All students must complete the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2) tutorial and submit proof of completion (emailed copy of certificate from the tutorial). Reading the Tri-Council Policy Statement will take approximately 2 hours, and the tutorial will take approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Familiarise yourself with the information on these webpages, then click on the following links:

• Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. Familiarise yourself with this document before you complete the tutorial http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique/initiatives/tcps2-eptc2/Default/
• The TCPS 2 Tutorial Course on Research Ethics (CORE) http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/education/tutorial-didacticiel/

Students will present a critical summary of a journal article of their choice. A 2-page written summary will be due on the same day as the presentation. Students will be expected to provide an overview of the paper, a critical evaluation of the paper’s content (using an appropriate critical appraisal framework), and a summary of the main messages. The student will also be expected to facilitate a short discussion with the class about the content of the paper.

The chosen journal article must be a ‘landmark research paper’. That is, it should be an established publication that has made a significant impact in the field of chiropractic/anatomy research, as evidenced by high levels of citation, either by providing a novel methodological advance or a significant conceptual breakthrough in healthcare.

Presentation (15%): 30-minute presentation (15 minutes, plus 15 minutes questions/discussion)

Written submission (10%): 2-page summary

Students will submit a 750-word plain language science piece summarising a recent journal publication (published in the last 12 months) in the field of chiropractic/anatomy research that would be of interest to the general public. The article will be written in the style for publication in The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/au).

Attend eight research seminars/workshops (each minimum 50 minutes duration) throughout the Semester. Students can tailor a training program to suit their research training needs; students should speak with their supervisor/s about options for this. Research seminars/workshops may include department research seminars, the Spinal Pain Research Group meetings, relevant training workshops (e.g. Endnote training), research seminars by other Macquarie departments etc. 

Provide a written report (2,000 words) documenting seminars/courses attended and skills and knowledge gained from your participation. This report must include a detailed critique for two of the attended research seminars.

For course options, see here for Higher Degree Research Training, support and tools:

https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-research-program/training-support-and-tools

See here for Macquarie Library training options:

https://www.mq.edu.au/about/campus-services-and-facilities/library/research/building-your-research-skills

You will prepare a written literature review (2,500 words) discussing a significant area of research within chiropractic or anatomy. To prepare for this essay, you will first need to attend (or view) a workshop addressing report writing and/or referencing skills. You will be advised if this will be a training session offered through the library or the University’s HDR Unit. You may view a webinar, provided the material is extensive and relevant to scientific report writing.

Your grade will be determined by: (i) the extent and relevance of literature covered; (ii) the degree of insight and critical appraisal of the literature discussed; and (iii) the formatting quality of your written work. The rubric will be available on the Unit’s iLearn site.