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
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 - 2021
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).
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
Assessment Overview
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.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
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 Have Your Say
More frequent contact with supervisor and students
Supervisors and students will be reminded during the introductory workshop to arrange more frequent supervision sessions if required to help students progress the research project.
Feedback from Have Your Say
Weekly session to learn more about research
Unit coordinator already runs a fortnightly session about the research process. Supervisors meet with their students to support and guide throughout the term as needed. Project specific resources are provided to the students throughout the term. In that sense, students are fully supported to conduct research.
- 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
- Successfully complete a human research ethics application.
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
There are no required textbooks.
Additional Textbook Information
Students are advised to source and read relevant textbooks listed in the study guide.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Access to a computer is recommended
- Zoom Capacity (microphone required; webcam optional)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.kaphle@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Chapter
Concept of research
Defining research problems
Developing research questions
Applying learning to practice
Events and Submissions/Topic
Fortnightly research workshop
Fortnightly meetings with your supervisor
Module/Topic
Literature review
Chapter
Defining review questions
Refining search terms
Conducting literature search
Writing literature review
Applying learning to practice
Events and Submissions/Topic
Fortnightly research workshop
Fortnightly meetings with your supervisor
Module/Topic
Methodology
Chapter
Research design
Research methods
Research ethics
Participant recruitment process
Use of theories in research
Applying learning to practice
Events and Submissions/Topic
Fortnightly research workshop
Fortnightly meetings with your supervisor
Justification Paper Due: Week 4 Friday (6 Aug 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ethics and Risks
Chapter
What is ethics?
Why ethics important in research?
NHMRC Ethics Statement and Guidelines
Applying for ethical clearance
Events and Submissions/Topic
Fortnightly research workshop
Fortnightly meetings with your supervisor
Public Health Project Proposal Due: Week 7 Friday (3 Sept 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Data Analysis
Chapter
Data analysis methods
Data analysis strategies/tools
Deciding the appropriate strategies/tools
Applying learning to practice
Events and Submissions/Topic
Fortnightly research workshop
Fortnightly meetings with your supervisor
Module/Topic
Oral Presentation
Chapter
Presentation of proposal
Oral presentation tips
Events and Submissions/Topic
Fortnightly research workshop
Fortnightly meetings with your supervisor
Oral Presentation Due: Week 10 Friday (24 Sept 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Development of Research Plan
Chapter
Data collection plan
Events and Submissions/Topic
Unit evaluation
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
This unit runs parallelly with PBHL20012
1 Written Assessment
This justification paper must demonstrate student’s ability to look at the relevant literature, identify gaps or areas that require more study, and use this evidence to critically argue what they are trying to find out and why the research they are doing is important in the field.
Week 4 Friday (6 Aug 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Assessment submitted in Moodle
Week 6 Friday (27 Aug 2021)
Return assessment with feedback and grade
Your justification paper will be assessed using following criteria:
- Analyse the existing literature on the topic with attention to issues that have been noted to contribute to the gaps in knowledge/evidence;
- Demonstrate the current relevance and application of the knowledge likely to be created by the proposed research project to contribute to the evidence;
- Discuss the kind(s) of data that will provide new insight into the topic in line with the proposed project design;
- Discuss the significance of the topic in relation to what has been done already; and
- Demonstrate critical thinking, originality, logical discussion and creativity skills to justify conceptual and methodological aspects of the proposed research project
- 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.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
2 Research Proposal
Your proposal must demonstrate that you have understood the research process and have ability to how you are going to conduct research.
Week 7 Friday (3 Sept 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Assessment submitted in Moodle
Week 9 Friday (17 Sept 2021)
Feedback and grade provided to students.
This assessment will be marked using following criteria.
- Logically written introduction demonstrates ability to critique the contemporary evidence and discuss significance of the project
- Clearly developed research question/s, aim/s and objectives
- Thoroughly described methodology provides clear justification of research design and the use of appropriate research methods
- Well-developed research plan demonstrates a realistic timeline and considers the resources you will need to conduct the project
- Writing maintains accuracy, coherence, academic conventions, appropriateness and clarity of language
- 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
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
3 Oral Examination
This is the presentation of your research project proposal. You need to present your research project within a strict three minute time limit covering what you are going to do in this research, why you are doing this research and how you will conduct the research .
Week 10 Friday (24 Sept 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Presentation materials submitted in Moodle
Week 12 Friday (8 Oct 2021)
Feedback and grade provided
-
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:
- Contents
- Presentation
- Use of materials
- Time management
- 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
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
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.