Course Outline

MHN710 Research Perspectives and Implementation B

Course Coordinator:Daniel Hermens (dhermens@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Psychology

2026Trimester 2

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This course focuses on the empirical component of the dissertation topic chosen with your Thompson Institute supervisor in Part A. In this course you will undertake data analysis based on existing datasets, which may be part of larger program of research and may therefore build on previous work carried out to date. The secondary data analyses may be quantitative or qualitative, with a focus on the methodology and statistical approaches undertaken. This empirical paper should represent an original contribution to the literature, relevant to the topic. 

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Online
Independent Study/Research – Supervised independent study/research. 300hrs Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) Once Only

Course Topics

  • Developing a research plan.
  • Implementing research methods and analysis.
  • Research data analysis and write up.

What level is this course?

700 Level (Specialised)

Demonstrating a specialised body of knowledge and set of skills for professional practice or further learning. Advanced application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts.

What is the unit value of this course?

24 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Identify research methods and analysis appropriate to mental health and neuroscience project. Knowledgeable
2 Conceive, design and justify a research plan to address gaps in current mental health and neuroscience research. Engaged
3 Apply advanced ethical considerations in designing an aspect of research activity. Ethical
4 Execute a research data analysis project with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability. Engaged
5 Apply scholarly writing skills, appropriate for submission to relevant journal style, to make a meaningful contribution to scholarly knowledge in mental health and neuroscience. Empowered

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

MHN711 and must be enrolled in program AR706

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

An opportunity to submit a draft research plan will be provided in Week 3 for formative feedback.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Written Piece Individual 30%
2000 words
Week 5 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Thesis Individual 70%
4000-5000 words
Exam Period Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Research plan
Goal:
The goal of this assessment task is to plan and design a research project based on a secondary data set provided to you by your supervisor.
Product: Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will be required to conceive and design a research plan to utilise a secondary data set, with appropriate considerations for ethics, methodology and statistics. You will be guided by your supervisor in the data set use and required writing style. You will develop and justify this research plan which will then be the basis for your research manuscript in Assessment Task 2.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Identification of research methods and analysis appropriate to mental health and neuroscience project.
1
2
Conception and design of a research plan for a mental health and neuroscience research project.
2
3
Justification of a research plan to address gaps in current mental health and neuroscience research.
2
4
Apply advanced ethical considerations in designing an aspect of research activity.
3
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation
All - Assessment Task 2:Research manuscript
Goal:
The goal of this assessment task is to enact your research plan and execute a research data analysis project, to then produce a research manuscript, appropriate for submission to a relevant journal.
Product: Thesis
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Based your research plan from Assessment Task 1, you will apply the relevant methodology and statistical analysis as defined in your plan. You will then write up your findings to produce a research manuscript, aligned to a particular journal style as guided by your supervisor.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Execution of a research data analysis project with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability.
4
2
Application of scholarly writing skills for journal submission with appropriate introduction (overview of literature, identification of gap and justification for study)
5
3
Application of scholarly writing skills for journal submission with appropriate, detailed methodology.
5
4
Application of scholarly writing skills for journal submission with appropriate results (correct analysis and interpretation of results).
5
5
Application of scholarly writing skills for journal submission with appropriate discussion (explanation of results in relation to current literature, implications, limitations, future directions and conclusion)
5
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

This course may require the use of the software package SPSS. This is available for free via UniSC Anywhere, however, students may prefer to purchase their own licence (please discuss with Course Coordinator).

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: