CQUniversity Unit Profile
PSYC14051 Psychology Research Project A
Psychology Research Project A
All details in this unit profile for PSYC14051 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.
General Information

Overview

Psychology Research Project A (PSYC14051) is the first of two units which will introduce you to the process of undertaking research in the discipline of psychology. Over the two units, you will independently undertake a scholarly investigation, under the supervision of a qualified supervisor within the psychology discipline. The purpose of the Psychology Research Project A unit is to provide you with the experience of proposing and planning an independent research project. The research question examined will be developed in consultation with your supervisor and will have either theoretical or applied significance in the psychology discipline. In Psychology Research Project A you will complete a research project proposal and an ethics application for that proposed project. Successful completion of this unit requires that Psychology Research Project A (PSYC14051) and Psychology Research Project B (PSYC14052) are undertaken in two consecutive University terms (e.g. Term 1 and Term 2, or Term 2 and Term 3).

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 4
Credit Points: 12
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.25

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Students must be enrolled in CC42 Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)  Co-requisites:  PSYC14047 and PSYC14050.

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 - 2022

Mixed Mode

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).

Residential Schools

This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 12-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

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

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: Pass/Fail
2. Practical Assessment
Weighting: Pass/Fail

Assessment Grading

This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.

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 Student feedback in emails and progress reports.

Feedback

The quality of support from supervisors has remained high.

Recommendation

Continue supporting supervisors to access training which will further enhance their supervision skills.

Feedback from Feedback from a student representative and conversations with students during residential school.

Feedback

Students requested targeted workshops on aspects of the research project, such as the research proposal and the ethics application.

Recommendation

Present timely and specific workshops on the research proposal and the ethics application throughout the term.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Develop a research proposal for a psychology-based research project
  2. Complete a CQUniversity Human Research ethics application (or an Animal Research ethics application where appropriate) for a psychology-based research project.

The purpose of the two-term long Psychology Research Project (A & B) is to provide you with training in developing, conducting, and communicating research across theoretical and applied domains. This requires you to undertake an investigation of a research question in psychology and to report the investigation in written scholarly form. The research question will be of theoretical or applied significance to an area of psychology and the investigation and subsequent dissertation will be carried out under the principal supervision of a member of the psychology staff.

The thesis is an individual research project where the expectation is that you, with advice from your supervisor(s), will be responsible for, and participate in, all steps of the investigation and reporting.

Successful completion of this unit requires that Psychology Research Project A and Psychology Research Project B are undertaken in two consecutive University terms (e.g. Term 1 and Term 2, or Term 2 and Term 3).

Learning outcomes of this unit fulfil the level 2 pre-professional core competencies required by the updated Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) guidelines, specifically 2.5: Investigate a substantive individual research question relevant to the discipline of psychology. The unit also meets the study criteria as specified by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) as appropriate for study at level 8 as stated by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

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
1 - Written Assessment - 0%
2 - Practical Assessment - 0%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2
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 - 0%
2 - Practical Assessment - 0%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Amanda Rebar Unit Coordinator
a.rebar@cqu.edu.au
Tina McAdie Unit Coordinator
t.mcadie@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 11 Jul 2022

Module/Topic

Connect with Supervisor, literature search, topic refinement, planning research project.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Week 2 Begin Date: 18 Jul 2022

Module/Topic

Begin brainstorming the proposal; develop and finalise research question/s & hypotheses; select and design research tools (questionnaires, etc.).

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Week 3 Begin Date: 25 Jul 2022

Module/Topic

Continue draft and refinement of approach and methodology; start to prepare Ethics Application.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Week 4 Begin Date: 01 Aug 2022

Module/Topic

Residential School in Adelaide.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

For this unit, Residential School will be held on the 4th and 5th of August at the CQUni Adelaide Campus. Running times are 9:00am - 5:00pm both days; however, on Friday from 2.30pm, there will be an optional writing/Q&A session, for those who need to travel home that day. Please keep an eye on the Moodle site for details and up-to-date arrangements.

Week 5 Begin Date: 08 Aug 2022

Module/Topic

Discuss research proposal background outline and project with supervisor; continue to prepare Ethics Application.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Vacation Week Begin Date: 15 Aug 2022

Module/Topic

None.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Week 6 Begin Date: 22 Aug 2022

Module/Topic

Develop and refine the research design; methods, analyses; prepare Ethics Application; continue refining Research Project Proposal for submission.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Week 7 Begin Date: 29 Aug 2022

Module/Topic

Finalise Research Project Proposal and do Student Progress Report.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Research Project Proposal due in Moodle next week: Monday, 5th of September at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).

