PSY6210 · Research methods for inquiry and practice

Overview

This unit is designed to build the core of your professional identity as a scientist-practitioner. Moving beyond foundational concepts, it equips you with the advanced skills to critically evaluate new evidence. The central goal is to develop the sophisticated research literacy required for a career of impactful research and evidence-based practice. The curriculum provides both a robust common foundation and pathways for specialised expertise. You will begin by developing core competencies, from reproducible data science to qualitative inquiry, before choosing advanced elective modules in areas like complex regression or specialised designs, tailoring your learning to your specific research interests and thesis requirements. Learning is centred on hands-on application through streamlined, integrated workbooks using modern statistical software. The assessment strategy is designed to build a comprehensive skill set. You will first hone your critical appraisal skills by evaluating a published research paper. This culminates in the unit's final assessment task: the development of a formal research proposal for your own doctoral study. This proposal provides a direct, timely opportunity to apply the unit's principles of robust, ethical, and clinically relevant research design to your own work, putting the scientist-practitioner model into practice.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment in this unit includes hurdle assessment tasks. Failure of any hurdle assessment task may result in failure of the unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Evaluate the theoretical assumptions and practical applications of advanced quantitative and qualitative research methods used in clinical science.
2. Select and justify appropriate research designs and analytical methods to address specific psychological research questions.
3. Apply a range of analytical techniques to authentic datasets using modern statistical software in a reproducible manner.
4. Interpret and communicate the results of complex statistical analyses in the context of psychological theory and clinical practice.
5. Critically appraise the methodological rigour, statistical analysis of published psychological research to inform evidence-based practice.
6. Design and propose a methodologically rigorous and clinically relevant research study that addresses a specific research question, demonstrating the integration of theory and practice.

Workload

As a year-long unit distributed across two semesters, the workload is comprised of the following: Weekly asynchronous learning activities of four hours during teaching periods for a total of 48 hours. These activities consist of engaging with online modules, completing integrated workbooks (AT1), and undertaking recommended readings. Preparation for assessment tasks includes approximately 12 hours for the Critical Appraisal (AT2) and 24 hours for the PhD Research Proposal (AT3), with the latter completed cumulatively over the year.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.