In Science and health professions, the body of knowledge is constantly expanding as improvements in technology and further discoveries take place. You will be at the forefront of this advance. You will read about the changes in your profession and practice and work to advance your field. This unit will provide you with the knowledge and skills to read, evaluate and undertake research projects. In this assessment, you are required to identify a research project, read and critically evaluate the available literature and develop a research proposal that uses scientific research methodologies to answer specific research questions.

The suitable research project may include:

A) a project based on a provided dataset.

• Dataset project involves analysing and interpreting the data already collected to answer research questions.
• The list of available datasets will be provided on the unit Moodle page.

OR

B) a short hands-on research project

• A hands-on project may involve experiments, laboratory work, fieldwork, measurements, or observation to collect data and analyse the results.
• The list of available hands-on projects will be provided on the unit Moodle page.
• Please note that there is a limited number of hands-on projects available. The feasibility of doing a hands-on project must be decided in consultation with the Unit Coordinator and associated Discipline Leaders/Researchers prior to the end of week one (1).

There are two (2) parts to your research proposal:

• Part 1 will include your project title, aim(s) and research question(s) (100 - 150 words). It accounts for 5% of the weight for this assessment task and needs to be submitted by Friday of Week 3.
• Part 2 will include background and significance (based on the literature review), methodology, expected outcomes, and references (400 - 600 words). It accounts for 15% of the weight for this assessment task and needs to be submitted by Friday of Week 5.

Part 1 accounts for 5% and Part 2 for 15% of the weight for this assessment task (overall 20% of your unit total mark).

The Proposal Templates provide an overview of the requirements. The proposal will be assessed using a marking rubric available on the Moodle page.

The marking criteria for Part 1 will include:

• Clarity and accuracy of project title, question(s) and aim(s)
• Accuracy and quality of writing and compliance with submission requirements

The marking criteria for Part 2 will include:

• Clarity and completeness of background (summary of literature review) and significance
• Accuracy and quality of methodology/experimental approaches and analysis proposed for the project and expected outcomes
• Accuracy and quality of writing, referencing, citation and compliance with submission requirements

Feedback: The marking rubric includes criteria to help identify your weaknesses and strengths in your Proposal Writing. General feedback and suggestions to improve performance will also be provided. If you require additional feedback for this task, you should contact the Unit Coordinator.

Presenting research ideas and proposals, and research findings at scientific conferences, funding organisations and professional development meetings is a critical step in developing and conducting high-quality research. It is through the feedback you receive from the audience and colleagues that you can identify the ways to improve your research. Also, as an audience in these presentations, you will learn from others and increase your knowledge and skill, and maybe learn new research methods or interesting facts. In this assessment, you will have the opportunity to learn the skills of presenting your research proposal, and reviewing and providing constructive feedback to your peers.

There are two (2) parts involved in the completion of this assessment :

• Part 1: you are required to submit an oral presentation (10 to 15 minutes) on the proposed project via a webcam or video recording by Friday of Week 7. For this you should make PowerPoint slides (no more than 15 slides) explaining your proposed research, its significance and the methods you propose to answer research questions. This part accounts for 25% of the weight of this assessment task.
• Part 2: you are required to review and assess oral presentations submitted by your peers by Friday of Week 9. You will rate your own presentation and 3-4 of your peer's presentations. Information on how to complete this self and peer assessment will be provided on the unit Moodle page. This part accounts for 5% of the weight of this assessment task.

Additional information will be provided on the unit Moodle page. Many applications can be used for recording. Camtasia, Zoom, PowerPoint, Teams, etc. offer free trials and recording options. You will be required to upload your recording to YouTube as an 'unlisted' video and submit the link in a word document to be marked. Instructions on how to submit your presentation will be provided in the unit's Assessment Guide. 

Part 1 (Oral Presentation) accounts for 25%  and Part 2 (self and peer assessment) accounts for 5% of the weight of this assessment (overall 30% of your unit total mark).

Your Presentation will be assessed using a marking rubric available in the Assessment Guide provided on the Moodle page.

The marking criteria include:

• Clarity and accuracy of presentation of research information (including topic, background, aims, etc.), findings, discussion, conclusion and future directions for the research
• Clarity and quality of presentation, structure, audience engagement and timing
• Structure, grammar and submission requirements

The self and peer assessment section will have a similar structure to the above-mentioned criteria. Your rates will be reviewed and moderated if required. Further information on this section will be provided during the term.

Feedback: The marking rubric includes criteria to help identify your weaknesses and strengths in your Oral Presentation. General feedback and suggestions to improve performance will also be provided. If you require additional feedback for this task, you should contact the Unit Coordinator.

Dissemination of knowledge and research discoveries to the scientific communities is essential for global improvements to our technologies and currently accepted practices or standards of care. Researchers must be proficient in conveying their research findings through written submissions to journals or other forms of scientific communication. A scientific manuscript is a formal report of the research and findings. This assessment will provide you with the opportunity to prepare a written manuscript based on the project you have proposed and conducted, and its findings. You are required to submit your manuscript by Friday of Week 12.

Your manuscript should be between 2000 – 2500 words and should include the following section:

• Abstract: summary of the research and its findings in a structured way
• Introduction: definition of the topic and discussion on what is known (literature review), the gaps and the significance of the study, and the aim and research questions
• Method: description of the materials, methods and analyses used to answer research questions
• Results: presentation of the findings of the research in a clear and concise way in text, tables and figures
• Discussion: interpretations of the findings and how they compare with literature, what they add and what are the limitations
• Conclusion: summary of the findings, and meaningful and supported suggestions for the application of the findings
• References to the literature used and cited in the manuscript
  

Template, assessment guide and additional materials to support the development of the manuscript will be provided on the unit Moodle page.

Your manuscript will be assessed using a detailed marking rubric available on the Moodle page. The marking criteria include:

• Clarity and accuracy of the title, abstract, introduction and background
• Accuracy of the methods/statistical analysis and ethics consideration (if applicable) outlined
• Clarity of results and findings and accuracy of reporting
• Logic and accuracy of discussion and limitations
• Clarity of conclusion and the implication of findings
• Referencing, structure, grammar and submission requirements

Feedback: The marking rubric includes criteria to help identify your weaknesses and strengths in your Manuscript writing. General feedback and suggestions to improve performance will also be provided. If you require additional feedback for this task, you should contact the Unit Coordinator.