CQUniversity Unit Profile
PBHL20011 Public Health Project Proposal
Public Health Project Proposal
All details in this unit profile for PBHL20011 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
Corrections

Unit Profile Correction added on 13-07-20

Assessments 1b and 1a are listed incorrectly as ungraded PASS/FAIL assessment. This assessment is 20% of the overall mark. You also need to submit a 500 word reflection on:

 1) Your individual contribution to the ethics submission (group research project only) OR


 2) How you worked with your supervisor to develop your ethics submission (individual project only)

Unit Profile Correction added on 11-08-20

Students who do need to submit a CQU human research ethics application must complete the Ethics and Risks Statement for research projects not requiring CQU ethics. (Assessments 1A and 1B).

General Information

Overview

Public Health Project Proposal is the first of a suite of four units designed to allow you to undertake a work-related or research project over the course of two terms. This suite of units provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge you have gained throughout the six core public health units and to apply these to a specific project. The project may be related to a public health intervention, evaluation or research topic. You are encouraged to discuss your ideas for the project with the unit coordinator at least a month prior to the commencement of Term 1 to allow refinement of your ideas to ensure they are appropriate for this project. In this unit, you will be undertaking the necessary preparations for the implementation of the project. These include undertaking a literature review, deciding on the project design and methodology, and gaining ethical clearance, if that is required.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 9
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisites:PBHL20001 Understanding Public HealthPBHL20002 Systems Thinking in Public HealthPBHL20003 Social EpidemiologyPBHL20004 Public Health Action and EvaluationPBHL20005 Global Public HealthPBHL20006 Participatory Health Research

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 2 - 2020

Cairns
Melbourne
Online
Sydney

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 20%
2. Oral Examination
Weighting: 20%
3. Research Proposal
Weighting: 60%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Unit coordinator observation

Feedback

Students require a great deal of guidance and step by step approaches to research activities.

Recommendation

Material be revised to focus on the fundamentals of research activities presented in direct and more operationalised ways.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Formulate an appropriate research question relevant to a public health issue
  2. Develop a public health project proposal and justify this based on a comprehensive literature review
  3. Justify a public health project on social-ecological model of health principles
  4. Defend the chosen approach taken within the public health project proposal
  5. Articulate own positionality within the public health project proposal
  6. Successfully complete a human research ethics application.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Oral Examination - 20%
3 - Research Proposal - 60%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Oral Examination - 20%
3 - Research Proposal - 60%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

How to do your research project: A guide for students

Edition: 3rd (2017)
Authors: Gary Thomas
Sage
London London , UK
ISBN: 978-1-4739-4887-7
Binding: Paperback

Additional Textbook Information

If you prefer to study with a paper copy, they are available at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code). eBooks are available at the publisher's website.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • Zoom Capacity (microphone required; webcam optional)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Robyn Preston Unit Coordinator
r.preston@cqu.edu.au
Rebecca Fanany Unit Coordinator
r.fanany@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Module 1: Getting Started Begin Date: 13 Jul 2020

Module/Topic

Getting Started

Chapter

Chapter 1 Starting Points: Your Introduction

Chapter 2 Project Management, Ethics and Getting Clearance

Chapter 3 The Literature Review

Events and Submissions/Topic

Plan fortnightly meetings with your supervisor 

Module 2: Ethics and More Begin Date: 10 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Ethics and More

Chapter

Chapter 4 Decide on Your Question - Again

Chapters 5 & 6  Methodology Parts 1 & 2

Chapter 7 The Right Tools for the Job: Data Gathering

Events and Submissions/Topic

Plan fortnightly meetings with your supervisor

Ethics Application to be lodged by Week 6 (Due 28/08/2020)


1A Ethics Application & 1B Ethics Approval Due: Week 6 Friday (28 Aug 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 17 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Module 3: Putting it All Together Begin Date: 07 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Putting it All Together 

Chapter

Chapter 7 The Right Tools for the Job: Data Gathering

Chapter 8 How to Analyse and Discuss the Information You Gather

Chapter 9 Concluding and Writing up

Events and Submissions/Topic

Plan fortnightly meetings with your supervisor

Oral Presentation Due Week 9 (18/09/2020)

Evidence of Ethics Approval Due Week 12 (9/10/2020)

Public Health Proposal Due Week 12 (9/10/2020)


Oral Presentation Due: Week 9 Friday (18 Sept 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Public Health Project Proposal Due: Week 12 Friday (9 Oct 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 11 Begin Date: 28 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

 You are required to attend a 2 day, compulsory, workshop via Zoom on 8th and 9th July 2020. This workshop will introduce you to the unit and provide time for you to meet with your supervisor to discuss your project. If you are not able to attend this workshop, you will not be able to continue with the research unit. There is a pre-workshop document that you must complete before the workshop. You must bring the pre-workshop with you to the workshop.