Student Progress Reports due on Qualtrics (link on Moodle) next week: Monday 5th of September at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).

Week 8 Begin Date: 05 Sep 2022

Module/Topic

Continue with Ethics Application (students can submit their ethics application early if supervisor has approved).

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Research Project Proposal due in Moodle Monday, 5th of September at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).

Student Progress Reports due on Qualtrics (link on Moodle) Monday 5th of September at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).


Research Proposal Due: Week 8 Monday (5 Sept 2022) 9:00 am AEST
Week 9 Begin Date: 12 Sep 2022

Module/Topic

Continue with Ethics Application and prepare for thesis write up (consider drafting introduction and methods sections).

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Week 10 Begin Date: 19 Sep 2022

Module/Topic

Proposal feedback received; Work on resubmission (if needed); integrate proposal feedback into study procedures and thesis write-up plan.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None.

Week 11 Begin Date: 26 Sep 2022

Module/Topic

Develop drafts for Introduction and Methods sections of your empirical report.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

IF NEEDED: Resubmission of Research Proposal due in Moodle next week: Monday, 3rd October at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).

Week 12 Begin Date: 03 Oct 2022

Module/Topic

Continue Drafting Introduction and Methods sections.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

IF NEEDED: Resubmission of Research Proposal due in Moodle: Monday, 3rd October at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).


Ethics Application submission due in Moodle and if new study: application submitted to ethics committee (ethics@cqu.edu.au) by next week: Monday, 10th October at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).

Week 13 Begin Date: 10 Oct 2022

Module/Topic

Finalise drafts of Introduction and Methods section.

Chapter

None.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Ethics Application submission due in Moodle and if new study: application submitted to ethics committee (ethics@cqu.edu.au): Monday, 10th October at 9:00am (AEST, QLD time).


Ethics Application Due: Review/Exam Week Monday (10 Oct 2022) 9:00 am AEST
Exam Week Begin Date: 17 Oct 2022

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Research Proposal

Task Description

The submission of the Research Proposal is a compulsory, non-graded task (pass/resubmit/discontinue). It is required to be submitted and passed in order for enrolment to continue in Research Project B in the following term. The proposal ensures that students and supervisors are on track and have a project that is feasible to be completed within the Honours year and meets APAC requirements. Students are expected to submit a well-written, workable proposal. All proposals will be assessed by an independent assessor who will provide feedback and recommendations regarding the project.

The proposal should be submitted following discussions, review and feedback of the final draft by the supervisors. The supervisor can review the overall proposal document only once. The Research Project Proposal is to be submitted via Moodle.

If the submitted proposal is marked as 'Pass': Feedback from the assessor may be considered, but no revisions to the proposal are necessary before progressing the thesis project.

If the submitted proposal is marked as 'Resubmit': In this common instance, feedback from the assessor will need to be considered and responded to in a line-by-line fashion and a resubmitted proposal with revisions addressing the assessor's concerns will need to be resubmitted and receive a 'Pass' mark before progressing the thesis project. The resubmitted proposal will be required to be submitted alongside a line-by-line response to assessor comments within 2 weeks of receiving feedback. A student who fails to resubmit will not be permitted to continue their Research Project.

If the submitted proposal is marked as 'Discontinue': In this rare instance where a supervisor does not support the continuation of the proposed project, and the recommendation of the independent assessor is that the student discontinues, the student will be notified that the proposal has failed to be supported and he or she cannot enroll in Research Project B that year. The student will be automatically withdrawn without academic penalty from Part A and automatically dropped from Part B. In the event that the supervisor and the independent assessor do not agree, the head of course for and/or head of college will assess the proposal.

The format of your proposal will differ slightly depending on the type of research you are engaging in:

Format and contents of the research proposal – Quantitative/Qualitative Research

Formatting: The Research Proposal should be submitted as a PDF with APA version 7 formatting, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font. No more than 2500 words, including tables and to be formatted as follows:

Title Page (not included in the word count): Project Title, Student Name, Unit, Supervisor(s), Date and Word Count.

Include information under each heading in bold below.

Note that we have provided recommended word counts for each section, but these are only guides and it may be that your sections vary from that. The word count you must abide by is the 2,500 word total.

Background rationale and theory (recommended ~ 500-800 words): a brief description of the relevance of your proposed project to current research, all key terms should be defined, and the paragraphs linked in a logical way. This section will provide the justification as to why your research should proceed. It should also provide justification for your hypotheses (i.e., what is the evidence that supports your anticipated effects?)

The Present Study (recommended ~100-200 words) State the research objectives (aims), the key research questions/hypotheses. Ensure hypotheses are specific and where appropriate include a proposed direction (e.g., higher/lower values, negative/positive association).

