Course Coordinator:Hester Wright (hwright@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Nutrition and Dietetics
Online |
Online | You can do this course without coming onto campus. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
In this course you will begin to apply a range of appropriate health research and evaluation methodologies in practice, inclusive of quantitative and qualitative research methods. You will gain an understanding of ethical processes and culturally safe approaches to research. The course provides a foundation for further research pathways.
Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
Online | |||
Learning materials – A combination of online materials, readings and associated activities | 1hr | Week 1 | 10 times |
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online workshop | 3hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
Independent Study/Research – Meetings with your group in relations to assigned course tasks. | 1hr | Week 2 | 10 times |
Introduction to research design
Reviewing and critiquing the literature
Writing a literature review
Developing a research proposal
Research methodology
Quantitative and qualitative methods
Human ethics requirements
Culturally safe approaches to research
Research in practice
500 Level (Advanced)
12 units
Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Dietitians Australia | |
1 | Assemble a critical and systematic review, analysis, consolidation and synthesis of research literature using established methods and present in a professional manner |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker |
2.1, 3.1 |
2 | Design a research project from existing identified literature gaps applying appropriate research methods and ethical principles to provide a solution to a complex nutrition problem. |
Creative and critical thinker Ethical Sustainability-focussed |
1.1, 1.2 |
3 | Reflect on research practice and articulate the mentoring and supervision process. |
Empowered Ethical |
1.1, 1.3 |
4 | Demonstrate recognition of cultural identities and needs of diverse populations across research practices. | Empowered |
1.5
|
CODE | COMPETENCY |
Dietitians Australia | |
1.1 | Professional Practice: Demonstrates safe practice |
1.2 | Professional Practice: Demonstrates ethical and legal practice |
1.3 | Professional Practice: Demonstrates leadership |
1.5 | Professional Practice: Demonstrates cultural safety and responsiveness |
2.1 | Expert Practice: Adopts an evidence-based approach to dietetic practice |
3.1 | Research Practice: Conducts research, evaluation, and quality management processes |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Enrolled in MC001
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
In week 3 you will submit the draft aim of your literature review, a search strategy for one database, and a data extraction table including data from two relevant primary studies. This submission will include brief feedback from your research mentor. This will form the basis for Task 1: Literature review.
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 | Literature Review (or component) | Group | 35% | 4000- 5000 +/- 10% words |
Week 8 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 2 | Written Piece | Group | 25% | 2000 words |
Week 13 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 3 | Oral | Individual | 40% | 20 - 30 minutes |
Exam Period | To be Negotiated |
All - Assessment Task 1:Literature review | |
Goal: | The goal of this assessment is to provide a foundation for your research proposal. You will apply your knowledge of research principles and methods to critically and systematically review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise the literature to demonstrate a broad understanding of your allocated research topic. |
Product: | Literature Review (or component) |
Format: | You will be assigned a research group, topic and research mentor at the beginning of the course. You will investigate the evidence using a systematic process to search credible research databases and critically review, analyse, consolidate and synthesis the literature to write a coherent well-structured literature review. Your group will submit a 4000-5000 word literature review (summative). You will present the literature review using the relevant research papers related to your research topic. Your literature review will include a title, introduction and background, methods for searching the evidence, results of your systematic search, critique of the evidence (discussion) and conclusion. |
Criteria: |
|
All - Assessment Task 2:Research proposal | |
Goal: | You will demonstrate your ability to create research aims and objectives that address a gap in the literature on a relevant topic, identify and select appropriate research methods that align with the research aims and objectives, justify research design and apply an ethical process to research and evaluation. |
Product: | Written Piece |
Format: | Using your research topic from task 1 you will work in a group to develop and produce a research proposal. You will draw from the evidence in your literature review to provide a rationale for the research design. Your group will meet with your mentor on a regular basis to discuss and seek feedback on your project design. |
Criteria: |
|
All - Assessment Task 3:Oral defence | |
Goal: | The goal of this assessment is to demonstrate your ability to share research and information to support sound decision making and disseminate research through effective communication. This assessment task enables you to communicate and reflect on the various research tasks you undertook as part of this course. |
Product: | Oral |
Format: | You will participate in an interactive oral interview. You are expected to answer questions that are based on the research project you have worked on during this course. The interview will be up to 30 minutes in duration. |
Criteria: |
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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.
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.
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.
Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
Recommended | Pranee Liamputtong | 2017 | Research Methods in Health | 3rd edition | Oxford University Press, USA |
Required | John W. Creswell,J. David Creswell | 2018 | Research Design | 5th Edition. | SAGE Publications, Incorporated |
Not applicable
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.
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: - The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% - The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale - You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate (the rates are cumulative): - 5% (of the assessment task’s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task - 10% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task - A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension, you must contact your Course Coordinator and supply the required documentation to negotiate an outcome. Refer to the Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs – Procedures
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