CQUniversity Unit Profile
PSYC20061 Research Project: Systematic Review
Research Project: Systematic Review
All details in this unit profile for PSYC20061 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

The scientist-practitioner model is integrated throughout the entire Master of Professional Psychology. It is essential that as a psychologist you will establish and evaluate your therapeutic practice based on scientific research. This unit will equip you with knowledge and skills related to conducting a systematic review. First you will utilise an acceptable framework such as PICO (problem, intervention, comparison and outcome) to develop a research question. In the next step you will implement the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol to conduct a systematic review.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 9
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

There are no requisites for this unit.

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

Online

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: 30%
2. Literature Review or Systematic Review
Weighting: 70%

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.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Apply an acceptable framework such as PICO (problem, intervention, comparison, outcome) to develop a research question
  2. Implement the PRISMA (Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) protocol to produce a systematic review
  3. Communicate high level evaluation, and synthesis of a specific body of psychological research through the use of systematic review processes.

Learning outcomes are related to core competencies stated by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA), program of study criteria as stated by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), and specifications for study at level 9 as indicated 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 3
1 - Written Assessment - 30%
2 - Literature Review or Systematic Review - 70%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
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 - 30%
2 - Literature Review or Systematic Review - 70%
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 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Doreen Canoy Unit Coordinator
d.canoy@cqu.edu.au
Lynne Parkinson Unit Coordinator
l.parkinson@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 15 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

 What is a systematic review?

- PRISMA and other systematic review guidelines

- Developing your research question

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 22 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

Systematic review process

- Setting the scene for your systematic review

- Getting your research question right

- Developing your search strategy

- Writing your protocol

- PROSPERO 

                                           

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Supervisor to sign off approval for Assessment 1

Week 3 Begin Date: 29 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

- Literature search 

- PRISMA flow diagram

- Skirmishes into the literature

- Selecting relevant publications

- Data extraction

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Research Template Due: Week 3 Friday (2 Aug 2019) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 4 Begin Date: 05 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Assessing study quality

- Checklists and bias checks

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 12 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Summarising the evidence

- Synthesis and meta-analysis

- Interpreting the findings

- Writing up

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 19 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 26 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Tutorial drop in during usual lecture time

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Draft of methods and results due to Supervisor

Week 7 Begin Date: 02 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Tutorial drop in during usual lecture time

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 09 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Tutorial drop in during usual lecture time

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Draft of introduction and discussion due to Supervisor

Week 9 Begin Date: 16 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Tutorial drop in during usual lecture time

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 23 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Tutorial drop in during usual lecture time

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 30 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Tutorial drop in during usual lecture time

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 07 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Tutorial drop in during usual lecture time

Chapter

See reading list on Unit moodle page

Events and Submissions/Topic

Systematic review Due: Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 5:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 14 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 21 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Research Template

Task Description

You will be required to submit your research template, signed off by your Supervisor. Your research template will state your research question (following an acceptable framework - e.g. PICO [problem, intervention, comparison, outcome]) and your search strategy, including search terms.

Students will be required to successfully complete Assessment 1 prior to completing Assessment 2.

Students will be allowed a maximum of two attempts to complete Assessment 1.


Assessment Due Date

Week 3 Friday (2 Aug 2019) 5:00 pm AEST

Submit through the Assessment 1 portal on moodle


Return Date to Students

Week 5 Friday (16 Aug 2019)

Feedback through moodle


Weighting
30%

Assessment Criteria

Marking Rubric will be provided on the Unit's moodle page under the Assessment Information tab.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Upload through assessment portal on Moodle

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Apply an acceptable framework such as PICO (problem, intervention, comparison, outcome) to develop a research question
  • Implement the PRISMA (Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) protocol to produce a systematic review


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Research

2 Literature Review or Systematic Review

Assessment Title
Systematic review

Task Description

Following on from Assessment 1, you are required to implement the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol to conduct a systematic review.

You have already been allocated into pairs and provided with your Supervisor's name and contact details.

Your systematic review is to be 6,000 to 8,000 words in length, excluding reference list. You may like to follow the Author Guidelines from a reputable journal to assist with your format. Your supervisor will be able to assist with this process.


This research project does not require an Ethics application.


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 5:00 pm AEST

Submit through the Assessment 2 portal on moodle


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (25 Oct 2019)

Feedback will be submitted through moodle


Weighting
70%

Assessment Criteria

Marking Rubric will be provided on the Unit's moodle page under the Assessment Information tab.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online Group

Submission Instructions
Submit through the Assessment 2 portal on moodle

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Implement the PRISMA (Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) protocol to produce a systematic review
  • Communicate high level evaluation, and synthesis of a specific body of psychological research through the use of systematic review processes.


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

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?