Significance (~50-100 words): a short justification on the significance of the project and the potential implications of your findings. How will the project contribute to existing knowledge/literature?

Participants and Recruitment (recommended ~100-150 words): target population, and recruitment methods (i.e., the recruitment process) and sources. State the inclusion and exclusion criteria of participants/units of study. Include descriptions of estimated sample size (and rationale for that) that includes a description of all the parameters (e.g., alpha value, beta value, justification for the effect size chosen).

Design (recommended ~50-100 words): a brief description of the study design e.g., systematic review, survey, qualitative study with focus groups, laboratory study etc.

Methods (recommended ~250-400 words): Outline chronologically the proposed method/s (procedure), including data collection techniques, tasks participants will be asked to complete, estimated time commitment required of them and measures being used. Discuss the validity of the measures included, how variables are scored and how they should be interpreted (e.g., high score indicates high X).

Do not include appendices, rather make sure that you have outlined broad measures and include in text citations for the measures you will be using in your proposed research.

Proposed Data Management (recommended ~50-100 words) include a description of how all data will be managed (e.g., where data will be stored, how it will be coded, etc)

Data Analyses (recommended ~150-250 words): Describe the planned analyses for the study, including all software that will be used, and assumption testing plans for each statistical test. Make sure that you link each of your analyses to your hypotheses/study aims.

Potential Ethical Issues (recommended ~50-200 words): Consider the potential ethical issues that will/may arise from the study including risks to participants, researchers, and outside communities. There is no such thing as a risk-free study. Remember to talk about how you will manage/mitigate potential risk.

Target Journal (recommended ~100 words): This should list the name of a scientific journal that is suitable to submit your study to, if you were to submit your thesis for publication. Please list the name of the journal and include 2-3 sentences describing why you picked this journal. Ask your supervisory team what is important to consider when picking a journal. Consider your target audience, journal impact factor/standing in your field.

Reference list (Not included in word count): Use APA version 7 formatting.

Important Tips to Remember

- Write all abbreviations in full at first use.

- When discussing equipment and/or software include appropriate details (version numbers, city and country where developed).


Format and contents of the research proposal – Systematic Review

Formatting: The Research Proposal should be submitted as a PDF with APA version 7 formatting, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font. No more than 2500 words, including tables and to be formatted as follows:

Title Page (not included in the word count): Project Title, Student Name, Unit, Supervisor(s), Date and Word Count.

Include information under each heading in bold below.

Background rationale and theory (recommended ~500-800 words): a brief description of the relevance of your proposed project to current research, all key terms should be defined, and the paragraphs link in a logical way. This section will provide the justification as to why your research should proceed.

The Present Study (recommended 100-200 words) State the research objectives (aims), the key research questions/hypotheses. Ensure hypotheses are specific and where appropriate include a proposed direction (e.g., higher/lower values, negative/positive association).

Significance (~50-100 words): a short justification on the significance of the project and the potential implications of your findings. How will the project contribute to existing knowledge/literature?

Design (recommended ~50-100 words): state whether PRISMA will be used and if the review will be registered in PROSPERO or another server (e.g., Open Science Framework).

Eligibility Criteria (recommended ~100-150 words): Specify the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the review and how studies were grouped for the syntheses. State any frameworks that will be used to determine eligibility (e.g., PICO, PECO). Ensure the primary outcomes are stated clearly as well as any secondary outcomes.

Information Sources (recommended ~100 words): Specify all databases, registers, websites, organisations, reference lists and other sources searched or consulted to identify studies. Specify the date when each source was last searched or consulted. Include information on any initial literature scoping how articles will be found (e.g., backward/forward citation checking).

Search Strategy (recommended ~100 words): Present the full search strategy (e.g., keywords and databases) that will be used

Selection Process (recommended ~250 words): Specify the methods used to decide whether a study met the inclusion criteria of the review, including how many reviewers screened each record and each report retrieved, whether they worked independently. Discuss management process with duplicates, what the process will be if the full text cannot be found, how disagreements between screeners will be resolved.

Data Collection Process (recommended ~50-100 words) include a description of how all data will be managed (e.g., where data will be stored, how it will be coded etc). Specify the methods used to collect data from reports, including how many reviewers will collect data from each article, whether they worked independently, any processes for obtaining or confirming data from study investigators.

Data Items (recommended ~200 words) List and define all outcomes for which data will be sought (e.g., what data will be extracted and how many investigators will extract data). Specify whether all results that were compatible with each outcome domain in each study will be sough sought (e.g. for all measures, time points, analyses), and if not, the methods used to decide which results to collect. List and define all other variables for which data were sought (e.g. participant and intervention characteristics, funding sources). Describe any assumptions that will be made about any missing or unclear information.

