This assessment requires you to write your research plan (word length 500 ± 10%) which will scaffold into assessment 2. A research plan is a written outline of planned research that allows you, the researcher, to clarify and organise your thoughts on your research topic. 

The content of the proposal will include:

1. An outline of your research idea citing at least two (2) relevant recent peer reviewed articles. This will provide the context for your research idea.
2. Search strategy which includes keywords (minimum 4, maximum 6-7), Boolean operators, limiting years and search engines and database/s used for your search of the literature .
3. Title written as one sentence which will include your keywords.
4. PICO framework: list who your Participants (or Population or Problem) will be, what your Intervention will be, a Comparison if applicable and an Outcome.
5. Research question using the PICO elements and keywords.
6. Research aim using the PICO elements and keywords.
7. Methodology: how you will do the study to collect your data and what research design you will use.
8. A reference list of at least two (2) references using Vancouver referencing style. The references should be recent, current, relevant to the topic and from peer reviewed journals.
9. The two most relevant full text articles selected from the references you have used, uploaded separately onto Moodle as PDF files.

Further detailed information on how to complete the task is provided to you under the assessment tab in Moodle.

The criteria to receive a Pass are as follows:

• The research idea is simple (preferably low risk), ethical, feasible, relevant to the title, research question, aim and methodology and supported by reference to at least two (2) relevant recent peer reviewed articles.
• Keywords correctly and adequately reflect the topic. Search strategy clearly and correctly outlined.
• The title should be clear and concise, reflect the research question, align with the topic, and engage the reader.
• The PICO elements (Participant (or Population or Problem), Intervention, plus or minus a Comparison, and the proposed Outcome) are listed and relate to the research idea.
• The research question clearly and correctly uses the PICO elements to pose a question that can be answered by the methodology. 
• The research aim clearly and correctly identifies a Participant (or Population or Problem), an Intervention, plus or minus a Comparison and a proposed Outcome to detail what the research will potentially achieve. 
• The methodology and research design are feasible, can answer the aim, are operational in nature, and ethically, clearly and correctly explained.
• Two (2) full-text relevant and up-to-date articles are submitted as PDF files, and uploaded in addition to the word document submission.
• Referenced in Vancouver style with citations and reference list recent (within the last 10 years or seminal works), relevant, correct, complete and accurate.
• Sustained academic voice written in a scholarly style with appropriate plain English research language used. Written style is culturally and ethically aware.
• Correct spelling and grammar.
• Within the word limit to demonstrate concise clear scientific communication.

A marking rubric is available to students on the unit Moodle site.

Please be advised the use of Large Language Models (LLMs), a type of artificial intelligence (AI) such as Chat GPT are not supported in this unit. The information provided by LLMs are not necessarily accurate, current information or correctly referenced and are not considered reliable enough to use for academic work. Any use of LLM/AI in your assignments must be acknowledged using the Guidelines for referencing Large Language Models or Artificial Intelligence .

In this assessment you will search and review the literature and refine your chosen topic to write a research proposal. A research proposal involves synthesising the literature in the form of a literature review to provide context for your topic. This will be followed by an aim and research question that can be answered by the research design and methodology you have selected. You will address the risk level of your project. 

The length of your research proposal will be 1000 words ± 10%. The word count excludes the title page, Ethics Checklist and reference list. Assessment 2 scaffolds on assessment 1 and will demonstrate correct and clear progression through all components of your work.

The content of the proposal will include:

1. Title.
2. Keywords (minimum 4, maximum 6-7).
3. Literature review. Introduce and outline the area of research you wish to study by synthesising at least five (5) up to date and relevant peer reviewed articles from scientific, medical, and allied health literature. A synthesis of the literature involves you bringing together different and possibly apposing information about a topic and then providing an original interpretation of that topic. A synthesis is NOT a summary of each article you review. Your review will explain any discipline specific terms and ideas, and allow you to introduce your research question and aim. The review will align with your methodology. Your review will establish the need for further research by describing an existing gap in knowledge. The literature review must be cited intext.
4. Research aim and question using the Participant (or Population or Problem), Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) formula.
5. A research design and plan (methodology) that will allow you to answer your research question.
6. Completion of the Ethics Checklist (which can be found on the unit Moodle site) and inserted into your assessment 2 word document in word format.
7. A risk statement (a short paragraph) about whether the proposal is low or high risk and why. This should include a reflection on the feasibility and ethics of your methodology. Hint: use the Ethics Checklist to help you decide the level of risk.
8. A reference list of at least five (5) references using Vancouver referencing style. The references should be current or highly cited, relevant to the topic and from peer reviewed journals.
9. Three (3) of the most relevant full text articles uploaded separately onto Moodle as PDF files.

Further detailed information on how to complete this task is provided to you throughout this unit and under the assessment tab in the unit Moodle site.

The criteria to receive a Pass are as follows:

• The title should be clear and concise, incorporate your keywords, reflect the research question, align with the topic and engage the reader.
• Keywords should correctly and adequately reflect the topic enabling a search of the literature.
• The literature review is an original synthesis with correct and ethical interpretation of the chosen topic. The review provides apposing views and an ethical interpretation. A gap in knowledge is correctly identified. Discipline specific terms are described.
• The research aim and question clearly and correctly identifies a Participant (or Population or Problem), an Intervention, plus or minus a Comparison and a proposed Outcome using the PICO formula. The aim is Feasible (answerable), Interesting, Novel, Ethical and Relevant (FINER criteria), describes the purpose or motivation of the work and relates to the literature review, title and keywords.
• The study design and methodology can answer the aim, are ethical and operational in nature, and clearly and correctly explained.
• Risk level statement is correct and aligns with the proposed project risk and includes a reflection on the feasibility. Ethics assessment correlates with the methodology.
• Ethics Checklist is completed fully and correctly, and checklist is embedded in the assessment word document.
• Three full-text relevant and up-to-date articles are submitted as PDF files, and are uploaded in addition to the word document submission.
• Referenced in Vancouver style with in-text references and reference list relevant, ethically obtained, correct, complete and accurate.
• Sustained academic voice written in a scholarly style with appropriate plain English research language used. Written style is culturally and ethically aware.
• Correct spelling and grammar.
• Within the word limit to demonstrate concise clear scientific communication.

A marking rubric is available to students on the unit Moodle site.

Please be advised the use of Large Language Models (LLMs), a type of artificial intelligence (AI) such as Chat GPT are not supported in this unit. The information provided by LLMs are not necessarily accurate, current information or correctly referenced and are not considered reliable enough to use for academic work. Any use of LLM/AI in your assignments must be acknowledged using the Guidelines for Referencing Large Language Models or Artificial Intelligence.