Unit Outline

This unit revises and expands on the research design and statistical analyses covered in the undergraduate Psychology program and covers the ethics requirements for conducting and reporting research. It reviews the statistical methods introduced in undergraduate units, then introduces more advanced multivariate statistical methods, their purpose, assumptions, and application, highlighting how these approaches may be appropriate and flexible for research and applied settings in Psychology.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Apply and evaluate ethical principles for the design and conduct of research studies
2.	Evaluate data from psychological research using analytical methods appropriate for a variety of research designs and research hypotheses.
3.	Adapt and apply reporting and communication principles to share research findings across a variety of audiences and presentation formats.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	Admission into M4Y.

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Based on student feedback the number of practical class exercises has been from reduced from 3 (10% each) to 2 (15% each)

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Practical class exercises	Week 5	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Ethics assignment	Week 7	30 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	In-class exam	Week 13	40 %	LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Practical class exercises

Task Description:

Practical class exercises 30% (2x15%)
Due Dates:
Week 5a and Week 12

Task Length:

approximately 500 words per exercise

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply logical and justifiable decision-making regarding choice of descriptive and inferential statistical reporting.	LO2, LO3
2	Interpret statistical results with accuracy and precision within the context of the research question.	LO3
3	Apply knowledge of ethical principles	LO1
4	Write with clarity and coherence.	LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Ethics assignment

Task Description:

Short answer questions on justification and rationale for proposed research; describing risks, risk mitigation and benefits of the research for specific audiences.
Note: Detailed information about this assignment (including a rubric) will be provided on MyLO

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain and justify a research project.	LO1, LO3
2	Identify risks posed to participants and justify with reference to the benefits of the proposed research.	LO1, LO3
3	Write effectively for your intended audience	LO1

Assessment Task 3: In-class exam

Task Description:

Short answer questions on research design, statistical theory and statistical methods. Analysis and interpretation of research data.
Interpretation of statistical output

Task Length:

2 hours

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and conduct statistical analyses appropriate for different types of research data	LO2
2	Interpret and apply knowledge of statistical methods in relation to research questions.	LO2, LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need the following text:
Navarro D.J. & Foxcroft D.R. (2022). Learning statistics with jamovi: A tutorial for psychology students and other beginners. (Version 0.75). DOI: 10.24384/hgc3-7p15
It is downloadable for free from https://www.learnstatswithjamovi.com/

Required readings for the ethics assignment include:
Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council (2018). Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. PDF available at https://nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-code-responsible-conduct-research-2018

Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council (2007, updated 2018). National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. PDF available at https://nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/national-statement-ethical-conduct-human-research-2007-updated-2018

Additional readings will be provided during the Semester via MyLO.