Study Risk of Bias Assessment and/or Certainty Assessment (recommended ~100 words): Specify the methods used to assess risk of bias in the included studies, including details of the tool(s) used, how many reviewers assessed each study and whether they worked independently. Describe any methods used to assess certainty (or confidence) in the body of evidence for an outcome.

Synthesis Methods (recommended ~100 words): Describe the processes used to decide which studies were eligible for each synthesis. Describe any methods used to synthesize results and provide a rationale for the choice(s) (e.g., themes, meta-analysis, forest plots). If meta-analysis was performed, describe the model(s), method(s) to identify the presence and extent of statistical heterogeneity, and software package(s) used.

Target Journal (recommended ~100 words): This should list the name of a scientific journal that is suitable to submit your study to, if you were to submit your thesis for publication. Please list the name of the journal and include 2-3 sentences describing why you picked this journal. Ask your supervisory team what is important to consider when picking a journal. Consider your target audience, journal impact factor/standing in your field.

Reference list (Not included in word count): Use APA version 7 formatting.

Important Tips to Remember

- Write all abbreviations in full at first use.

- When discussing equipment and/or software include appropriate details (version numbers, city and country where developed).



Assessment Due Date

Week 8 Monday (5 Sept 2022) 9:00 am AEST

Submit to Moodle


Return Date to Students

Week 10 Friday (23 Sept 2022)

Written feedback as well as a Pass/Resubmit/Discontinue grade will be emailed to your student email account


Weighting
Pass/Fail

Assessment Criteria

All aspects of the research proposal will be taken into account and scored by an independent assessor on all aspects of the proposal. Reviewers will be asked to assess whether the proposal achieved a 'pass'/'resubmit'/''discontinue' and provide comments in written form which will be returned to the student so that the student may improve their thesis project into the next term project.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Please also email your final proposal to your supervisor.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Develop a research proposal for a psychology-based research project


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Social Innovation

2 Practical Assessment

Assessment Title
Ethics Application

Task Description

You must complete an ethics application, but the process for this will depend on if you are conducting a new study, conducting a systematic review, or using existing data.

You are encouraged to utilise your proposal feedback before submitting an ethics application, however you can submit your ethics application, with supervisors’ approval, at any time.

New Study Ethics Approval Procedures:

1. Use the New Study Ethics Approval Form and relevant templates to prepare your ethics application

2. Your primary supervisor must be listed as Chief Investigator and you, the student, as Associate Investigator, however, you are expected to take responsibility for the completion and submission of the application.

3. Send all materials to supervisory team for feedback, and once feedback has been integrated, have your supervisory team sign the form. All application materials must be signed and approved by the supervisory team prior to submission.

4. Submit the ethics application to CQUniversity's Human Research Ethics Committee by sending it via email to ethics@cqu.edu.au

5. Submit your ethics application and a copy of your email showing you've sent it to the ethics committee via Moodle.

6. Receive feedback from ethics committee (~3-5 weeks from submission) and address any issues raised by revision of the application by resubmitting to the ethics committee.

7. You must not start any aspect of the study until you have full approval from the ethics committee to do so.

8. If there are any changes to your study procedures needed following ethical approval, submit a modification form by sending it via email to ethics@cqu.edu.au. Do not deviate from the procedures that you have approval for from the ethics committee until modifications have been approved.

9. As the ethics committee operates outside and independently of the course, enquiries regarding the status of an application should be directed to the Ethics Committee (ethics@cqu.edu.au) rather than the thesis coordinator or head of course.

Systematic Review or Study Using Existing Data

1. Complete the Systematic Review Ethics form or Study with Existing Data Ethics form

2. Send all materials to supervisory team for feedback and revise accordingly

3. Submit the form on Moodle (Note: You will not be getting feedback on your ethics application other than the Pass/Fail mark)


Assessment Due Date

Review/Exam Week Monday (10 Oct 2022) 9:00 am AEST

Ethics applications are due in Moodle. For new studies, you must also submit the application to the ethics committee.


Return Date to Students

You will receive a Pass/Fail mark in Moodle


Weighting
Pass/Fail

Assessment Criteria

If students have followed the instructions and there are no ethical concerns for the study, then the mark will be 'pass'. Data collection of new studies must not proceed until they have full approval through the ethics committee.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Ethics applications are due in Moodle. For new studies where you are collecting data, you must ALSO submit the application to the ethics committee.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Complete a CQUniversity Human Research ethics application (or an Animal Research ethics application where appropriate) for a psychology-based research project.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Ethical practice

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?