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Course Outline

PSY756 Research Project 4

Course Coordinator:Lee Kannis-Dymand (lkannisd@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Psychology

2024Semester 2

Thompson Institute

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Please go to usc.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

The USC postgraduate psychology programs are committed to maintaining the primacy of public safety in the delivery of the program within the education and placement environments. This course involves the final element of the research project and thesis component of the Master of Psychology (Clinical) degree. Working with a research supervisor, you will write and submit a thesis, consisting of the literature review and a research report of the completed study, in the appropriate format and following APA style.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Independent Study/Research – Total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours(including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks 150hrs Week 1 Once Only

Course Topics

In this course you will complete the write up of your research, presenting it for examination as a publication-style manuscript. 

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?

12 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 Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... Professional Standard Mapping * Australian Psychology Accreditation Council
1 Complete a substantial research project Engaged 
3.8, 3.16, 3.17
2 Describe limitations and future implications of the findings of the project Engaged
Sustainability-focussed 
3.8, 3.16, 3.17
3 Demonstrate advanced clear and articulate communication Creative and critical thinker
Empowered 
3.8, 3.16, 3.17

* Competencies by Professional Body

CODE COMPETENCY
Australian Psychology Accreditation Council
3.8 Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically interpret and communicate findings in oral and written formats, including formal psychological reports, using culturally appropriate language.
3.16 Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically critically evaluate contemporary scientific literature to inform practice.
3.17 Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically investigate a substantive individual research question relevant to the discipline of psychology.

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

PSY704 and PSY707 and PSY753 and enrolled in Program AR703.

Co-requisites

PSY755

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Limited Grading (PNP)

Pass (PU), Fail (UF). All assessment tasks are required to be passed for successful completion of the course.

Details of early feedback on progress

Early assessment of your progress in this course will primarily be provided by your supervisor(s), who will monitor your work throughout the Semester.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Thesis Individual 
4000-6000 words
 Week 13 Online Submission
All 2 Artefact - Technical and Scientific Individual 
As per relevant HREC forms
 Week 13 To be Negotiated
All - Assessment Task 1:Research article manuscript
Goal: 
You are required to submit an APA style article manuscript ready for submission to a journal for publication. You should work closely with your supervisor throughout this task. This task has been designed to assess your abilities to conduct and present a psychology based research report.
Product: Thesis
Format: 
The research article manuscript will be between 4000 and 6000 words (not including the reference list and appendices). The written research project will contain the following (in this order):
a)	A title page giving the title of the research project in full, the name and degrees of the candidate and the month and year when it was submitted.
b)	A structured abstract that is not more than 250 words in length. The abstract should allow the reader to quickly gain an overview of the contents of the research project. You should refer to the nature of the problem investigated, the methods employed, the results found, and the conclusion that you came to.
c)	An acknowledgement of help given or work carried out by any other person or organisation.
d)	The main text, arranged into appropriate sections. This will typically include an introduction and literature review, method, results, and discussion. The introduction should include an overview of the research topic and a clear rationale for the research questions to be addressed. The introduction should explicitly state the overall study objectives and the specific aims of the investigation. The method will describe the specifics of investigation design, participant recruitment, ethical approvals, measurements employed, procedures, and data analysis. The results section will inform the reader of the research findings using the appropriate level of statistical analysis. The discussion will explain the results in the context of the research questions or hypothesises. The discussion should consider theoretical and methodological explanations for your findings, should provide possible alternative interpretations of the results, implications and limitations should be examined, and directions for future research should be stated.
e)	References.
f)	Appendices, which should include relevant materials such as questionnaires, ethical approvals, materials related to informed consent and participant information, and copies of all relevant statistical (e.g. SPSS) output referred to within the thesis.

The Role of the Supervisor
a)	The supervisor should function as adviser and consultant on projects she/he has been appointed to supervise. Supervisors should make themselves available for supervision (within reason) and have regular and frequent contact with their students to discuss progress on the dissertation. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that regular and frequent contact with your supervisor occurs and to keep your supervisor apprised of the status of the research. It is also your responsibility to make sure that all permissions to conduct the research are sought and that all time deadlines are met. 
b)	Advice and consultation provided by the supervisor should concern all aspects of the research, particularly potential errors that may occur in the theoretical perspective, research design, measurement and analysis, interpretation and discussion, and presentation and style.
c)	Further, it is the responsibility of the student, in consultation with the supervisor, to set a time line for the research. This time line should include dates for submission of drafts of the dissertation on which the supervisor will then comment. 
d)	Supervisors are expected to provide constructive feedback within a reasonable time frame on all draft materials submitted. That includes feedback on style and presentation of the written work. While the number and duration of meetings or contacts during teaching periods will vary over the course of the semester, a minimum of fortnightly meetings or contacts during the teaching period is suggested.

