Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

To ensure high quality practice, psychologists working in the area of clinical psychology are continually required to reflect upon and modify their own practice to incorporate knowledge of the most recent research evidence. This requires clinical psychologists to have advanced skills in the critical evaluation, interpretation and application of research. The research thesis provides advanced skill development in these areas.

Aims

The aim of the research thesis is to provide you with the opportunity to develop high-level skills in the evaluation, interpretation and application of research. It will also enable you to undertake in-depth research, in a specialised area of psychology and to make a contribution to the professional literature in clinical psychology.

This Unit will focus on introducing you to contemporary research methodologies and program evaluation. In addition, you will be required to develop a research proposal and submit an ethics and health and safety applications involved in undertaking your research, as part of the unit.

Objectives

1. describe and evaluate quantitative, qualitative and evaluation methodologies which inform evidence-based practice;


2. produce a research proposal for addressing a research question in a clinical psychology context;


3. conduct a competent data base search;


4. demonstrate your ability to identify issues in the research literature and generate relevant research questions and hypotheses;


5. write a critical literature review;


6. demonstrate awareness of ethical issues in research and develop and submit a proposal to the University Human Ethics Committee, including consideration of cultural safety principles.

Content

The content will depend on the topic in clinical psychology that you choose as the focus of your research. The final outcome (to be submitted at the end of Thesis 4) may take two alternative forms. You may choose to submit a thesis in the conventional format or you may submit a 5,000 word literature review plus a prepared article that reports your research in a form that can be submitted for publication in an appropriate scholarly journal. If you choose the conventional format, the word count for your thesis should be 11,000 to 13,000 (approximately 40 to 50 pages without tables, figures or appendices).

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The Unit will comprise of seminar presentations and meetings with your supervisor or supervision group. Research supervision will take the form of regular supervision with your thesis supervisor. Seminar topics will include contemporary research methodologies and will address important issues to consider in constructing your ethics application such as cultural safety with Indigenous participants or those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. At the Masters level, an apprenticeship model is encouraged in which you may work with your supervisor and fellow students in an area of mutual interest.

Assessment

You are required to submit a research proposal and meet the requirements of the University Human Research Ethics Committee (UHREC) and Health and Safety Committee by the end of the examination period (Objectives 1-7).

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
You will be required to actively present and participate in regular class seminars during which you will be provided with feedback in relation to the presentation of ideas. You will continue to refine your research ideas and present your proposal for peer review. In addition, you will hold regular meetings with your supervisor(s).

Assessment name: Research Proposal
Description: Write a research proposal in which you:
(i) Pose a research question that focuses on your own practice or is of interest to you as a Clinical Psychologist.
(ii) Provide a brief literature review presenting a rationale for the proposed study.
(iii) Develop and describe a methodology to address the question posed above.
(iv) Discuss the potential implications of the findings.
(Word Limit: 3000 words)
Relates to objectives: 2 - 5
Weight: 100%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 12

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Wampold, B. E. (2001).The Great Psychotherapy Debate: Models, Methods and Findings. Lawrence Erlbaum.

All students and supervisors should download a copy of the Research Student-Supervisor Statement of Understanding available at the following link on the Faculty of Health intranet:
Link to Web Page

You will be required to access databases and library resources extensively. Resources may also be available from your supervisor.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 10-Apr-2013