Overview
This unit will give you the analytic skills necessary to carry out advanced applied research. There is both theory and computer 'hands-on' experiential exercises. The primary aim of the unit is to introduce you to a variety of univariate and multivariate analytic techniques (e.g., t-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, Regression, GLM) as well as developing skills in applying appropriate analyses relevant to a specific research design. It builds on earlier units by introducing more advanced statistical techniques and requires the use of industry standard software packages such as SPSS. Online tutorial sessions allow the chance to practice core SPSS skills.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
PSYC12047 and PSYC12048.
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 - 2019
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 Undergraduate 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 Moodle, email, chats after class
Textbook too detailed
Main textbook will be reviewed to see if still suitable for theoretical and practical aspects of running SPSS analyses. A supplemental 'step by step' textbook will be recommended to help with practical aspects.
Feedback from Moodle, email, chats after class
Lecture content not focused enough
Produce more concise lectures that give students less data analysis options.
Feedback from Moodle, email, chats after class
Major assignment requirements clearer
Produce more detailed and explicit requirements that give students less data analysis options.
Feedback from Moodle, email
Local Tutor support helpful
Have a support Tutor on campuses where PSYC13015 lectures are offered by ISL
Feedback from Moodle, email, chats after class
Unit Coordinator is enthusiastic about students grasping a difficult subject
Maintain Lecturer enthusiasm and time to interact live, through marking and local Tutor support
- Prepare data sets suitable for analysis in SPSS
- Utilise advanced working knowledge of appropriate statistical tests for analyses in SPSS
- Write-up the results of advanced analyses in scientific APA style.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||
| 2 - Portfolio - 20% | |||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 40% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - 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 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 20% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics
5th Edition (2017)
Authors: Andy Field
Sage
London London , UK
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- IBM SPSS Statistics Graduate Pack (standard or premium) edition. Preferably the latest version 26
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.j.walker@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Statistics and SPSS part A
Chapter
Field Ch 1-3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to statistics and SPSS part B
Chapter
Field Ch 4-5
Events and Submissions/Topic
MINI ANALYSES Portfolio (components 1 to 3) Assessment Available
Module/Topic
Comparison of Means part A
Chapter
Field Ch 10 and 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Comparison of Means part B
Chapter
Field Ch 12, 15 and 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Factorial ANOVA (Introduction)
Chapter
Field Ch 14 and 15
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
MINI ANALYSES component 2 Due: Vacation week Monday (19 Aug. 2019) 11:55 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Further ANOVA (e.g. Mixed Designs)
Chapter
Field Ch 16
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Categorical data
Chapter
Field Ch 19
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical (mini-report) Assessment Available
MAJOR DATA ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT Due: Week 7 Monday (2 Sept 2019) 11:55 pm AEST
Module/Topic
ANCOVA
Chapter
Field Ch 13
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Field Ch 8 and 9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Bringing it all together
Chapter
No set textbook chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
MINI ANALYSES component 3 Due: Week 10 Monday (23 Sep. 2019) 11:55 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Mini-report preparation (Discussion writing)
Chapter
No set textbook chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mini-report preparation (self study)
Chapter
No set textbook chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Portfolio
You will be given datasets for 3 statistical tests covered in the Unit. You will be required to enter the data into SPSS, analyse these data and write up their analysis in brief APA style. There will be 3 datasets. Components 1 and 2 will each be worth 5% of your total grade. The third component will be worth 10% of your total grade.
Week 4 Monday (5 Aug 2019) 11:55 pm AEST
Components 1, 2, and 3 are due Monday 11.55pm in weeks 4, Vacation Week, and 10 respectively.
Vacation Week Monday (19 Aug 2019)
Components 1 to 3 will be returned within two weeks of submission
For each component the % of marks awarded will be split evenly (i.e. 1 mark each for Components 1 and 2 and 2 marks each for Component 3), among the following criteria : Appropriate analysis, Assumption testing, Correct interpretation of results, Statistics written concisely in APA format, Additional statistics, e.g. effect size, confidence intervals,
- Prepare data sets suitable for analysis in SPSS
- Write-up the results of advanced analyses in scientific APA style.
- Communication
- Information Technology Competence
2 Written Assessment
The assessment will be provided in week 3. You will be asked to complete a series of short answer questions. You will need to enter data into SPSS, run statistical tests and interpret the output in order to find answers to these questions
Week 7 Monday (2 Sept 2019) 11:55 pm AEST
Week 9 Friday (20 Sept 2019)
Within 3 weeks of submission (detailed feedback)
Each of the short answer questions will be worth a proportion of the total marks for assessment. The amount each question will be worth will be explicitly started on the assessment. Marks awarded will reflect the CQU grades descriptor and range. For example, 4 marks out of 5 = 80%, which is a Distinction grade; whilst 3 marks out of 5 = 60% which is a Pass grade.
- Prepare data sets suitable for analysis in SPSS
- Utilise advanced working knowledge of appropriate statistical tests for analyses in SPSS
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Technology Competence
3 Practical Assessment
A synopsis of a research problem with accompanying data set (s) will be provided by week 7. You are to select the appropriate procedures from the material taught in the Unit and analyse the data using SPSS. You will write up a mini-report on the results, using graphs and tables as required. You will also interpret and discuss the results in light of the research problem provided. The submission will thus be in the form of an abbreviated APA-style report, with a 'Results' and 'Discussion' section.
Week 12 Monday (7 Oct 2019) 11:55 pm AEST
Exam Week Monday (21 Oct 2019)
Within 2 weeks of submission
- Appropriate selection and application of the relevant statistical procedures and techniques, including any required screening and/or data pre-processing (15%)
- Appropriate presentation and interpretation of the results, including the use of well-formatted graphs and tables as required (30%)
- Appropriate critical discussion and explanation of the results in light of the research question (s), including an acknowledgement (if required) of any strengths and weaknesses of the analysis (45%)
- Written expression and use of references (10%)
- Utilise advanced working knowledge of appropriate statistical tests for analyses in SPSS
- Write-up the results of advanced analyses in scientific APA style.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
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?
