Research Project (Clinical) H1

Unit code: HAYC770

Credit points	25 Credit Points
Duration	1 semester / teaching period
Contact hours	See Teaching Method
Campus	Hawthorn
Prerequisites	HAYC766 Research Project (Clinical) G or HAYC769 Research Project (Clinical) G2
Corequisites	Nil

Related course(s)

A unit of study in the Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) program.

Aims and objectives

Aims:
These units are designed to enhance students’ awareness of the importance of a scientific research base for clinical psychology, to consolidate students’ practical understanding of research methods in clinical psychology, and to contribute to the research program of the Faculty of Life and Social Sciences.

Learning objectives:

After successfully completing this unit, students should have developed and extended:

• Skills in literature searching, plus review and integration of psychological literature.

• Advanced understanding of research methodology as applied to a moderately sized independent research project.

• Skills in psychological measurement and statistical or qualitative analysis applied to an independent research project.

• Practical research skills such as interviewing, recruitment of research participants, liaising with community organisations and completing ethics applications.

• Skills in presenting research proposals and findings both orally and in writing and to produce an empirical research thesis that is an original and significant contribution to knowledge in the Clinical Psychology field.

Teaching methods

Individual supervision. Students are provided with a detailed course manual which contains information to assist them in meeting the specific requirements of this research-based unit of study.

Assessment

The assessment requirements for the sequence of eight research units are designed to culminate in a major empirical thesis 70-100,000 words. The thesis will be an original and significant contribution to knowledge in the Clinical Psychology field. In this unit, students finalise their thesis for submission. The unit is graded Pass/Fail dependent upon satisfactory progress.

Content

The content of the research units varies according to the particular research project and the supervisor-supervisee working relationship. Within the supervison sessions it is expected that the supervisor will suggest reading materials, discuss reading and conceptual ideas, work with the student to plan the research project, give assistance with development or selection of appropriate measures and methodologies, give guidance with respect to ethics applications, data analysis and writing the thesis. It is expected that the student will read extensively, engage in high level conceptual analysis of written material and present that analysis in written form, plan an independent original empirical research project, present the project plan for feedback to a group of staff and students, negotiate all ethical approvals and permissions necessary for the study to proceed, recruit study participants, collate and analyse data, and develop the project into a written thesis of 70-100,000 words. The full thesis submitted for examination is the output of this unit.

Reading materials

Reading materials will vary according to the project. Some useful texts on thesis writing are as follows.

American Psychological Association, Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edn, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 2010.
Dunleavy, P, Authoring a PhD: How to plan, draft, write and finish a doctoral dissertation or PhD, Plagrave MacMillan, New York, 2003.
Oliver, P, Writing your thesis, London, Sage, London, 2004.
Thomas, RM, Avoiding thesis and dissertation pitfalls: 61 cases of problems and solutions, Bergin & Garvey Westport, Conn., 2001.

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