Students

PSYC8933 – Research Proposal

2023 – Full year 1, In person-scheduled-infrequent, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Maria Kangas
Credit points Credit points
20
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MClinPsych
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit is the compulsory prerequisite unit for PSY8934 (Dissertation). The objective of this unit is for students to conduct a literature review, as well as plan and design their empirical project for their thesis (which will be subsequently completed in PSY8934). All students will be required to have a research supervisor from a member of staff from the Department of Psychology. The supervisor will assist the student to meet the objectives of this unit as well as for the dissertation (PSY8934). The Seminars for PSY8933 will also facilitate students to plan and fine-tune their research project which must have relevancy to Clinical Psychology. The goals of the unit are to encourage review and consideration of background literature, to prepare a literature overview and proposed method, and to prepare an ethics submission for the empirical thesis.

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: Conduct a critical evaluation of theories and empirical studies for a particular population/ topic relevant to clinical psychology which will inform the literature review paper and empirical paper.
  • ULO2: Produce the first complete draft of the literature review paper to be presented in journal format.
  • ULO3: Design an empirical project with consultation from assigned research supervisor and which will form the basis of the empirical paper.
  • ULO4: Prepare and submit ethics application to Macquarie University Human Research Ethics committee (and any other relevant committees contingent on proposed sample recruitment).

General Assessment Information

For this unit students are required to work under the supervision of their research supervisor.

Students are required to develop a suitable clinically relevant research project and submit an ethics application by the designated due date. In addition, they are required to complete the 1st draft of the literature review paper at a satisfactory standard in line with their supervisor's feedback. 

General assessment Information Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128).

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.

Late Submissions:

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For example:

Number of days (hours) late

Total Possible Marks

Deduction

Raw mark

Final mark

1 day (1-24 hours)

100

5

75

70

2 days (24-48 hours)

100

10

75

65

3 days (48-72 hours)

100

15

75

60

7 days (144-168 hours)

100

35

75

40

>7 days (>168 hours)

100

-

75

0

 

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Special Consideration:

If you are unable to complete an assessment task on or by the specified date due circumstances that are unexpected, unavoidable, significantly disruptive and beyond your control, you may apply for special consideration in accordance with the special consideration policy. Applications for

special consideration must be supported by appropriate evidence and submitted via ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Ethics Submission 50% Yes 30th August 2023
Draft literature review 50% Yes 30th August 2023

Ethics Submission

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 30th August 2023
Weighting: 50%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

The student is expected to receive input from their research supervisor regarding developing a suitable, feasible project and preparing the relevant ethics documentation. Alternatively - if the student’s project will be part of a larger study that has already received ethics approval – the supervisor is required to verify this and confirm the student is on track in completing empirical project in a timely manner.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Conduct a critical evaluation of theories and empirical studies for a particular population/ topic relevant to clinical psychology which will inform the literature review paper and empirical paper.
  • Produce the first complete draft of the literature review paper to be presented in journal format.
  • Design an empirical project with consultation from assigned research supervisor and which will form the basis of the empirical paper.
  • Prepare and submit ethics application to Macquarie University Human Research Ethics committee (and any other relevant committees contingent on proposed sample recruitment).

Draft literature review

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 30th August 2023
Weighting: 50%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

The student must submit a first draft of the literature review that will form the basis of the final literature review paper.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Conduct a critical evaluation of theories and empirical studies for a particular population/ topic relevant to clinical psychology which will inform the literature review paper and empirical paper.
  • Produce the first complete draft of the literature review paper to be presented in journal format.
  • Design an empirical project with consultation from assigned research supervisor and which will form the basis of the empirical paper.

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

Throughout the course of Session 1 and Session 2, students are required to work with their research supervisor. 

 

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 & 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

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 including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning (e.g., PACE placements), and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. 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 2023.02 of the Handbook