Students

FOAR8004 – Research in Critical Indigenous Studies

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Professor
Sandy O'Sullivan
sandy.osullivan@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Don't hesitate to contact me directly via email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
"Admission to Graduate Diploma of Research OR Bachelor of Philosophy."
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will introduce students to research in the discipline of Critical Indigenous Studies, exploring what characterises research in this discipline. Students will encounter and learn to critically evaluate the key concepts, questions and issues that have shaped and/or are currently shaping research in the discipline. This unit will equip students to analyse the discipline’s key literature and identify the important theoretical approaches, methods, arguments and ethical considerations that characterise research within this area. This unit will prepare students to position their own developing research ideas within a disciplinary context as they prepare for future independent research projects.

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: Evaluate and analyse relevant approaches to research in your discipline, including relevant discipline specific theories, concepts, methods and arguments.
  • ULO2: Critically evaluate an advanced body of knowledge in your discipline.
  • ULO3: Analyse and evaluate arguments, texts and/or data, considering the ethics and integrity frameworks required to conduct responsible, ethical and reflective research in your discipline.
  • ULO4: Communicate relevant research concepts and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences using appropriate discipline-specific language.

General Assessment Information

Please see iLearn for full details. 

Late 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 to late submissions, up until the 7th calendar 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.

Important to note: Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs) will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor (or equivalent). Where an application for Special Consideration is approved and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Module Reflection 30% No Weeks 3, 8, 11 Individual No Open AI
Annotated Reference List 30% No 13 April 2026 Individual No Open AI
Research Proposal 40% No 7 June 2026 Individual No Open AI

Module Reflection

Assessment Type 1: Reflection task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: Weeks 3, 8, 11
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

Students are required to reflect on how module content can be applied in their research. Specific details will be provided on iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate and analyse relevant approaches to research in your discipline, including relevant discipline specific theories, concepts, methods and arguments.
  • Critically evaluate an advanced body of knowledge in your discipline.
  • Analyse and evaluate arguments, texts and/or data, considering the ethics and integrity frameworks required to conduct responsible, ethical and reflective research in your discipline.

Annotated Reference List

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 13 April 2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

This assessment requires students to develop an annotated APA reference list to critically evaluate scholarship relating to your research area. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate and analyse relevant approaches to research in your discipline, including relevant discipline specific theories, concepts, methods and arguments.
  • Critically evaluate an advanced body of knowledge in your discipline.
  • Analyse and evaluate arguments, texts and/or data, considering the ethics and integrity frameworks required to conduct responsible, ethical and reflective research in your discipline.

Research Proposal

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 7 June 2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

This assessment task requires you to develop a research proposal for a hypothetical project. This proposal will demonstrate you have a clear understanding of appropriate Indigenous research methodologies and your position in conducting research with Indigenous peoples. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate and analyse relevant approaches to research in your discipline, including relevant discipline specific theories, concepts, methods and arguments.
  • Analyse and evaluate arguments, texts and/or data, considering the ethics and integrity frameworks required to conduct responsible, ethical and reflective research in your discipline.
  • Communicate relevant research concepts and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences using appropriate discipline-specific language.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Please see iLearn for full details on delivery and resources. 

Unit Schedule

Please see iLearn for full details on time and location

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 connect.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/

Academic Success

Academic Success 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 the Service Connect Portal, 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.

Unit information based on version 2026.01R of the Handbook