How to Submit
You will submit your thesis in one document to the allocated assignment submission page on Canvas. There will be a separate submission folder on Canvas for a copy of your final data file. Corrections made after thesis has been examined will be emailed to the Course Coordinator and Discipline Leader of Psychology (see below).

The Examination
1.	The Course Coordinator, after consulting with the supervisor, shall appoint two appropriately qualified persons to examine the thesis. 
2.	The thesis shall be marked by one internal and one external examiner. The internal examiner will not be the thesis supervisor. The external examiner will be external to the USC Discipline of Psychology.
3.	Examiners will assess the thesis and will choose one recommendation from the selection below:
	1. PASS (Ungraded): This recommendation would apply if (a) no revisions are necessary, or (b) very minor revisions are required, such as typographical errors, which must be corrected before the dissertation will be awarded the grade stipulated here. This will be assessed by the Course Coordinator. If the Course Coordinator is the thesis supervisor, the Discipline Leader of Psychology will approve or nominate a suitable representative. 
	2. PASS (Ungraded) with revisions: This recommendation would apply if the revisions requested are not minor. The thesis will be accepted as a PASS (Ungraded) grade, once the revisions are sighted (within 3 weeks of receiving comments from examiner/s). This will be assessed by the Course Coordinator. If the Course Coordinator is the thesis supervisor, the Discipline Leader of Psychology will approve or nominate a suitable representative. 
	3. INCOMPLETE: This recommendation would apply if the thesis displays serious deficiencies in its current form, yet the examiner/s believes that the thesis may be revised and re-submitted. The detailed comments from the examiner must be addressed and completed within 3 months upon receipt of the examiners comments. The revised thesis will be accepted only after the Course Coordinator is satisfied with the amendments made.
	4. FAIL: This recommendation would apply if the thesis has significant flaws that, in the view of the examiner, cannot be rectified by a revision of the thesis. The candidate will not be permitted to submit the thesis for a further examination.
4.	Examiners will submit a written report on the thesis, which will be released to you. You are then required to write a formal letter addressed to the Course Coordinator and the Discipline Leader of Psychology addressing each point of feedback from your examiners. This should detail what the feedback was, your response to the feedback including any changes you have made to your thesis, and the page number the changes can be found in your thesis. You should then submit 3 documents via email to the Course Coordinator and Discipline Leader of Psychology - 1) your formal letter addressing both examiners' feedback in one document, 2) a copy of your updated thesis with all changes highlighted in yellow, and 3) a "clean" version of your updated thesis with changes made but no highlighting.
5.	In the case where the examiners’ recommendations are discrepant by more than one recommendation category (e.g., a PASS (Ungraded) and INCOMPLETE), or if one examiner recommends a FAIL grade, the course coordinator will contact both examiners and attempt to resolve the discrepancy internally. If this internal process fails to reach a resolution, a third examiner will be called upon to examine the thesis.

Formatting
Please format your thesis using APA 7th Edition. Please make sure your thesis is double spaced and typed in 12 point Times New Roman font. References and all appendices must commence on a new page. Page numbering for these sections follows on from the text. Sections and subsections should not be numbered.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Presentation - Informative title, complies with APA format, well structured, free from spelling and typographic errors, effective writing style, correct and complete referencing (APA), complete appendices.
 1 2 3
2 
Abstract - Fits within 250 word limit, and clearly states the aims of the investigation, the methods used, key findings, and key conclusions.
 1 2 3
3 
Introduction - Identifies the context & justification of the research, thorough literature review, defines relevant theories & terms/constructs. Defines hypotheses/research questions. Outlines implications of the research
 1 3
4 
Method - explains ethical approval. Construction of a scientifically sound and elegant research design and methodology. Provides information about the research design and procedures in a logical sequence that would allow for replication.
 1 3
5 
Results - Presents data relevant to research questions/hypotheses, effectively using text, tables, and figures, appropriate selection and interpretation of data analysis procedures / statistics. Presents results in a logical and appropriate manner.
 1 3
6 
Discussion - Articulates the research findings in the context of research questions/hypotheses & theory. Offers alternative explanations where relevant. Addresses strengths, limitations, & implications. Identifies future research directions.
 1 2 3
All - Assessment Task 2:Final Report Form for Ethics
Goal: 
For you to communicate your findings associated with the dissertation to the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and to finalise this part of the dissertation process.
Product: Artefact - Technical and Scientific
Format: 
As per relevant HREC forms
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Demonstrated understanding of key concepts associated with your dissertation topic.
 1 2 3
2 
Demonstrated responsibility for the conclusion of the HREC process.
 1 3

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

Nil

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

This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Institutional Operating Policy of the USC.

In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.

Assessment: Submission penalties

You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

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

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
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  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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