Overview

The aim of this unit is to provide students with the skills to plan and develop a major research project in the field of aviation. Students will develop skills in formulating and conducting research studies: determining a research question and research design, collecting and analyzing data, and writing up the findings. An introduction to statistical data analysis and methods for students with minimal undergraduate statistical background will be provided. Students will also learn about the importance of ethical considerations involved in conducting research. Students will work on problems confronted by industry practitioners or researchers, and are expected to formulate a research plan and describe the plan in a research report.

Requisites

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
26-February-2024
26-May-2024
Last self-enrolment date
10-March-2024
Census date
31-March-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
12-April-2024
Results released date
02-July-2024

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Identify the basic principles of academic research and the fundamental concepts of research
  • Describe the characteristic features of common research methods (i.e. qualitative and quantitative methods) and debate their relative merits
  • Describe the relevance and importance of ethics in research
  • Identify a research question (or project problem/objective), or questions, and justify the selection of an appropriate and ethically managed research method
  • Develop an appropriate structure for a major research project
  • Interpret and critically evaluate previously published research in a formal literature review.
  • Propose a proper method to analyse data and prepare for more advanced research dissertation unit.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Online Learning Activities
2.00 12 weeks 24
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
10.50 12 weeks 126
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 20% 1,2,3 
Research ReportIndividual 80% 1,4,5,6,7 

Content

  • Academic research
  • Research/project problem/objective
  • Research design and methods
  • Ethics in research
  • Written presentation of research
  • Statistical analysis and methods

Study resources

Reading materials

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