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Unit description
Introduces students to the principles, objectives and methods of social research. Develops practical skills in reviewing literature, constructing research questions and writing up research for publication. Students practice reading published research and analysing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data. They will conduct a small piece of research of their own design.
Unit content
Topic 1. Developing knowledge/working in a group
Topic 2. Research design: Principles and stages of research
Topic 3. Developing research questions/objectives
Topic 4. Reading and understanding research reports and journal articles
Topic 5. Variables and their measurement: qualitative data
Topic 6. Data collection and recording; Ethics
Topic 7. Managing and coding qualitative data
Topic 8. Variables and their measurement: quantitative data
Topic 9. Summarising and presenting data
Topic 10. Disseminating research findings
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
Learning outcomes and graduate attributes
GA1: Intellectual rigour,
GA2: Creativity,
GA3: Ethical practice,
GA4: Knowledge of a discipline,
GA5: Lifelong learning,
GA6: Communication and social skills,
GA7: Cultural competence| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 |
|---|
| 1 | identify an author's research question, primary methods and key findings in published research articles | Intellectual rigour | | | | | | |
| 2 | compose a research question | | | | | | Communication and social skills | |
| 3 | construct a well-integrated literature review | | | | | | Communication and social skills | |
| 4 | construct valid interview questions | | | | | | Communication and social skills | |
| 5 | code data thematically and categorically | | | Ethical practice | | | | |
| 6 | explain the use of tables and graphs | | | Ethical practice | | | | |
| 7 | write a research article. | | | Ethical practice | | | | |
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- identify an author's research question, primary methods and key findings in published research articles
- compose a research question
- GA6:
Communication and social skills
- construct a well-integrated literature review
- GA6:
Communication and social skills
- construct valid interview questions
- GA6:
Communication and social skills
- code data thematically and categorically
- explain the use of tables and graphs
- write a research article.
Prescribed texts
Session 1
- It is essential that you acquire a copy of this text to be able to complete the practical tasks in this unit. If you have the 2004 version of Bouma and Ling's 'The research process' that will be fine (you won't need the 2016 version as well): Bouma, G & Carland, S, 2016, The research process, 6th edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne. ISBN: 9780190304621.
Prescribed texts may change in future study periods.