96846 Research Project A
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Pass fail, no marks
Requisite(s): 96842 Psychological Science Career Readiness AND 96843 Advanced Professional Skills and Ethical Issues in Psychology AND 96844 Advanced Psychological Assessment and Intervention AND 96845 Advanced Research Methods
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
In a collaborative lab group environment, students identify an individual research question relevant to psychology. Working closely with a supervisor they submit a literature review that justifies the research question and hypotheses. Students present and receive feedback on the thesis background and an appropriate study design to test the hypotheses. The detailed plan from Research Project A is brought to life in Research Project B. Following ethically approved data collection or study pre-registration, students analyse and interpret the data. After incorporating supervisor and peer feedback, students write up a final thesis in publication-ready journal article format. Students attend a simulated research conference to present their findings
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 008. | Summarise main ideas and empirical evidence from psychology sources and research |
|---|---|
| 009. | Construct a substantive individual research question relevant to the discipline of psychology |
| 010. | Construct arguments clearly and concisely using evidence-based psychological concepts and theories |
| 011. | Design or replicate a research study to confirm or disconfirm a testable hypothesis |
| 012. | Prepare a research proposal or amendment to submit to a designated ethical review process |
| 013. | Interpret statistical analyses related to investigation of an individual research question relevant to the discipline of psychology |
| 015. | Evaluate psychological research for adherence to relevant ethics code for research involving human or nonhuman research participants |
| 061. | Apply knowledge and skills regarding advanced research methods and statistical techniques |
| 065. | Craft a research report in adherence to the current American Psychological Association (APA) Style guide and formatting requirements |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:
- Research and Communication: Analyse, critique, and communicate advanced theory and research in psychology, including investigation of an individual research question relevant to psychology. (2.2)
- Values and Ethics: Appraise appropriate values, and ethical standards in psychological research and practice. (4.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
Psychologically and technologically literate
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced)
understand psychology and behaviour from an evidence-based perspective, can apply psychological science to
real-world problems, and are competent in the design, analysis, critique, and communication of research.
Global citizen
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) possess respectful attitudes that allow them to contribute meaningfully to society as global citizens who promote and support fairness and social justice, and who are sensitive to the diversity of individuals.
Teaching and learning strategies
Orientation activities
Preparation for the session - You are expected to undertake activities during orientation week. These activities are designed to introduce you to the subject and your peers and will assist you to prepare for the subject's assessment tasks.
Independent learning activities
Relevant readings, videos and activities will be made available online relevant to the topic of the week. This will support your ability to progress successfully throughout the subject and complete assessment items effectively. The online material aims to enhance your understanding of the topic or delve deeper into a more specific area, compare experiences and ideas with others and gain feedback. Information and links to all these learning activities can be accessed via Canvas as well as the subject outline.
Zoom meetings
You are strongly encouraged to attend all scheduled Zoom supervision meetings as they will prepare you for the subject’s assessment tasks. Additionally, they provide opportunities for group activities, discussion, self-assessment, peer review and formative feedback from the subject coordinator and your teaching team. The schedule for this subject’s zoom meetings will be coordinated with your research supervisor.
Feedback
Feedback in this subject takes several forms including self-assessment, peer review, automatic feedback from interactive activities and from the teaching team. Formative feedback throughout the subject aims to increase your performance in summative assessments.
Feedback and changes from previous subject offering
This subject has been revised based on student feedback. We will be collecting further feedback from you in several forms to evaluate the design, relevance and depth of the content and its delivery. We appreciate you taking part in this process to ensure we are delivering subjects that are contemporary and meet your needs.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Research and Ethics Quiz
| Intent: | The intention of this assessment is to provide students an opportunity to evaluate their understanding of research design, narrative review, and ethics in psychology. This assessment will scaffold their learning towards completing their individual research project |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 015 and 061 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.2 and 4.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Length: | 10 multiple choice questions |
| Criteria: | Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory |
Assessment task 2: Research Proposal Presentation
| Intent: | Psychological scientists are required to present research protocols for feedback. In this assessment students will communicate their research proposal as would be expected in a professional research context. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 008, 009, 010, 011 and 012 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.2 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Length: | 5 minutes |
| Criteria: | Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory |
Assessment task 3: Narrative Literature Review
| Intent: | In this assessment students will demonstrate skills for completing a narrative literature review relevant to their empirical research question. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 008, 009 and 010 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.2 |
| Type: | Literature review |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Length: | 3000 words |
| Criteria: | Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory |
Assessment task 4: Draft Methods Section
| Intent: | The intention of this assessment is for students to demonstrate the skills required to complete a professional standard Methods section in a psychology report. A further intention is to provide students with the opportunity to receive feedback on the Methods section of their empirical thesis |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 011 and 065 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.2 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Length: | 2000 words |
| Criteria: | Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory |
Recommended texts
American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association : the official guide to APA style. 7th Edition.
O’Shea, R. & McKenzie, W. (2021). Writing for Psychology. Cengage Learning.
References
University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). (2020). Assessment of coursework subjects policy and procedures, UTS.
A comprehensive list of references and other resources are available in this subject in Canvas.
Other resources
UTS Student Centre
Building 10
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm
Tel: 1300 ASK UTS (1300 275 887)
For other resources/information refer to the Faculty of Health website and Canvas.
UTS Library
The Library has a wide range of resources, facilities and services to support you including textbooks, subject readings, health literature databases, workshops and bookable study rooms. There is also a team of librarians to help you with your questions available via online chat, phone and in person. W: lib.uts.edu.au, Facebook: utslibrary, Twitter: @utslibrary Tel: +61 2 9514 3666.
Improve your academic and English language skills
Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) Service in Student Services.