Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Maria Kangas
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Credit points |
Credit points
8
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MClinPsych and PSY933
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
PSY933 is the compulsory prerequisite for this unit. This unit (PSY934) involves the conduct of research appropriate to the discipline of clinical psychology, and requires the submission of a piece of research in the form of a journal article, usually of around 5000-8000 words plus a literature review in the form of a critical review paper (5000 – 8000 words). The two papers are submitted together for external marking.
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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:
DISSERTATION EXAMINATION:
Your supervisor will arrange for two examiners, generally at least one of whom is external to the University. At least 5 to 6 weeks prior to your submission of the project (by at least 10th September, 2018) you should remind your supervisor of the due date so that sufficient time is available to make examination arrangements. Complete the student section of the examiner nomination form (See Unit Learn page) and send to your supervisor. This is particularly important because your dissertation is to be marked during the busy times of the year, notably late in second semester when the Honours theses are also being marked. Most theses are marked by one internal and one external examiner, but occasionally, two internal or two external examiners may be used.
Please carefully note the following process pertaining to the thesis examination– if there is any delay in assigning examiners for your thesis (which is the Research Supervisor’s responsibility to arrange), then this could likely lead to delays in receiving examiners reports back in a timely manner (i.e. – it is common in such cases for examiners reports to not be available until sometime in January if students submitted their thesis by the October due date). This will have ramifications for applying for full registration if the thesis mark/grade is the final unit that needs to be finalized (i.e. you have completed all other course requirements for the MClinPsych degree). Unfortunately, even if examiners are assigned by the thesis submission date – it is beyond the MClinPsych staff’s control (inclusive of Research Supervisor) to guarantee that examiners reports will be ready before the end of the year (if students submit by the October due date). Although all efforts are made to remind examiners that reports are due within 1 month of receipt of thesis, unfortunately some examiners do take longer to examine the thesis – and sometimes are not available until 2-4 months later.
For the abovementioned reasons, students are NOT to assume - a) Examiners will automatically Pass the thesis; b) Thesis marks/grades will be ratified by December if they are submitting by the October due date; and c) Guarantee future employers that they will have met all course work requirements and are eligible for registration by the end of the year in which they submit the thesis for marking. Students cannot apply for full registration with the Psychology Board of Australia until they have met ALL coursework requirements inclusive of the thesis – this means both the examiners reports must have been returned to the university, the thesis has been assessed at minimum Pass level, and all outstanding unit marks/grades have been ratified by the university.
The below marking guidelines are provided to examiners and are used to formulate an appropriate grade. Both examiners provide suggested grades for each component of the thesis and the final grade is then assigned by the unit convenor.
Instructions to Examiners
The task is not to decide whether the paper is publishable (though any comments along these lines, or suggestions concerning improvements to assist publishability, would be most welcome), but to decide whether the standard is adequate for a Masters level project (which constitutes 25% of the degree) and whether the format is acceptable journal format and a suggested grade.
Mark range 85 - 100 (High Distinction) – given to a study that you may expect to see in a good level journal.
Mark range 75 - 84 (Distinction) – given to a study that you may expect to see in a low to moderate level journal
Mark Range 65 - 74 (Credit) – given to a study that is potentially publishable, but with some attainable changes and improvements.
Mark range 50 - 64 (Pass) – given to a study that is unlikely to be publishable in any but the most basic journals, although it is still technically correct
Mark range 49 or less (Fail) – this grade should be reserved for projects that clearly do not demonstrate any clear understanding of the use of research methodology in the applied field.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Literature Review Paper | 50% | No | Week 11 - 22nd October 2018 |
Empirical Paper | 50% | No | Week 11 - 22nd October 2018 |
Due: Week 11 - 22nd October 2018
Weighting: 50%
Due: Week 11 - 22nd October 2018
Weighting: 50%
The Empirical Journal Article is a write-up of your empirical research as if you were going to submit it to a journal for publication. You must state on the front cover the journal you are writing for and follow the guidelines to authors (Notes for Contributors) given in the journal. The empirical paper should not exceed between 5000 to 8000 words maximum.
There are no formal seminars for this unit. Rather, students are required to be in regular contact with their designated research supervisor through the course of this year to ensure they meet the thesis requirements by the due date.
Please check Ilearn page for PSYC934 for regular updates.
An electronic copy of each of the 2 thesis papers need to be uploaded to turnitin by the due date.
Notes for Authors/Contributors:
Specify the selected journal on the journal article cover page and, if relevant, specify the category of paper. It is a good idea to include the journal's 'Notes for Contributors' page found on each journal website with your thesis.
The front cover of the dissertation must state the following:-
SUBMISSION CHECK LIST:
Binding:
All three copies must be bound in some form. Plastic spiral binding, which is inexpensive and done quickly by many printing stores and also in the library, is acceptable. The Literature Review and the Empirical Journal Article should be bound together but show that they are two separate pieces of work. Note that you may not get any copies of the dissertation back so make four copies if you want to keep one.
Appendices:
If there is a requirement in the article to provide further details, on request, of measures, analyses, etc., then these should be submitted (include them within binding in bound copies) and identified accordingly.
Data Retention:
All original data associated with research must be retained in a durable and appropriately referenced form for a period of five years after publication. The retention period dates from the day of submission of your dissertation. Submit a Retention of Original Research Data Form with your dissertation, these forms are available via Ilearn page. Please note however, that if you intend publishing your results, the data may need to be kept for considerably longer.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, 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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
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