Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit convenor and Lecturer
Tobia Fattore
Consultation by appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
20cp at 8000 level or above; or admission to MPSP or MPASR or GradCertPASR or GradDipPASR or MPlan
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
SOCI8035
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Unit description |
Unit description
Social research is critical for evidence based policy making. This unit canvasses the use of qualitative research to inform public and social policy. Students will develop skills in conducting qualitative research and how it contributes to policy processes. This includes designing and conducting qualitative research and working with existing qualitative data to develop policy. The course will be structured around four modules. The first examines qualitative research designs for policy. The second introduces students to qualitative research methods and analysis, including qualitative analysis of policy documents. The third applies this knowledge to policy processes, including finding and using existing qualitative data sets; qualitative research as consultation; and the uses and misuses of citizen perspectives in policy processes. The unit concludes by considering how qualitative and quantitative data can be combined as policy evidence. Throughout, the unit will include expert speakers from the non-profit, government and academic sectors to provide insider perspectives on the use of qualitative data for policy making and to discuss the politics of research utilization. By undertaking this course, students will develop advanced skills in undertaking qualitative research and be able to apply these skills in a range of policy settings.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Late Assessment Submission Penalty
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 mark of ‘0’ (zero) 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 issue.
This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (including essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Policy Research Report | 50% | No | November 3 (Sunday Week 13) |
Participation | 20% | No | Ongoing |
Research Design/Consultation Exercise | 30% | No | September 1 (Sunday Week 6) |
Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: November 3 (Sunday Week 13)
Weighting: 50%
Students will analyse a pre-existing corpus of qualitative data to write a report on a policy topic, in the form of a discussion paper/policy briefing. In addition, students will be required to identify and integrate relevant quantitative data to provide context information for the report. The report will require students to undertake qualitative data analysis and develop recommendations based on this analysis.
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%
Throughout the semester students will undertake practical tasks to develop their qualitative research skills. These include exercises relating to research design, ethics practicing qualitative methods and data analysis. These will be the basis of the discussion forums.
Assessment Type 1: Design Task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: September 1 (Sunday Week 6)
Weighting: 30%
Students will be required to develop a consultation strategy utilising qualitative research methods. The consultation strategy will outline the policy area or topic upon which consultation will occur; provide an overview of the consultation participants (the sample); outline the overall consultation strategy (research design); describe how information will be obtained from research participants (fieldwork and methods); and describe how the data obtained will be used to provide evidence to inform the policy topic (data analysis).
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
The teaching program consists of the following:
Weekly Overview
Week |
Topic |
Seminar Activity |
One |
Introduction to Qualitative Research |
Introductions Thinking like a qualitative researcher |
Two |
The use of qualitative research as evidence in policy processes |
Assessing what is 'quality' in qualitative research |
Three |
Qualitative Research Design |
Developing a qualitative research design |
Four |
Consultations as Qualitative Research Strategy |
Designing a consultation strategy Consultation assignment |
Five |
Research Ethics |
Managing ethical dilemmas |
Six |
Observation |
Undertaking an observation |
Research Design Exercise Due – September 1 |
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Seven |
Qualitative Interviewing |
Developing an interview protocol Undertaking an in-depth interview |
Eight |
Focus Groups |
Conducting and assessing focus groups |
Nine |
Action Research, Task-oriented methods and alternative research methods |
Action research in practice |
Ten |
Introduction to Qualitative Analysis |
Open coding Identifying categories |
Eleven |
Writing Qualitative Research |
Developing Themes Writing qualitative research |
Twelve |
Research Utilisation and Dissemination |
Communicating research findings |
Thirteen |
Conclusion and Overview |
NVivo Workshop |
Policy Research Report Due - November 3 |
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.
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 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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
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Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
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Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook