Aviation Research Methods and Statistics
Overview
This unit equips students to plan and design a major aviation research project. Students learn to formulate clear research questions and objectives, evaluate qualitative and quantitative research designs, search and synthesise relevant literature, and select appropriate methods for collecting and analysing data. An accessible introduction to statistical analysis supports students with minimal undergraduate statistics. Students also examine the ethical and risk-management considerations central to responsible research. Working with real aviation problems, they develop and clearly communicate a complete research plan in a professional report, building a strong foundation for advanced dissertation study.
Requisites
30-May-2027
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Critically analyse the principles of academic research and their application in aviation contexts
- Evaluate the suitability, strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research designs and methods for different aviation research questions
- Analyse ethical issues in aviation research and recommend appropriate strategies for managing them
- Formulate a research question or project objective and justify the selection of an appropriate, ethically managed research method
- Design an appropriate structure for a major aviation research project
- Synthesise and critically evaluate published aviation research in a formal literature review
- Select and justify appropriate data analysis methods to support the design of a major aviation research project
Teaching methods
All Applicable Locations
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Lecture |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Live Online Class |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Assignment | Individual | 20% | 1,2,3 |
| Written Assignment | Individual | 80% | 1,4,5,6,7 |
Content
- Academic research and evidence-based inquiry in aviation
- Qualitative and quantitative research designs and methods
- Ethics and risk management in research
- Aviation research questions, objectives and hypotheses
- Research report structure and academic writing
- Literature searching, evaluation and synthesis
- Principles of data collection, management and integrity
- Introductory statistical analysis for aviation research
- Interpreting and communicating research findings
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.