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
1A Ethics Application & 1B Ethics Approval

Task Description

The first part of the written assignment (1A) is your Ethics Application submission. This is an individual assessment. The application must follow the headings on the template supplied. You must obtain ethical clearance in order to pass this assessment. Your Ethics Application must be submitted to the Ethics Office and evidence of your submission is required for this assignment. Applications must be submitted using the CQU Ethics form via email to ethics@cqu.edu.au, and must include all relevant attachments such as information sheet, online survey or interview questions and any external approvals (e.g. from collaborating organisations or permissions to recruit via groups). The application will be assessed within the ethics office, with final approval given by the Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).

You must NOT submit your Ethics Application until you have discussed it with your supervisor.

Gaining ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee completes the final part Assignment 1 (1B). This is a hurdle assessment which means that you must have completed, submitted and received ethics approval for your project in order to pass this assignment. This is an ungraded PASS/FAIL assessment.

1A Due: Friday 28/08/2020 (week 6)

1B Due Date: Friday 09/10/2020 (week 12)


Assessment Due Date

Week 6 Friday (28 Aug 2020) 11:45 pm AEST

Evidence of Ethics Application Submitted


Return Date to Students

Return date will be dependent on the response from the Human Research Ethics Committee


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

You need to submit your Ethics Application to the Human Research Ethics Office in the form provided to ethics@cqu.edu.au. You need to cc the unit coordinator (robyn.preston@cqu.edu.au) in this email to the Human Research Ethics Office to complete 1A. (due 28/08/2020)

You need to submit your letter of Ethics Approval from the Human Research Ethics Office via email to the unit coordinator (robyn.preston@cqu.edu.au) to complete 1B. (due 09/10/2020)

There only needs to be one ethics application per project. You need to work on the ethics application as a group. However, you need to nominate ONE person to submit the ethics application and send the ethics approval letter to the unit coordinator for your group.


Referencing Style

Submission
Offline Group

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Formulate an appropriate research question relevant to a public health issue
  • Develop a public health project proposal and justify this based on a comprehensive literature review
  • Successfully complete a human research ethics application.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

2 Oral Examination

Assessment Title
Oral Presentation

Task Description

This is an individual, oral presentation. You are required to outline your research proposal within a strict three minute time limit. You need to record your presentation and upload it via the Moodle site. You may use powerpoint slides to highlight the key aspects of your proposal. Your presentation must be within the time limit and must illustrate a professional standard.




Assessment Due Date

Week 9 Friday (18 Sept 2020) 11:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 10 Friday (25 Sept 2020)


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

Presenting papers at conferences and to your peers and the broader community is a core aspect of public health and an important part of the research process. In this three minute, oral  presentation you will be assessed on:

  • Background and significance of the project - is it clearly addressed?
  • Presentation - does it flow clearly and logically?
  • Use of slides (or other technology) - are they used appropriately, do they enhance the presentation?
  • Presentation  - is clear, legible and concise?
  • Adheres to strict time limit with adequate time on each component
  • Overall standard is professional, jargon free and uses correct English expression.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Must be uploaded via Moodle

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Justify a public health project on social-ecological model of health principles
  • Defend the chosen approach taken within the public health project proposal
  • Articulate own positionality within the public health project proposal


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

3 Research Proposal

Assessment Title
Public Health Project Proposal

Task Description

This individual written assignment is your Public Health Project proposal. You must use the template provided and discuss the proposal with your supervisor before the due date. Your proposal must demonstrate that you have:

  • adequately critiqued the literature
  • clearly outlined your aims, scope and focus of the project
  • addressed your research question
  • designed an appropriate plan of action with realistic timelines and considered the resources you will need to conduct the project.  Word limit : 2000 words (excluding references).


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (9 Oct 2020) 11:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (23 Oct 2020)


Weighting
60%

Assessment Criteria

You must use the template provided and structure your proposal as per the template headings. Your proposal will be assessed on the following criteria:

  • Research aim/s and objectives - are they relevant for this project, are they clearly articulated?
  • Literature review - does it include a wide or limited  range of studies? Is the literature selected relevant and adequately critiqued? 
  • Methodology and methods chosen - is it appropriate to the research question? Is there adequate explanation of the research design, sampling methods, data collection tools and analysis? Have ethical considerations been addressed?
  • Rigour and limitations -  are relevant and clearly articulated?
  • Project timelines and resources - are they feasible?
  • Overall standard of proposal - well written, jargon free, language is clear and easily understood. 
  • References are clearly and adequately cited.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Must be uploaded via Moodle

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Formulate an appropriate research question relevant to a public health issue
  • Develop a public health project proposal and justify this based on a comprehensive literature review
  • Justify a public health project on social-ecological model of health principles
  • Defend the chosen approach taken within the public health project proposal
  • Articulate own positionality within the public health project proposal


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?