Overview

This unit is primarily an introduction to the principles and processes involved in research practice and students will learn how to develop a research plan with the necessary components.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  1. Identify a research problem and conduct a quasi-literature review on a topic of your choice
  2. Review and evaluate a series of published research articles identifying the major components in published research and research design principles
  3. Identify the characteristics of good quantitative and qualitative research design and the decision making processes involved in developing such designs
  4. Formulate a research plan including the necessary components and identify and describe the major components in a research report

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Online Class		0.25 12 weeks 3
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Online Learning Activities		1.50 12 weeks 18
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		0.25 12 weeks 3
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		10.50 12 weeks 126
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment 1Individual 20% 1,2,3,4 
Assignment 2Individual 30% 1,2,3,4 
Assignment 3Individual 50% 1,2,3,4 

Hurdle

As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:

an overall mark for the unit of 50% or more

Content

Module 1: Framing research in practice

In this Module we will explore framing and formulating research as a process of inquiry. Topics include:

  • Research and its uses
  • Framing research
  • The literature review

 

Module 2: Designing research

In this Module, we will consider elements of research design and key issues in formulating and conducting research studies. Topics include:

  • Methodological strategies
  • Conducting research

 

Module 3: Conducting research

In this Module we will investigate how to develop a research plan. Topics include:

  • Developing a research proposal
  • Communicating about research

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.