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APPL8020 – Research Methods in Language Study

2023 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Peter Roger
Philip Chappell
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MAppLing or MAppLingTESOL or MTransInterStud or MConfInt or MTransInterStud(Adv) or MTransInterStudMAppLingTESOL and 40 credit points at 8000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit focuses on general principles of research and the use of research methods in language studies. It covers the whole process of research from choosing a topic, searching the related literature on the topic, and formulating research questions, to collecting and analysing data and writing up research reports. The exploration of quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, discourse analysis and corpus linguistics methodologies develops students' research literacy to understand research reports and to design research projects. Research ethics and writing up a formal research proposal are two other components of this unit.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • ULO1: Identify the underlying principles of five broad approaches in applied language research (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, discourse analysis, and corpus linguistics research) and apply these principles to examples of actual and potential research topics
  • ULO2: Conceive, formulate and operationalise research questions relating to a personally relevant area of language-related research
  • ULO3: Critically review and synthesise published literature related to the topic of your proposed research and communicate this to a professional audience
  • ULO4: Creatively design and present a formal written research proposal for an original small-scale study in an area of applied language study

General Assessment Information

Requesting an extension to assignment due date

On occasion, you may be in a situation when you aren't able to submit an assessment task on time. Extensions are only given in special circumstances, by completing a Special Consideration request. For more information on Special Consideration, see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

 

Late submission of assignments

If you haven't been approved for an extension and you submit your assessment task late, penalties are applied. You should consult your unit convenor if you are in this position. Late submissions will receive a 5% per day penalty. If you submit the assessment task 10 days or more beyond the due date, without an approved extension, you will be awarded a maximum of 50% of the overall assessment marks. Weekends and public holidays are included. 

 

Use of Generative AI

Please refer to instructions from your lecturer on the use and acknowledgement of use of Generative AI in your submitted assignments.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online Quiz 20% No 30 - 31 Aug 2023
Research Question and Annotated Bibliography 30% No 2 Oct 2023
Research Proposal 50% Yes 5 Nov 2023

Online Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 30 - 31 Aug 2023
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will complete an open-book online quiz with questions covering content from the first part the unit.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the underlying principles of five broad approaches in applied language research (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, discourse analysis, and corpus linguistics research) and apply these principles to examples of actual and potential research topics

Research Question and Annotated Bibliography

Assessment Type 1: Annotated bibliography
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 2 Oct 2023
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will choose a topic and search databases and library resources to select relevant published articles to write an annotated bibliography that relates to their provisional research question.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the underlying principles of five broad approaches in applied language research (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, discourse analysis, and corpus linguistics research) and apply these principles to examples of actual and potential research topics
  • Conceive, formulate and operationalise research questions relating to a personally relevant area of language-related research
  • Critically review and synthesise published literature related to the topic of your proposed research and communicate this to a professional audience
  • Creatively design and present a formal written research proposal for an original small-scale study in an area of applied language study

Research Proposal

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 5 Nov 2023
Weighting: 50%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Students will write a formal written literature review and research proposal for a small-scale study in an area of language-related research.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Conceive, formulate and operationalise research questions relating to a personally relevant area of language-related research
  • Critically review and synthesise published literature related to the topic of your proposed research and communicate this to a professional audience
  • Creatively design and present a formal written research proposal for an original small-scale study in an area of applied language study

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

APPL8020 is delivered through a weekly two-hour on-campus lecture-seminar. This weekly class is also offered simultaneously on Zoom, and is recorded for students to access throughout the semester. It is essential to attend the class OR engage with the full recording each week in order to keep up with the material that we are studying in this unit.

In some weeks, students are asked to complete reading that is related to the topic of the class.  Details of these readings, and library links to the relevant articles and chapters, are provided in the Leganto block on the iLearn site. There is no set textbook for this unit.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Inclusion and Diversity

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.   

 

Professionalism

Professionalism 

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.   

As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session.  

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know.  


Unit information based on version 2023.03 of the Handbook