chambers, C. (2017). The seven deadly sins of psychology: A manifesto for reforming the culture of scientific practice. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Craske, M. G. (2019). Refining our research practices in clinical science: Challenges and steps towards solutions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 116,90 – 93.
Williams, Megan (2018). Ngaa-bi-nya Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program evaluation framework. Evaluation Journal of Australia, 18, 6 – 20.