Research Project

Subject PSYC40010 (2014)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2014.

Credit Points: 25
Level: 4 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2014.

Time Commitment: Contact Hours: Regular meetings with supervisor.
Total Time Commitment:

Estimated total time commitment of 480 hours.

Prerequisites:

Selection into the fourth-year Honours program or Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology.

Corequisites:

No corequisites are required for this subject

Recommended Background Knowledge:

An accredited psychology major sequence

Non Allowed Subjects:

There are no non allowed subjects

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards of Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit Website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Contact

Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

12th floor Redmond Barry Building (Building 115 Map)

Telephone: + 61 3 8344 6377

Email: enquiries@psych.unimelb.edu.au

Web: http://www.psych.unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview:

There are no scheduled classes for this subject. Instead students undertake a research project and obtain experience in all aspects of conducting and reporting of independent empirical research. The thesis project will be submitted as two documents. The first comprises a review of relevant literature submitted early in semester 2. The second comprises an empirical study submitted as a journal article later in semester 2. The research project constitutes 50% of the course.

Learning Outcomes:

The subject aims to:

  • Develop independent research skills
  • Become familiar with the relationship between research design and ethical research procedures
  • Work with an academic mentor-supervisor to gain direct knowledge of psychology as a research-based discipline
  • Acquire skills in formulating and reporting empirical research
Assessment:

A Literature Review of 4,000 words (worth 40%), due at the beginning of second semester.

Empirical thesis in the format of a journal article of 6,000 words (worth 60%), due at the end of second semester.

Prescribed Texts:

There are no prescribed texts

Recommended Texts:

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th Edition, July 2001

Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • critically analysing the existing knowledge about a research topic prior to one's own research (eg. sophisticated conceptual analysis of relevant content area/literature/intervention program etc., critical appraisal of one's own and others' research, generation of productive research questions);
  • constructing a research plan (eg. research design, methods of observation) to address one's research question;
  • executing one's research plan adequately to obtain data;
  • analysing the data to address the research question appropriately; and
  • discussing the implications of the results coherently within the context of the existing knowledge relevant to the research topic.
Related Course(s): Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Psychology

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