module specification

PY7PA6 - Research Project (2015/16)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2015/16
Module title Research Project
Module level Masters (07)
Credit rating for module 60
School Faculty of Life Sciences and Computing
Total study hours 600
 
575 hours Guided independent study
25 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
Coursework 0%   Project Proposal
Oral Examination 10%   Poster Presentation (20mins)
Dissertation 90%   Project (max 10000 words) *FC*
Running in 2015/16

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Year North Not applicable Not applicable

Module summary

Research Project
This module supports the process of planning and executing a research project.
Semester: Autumn/spring/summer
 

Module aims

To develop to an advanced level the research skills that are introduced in the MSc research methods modules
To provide a formal framework for supervising research project work
To enable students to relate research methods and principles taught to a range of different research applications
To enable students to present their work to others in an academic manner

Syllabus

This module consists of supervision of projects and there is no taught syllabus.
However, general support workshops in Week 6 Autumn semester (not specific to this module) will cover:

1. Requirements, time-scale and planning,

2.Ethics and ethical applications

Learning and teaching

Supervision meetings and independent learning will be the main focus of this module. The entire process of the project is central to pdp.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

•  Plan and execute, using independent judgement, a piece of original research relevant to health  and addiction psychology
•  Demonstrate innovation and originality of thought with respect to basic and applied research
• Select, carry out and interpret research findings using either quantitative or qualitative analysis  techniques to an advanced level of capability
• Critically interpret and place their own research within the wider context of psychological   research
•  Write a detailed and concise project dissertation in a research paper format suitable for  publication
• Be able to defend their research ideas through presentation of a research poster and defence of their findings.
• Demonstrate knowledge and a critical understanding of the role of research in the academic
and professional development of psychology, including the philosophy, ethics and purpose of research

Assessment strategy

This module is assessed in three ways:
1. Project proposal (10%)
2. Oral presentation/poster of 20 minutes (15%)
3. Project (10000 words; 75%).

Bibliography

British Psychological Society (2009). Code of Ethics and Conduct Leicester: BPS.
Cohen, J. (1992) A power prima. Psychological Bulletin 112, 155-9.
DeVellis, R.F (1991) Scale Development: Theory and Applications. Newbury Park CA: Sage.
Game, A. and West, M.A (2002) Principles of publishing, The Psychologist 15, 126-9.
General Medical Council (1999) Seeking Patients’ Consent: The Ethical Consideration. London: GMC.
Hall G. (1994) How to Write a Paper. British Medical Association.
Kline, P (2000) The Handbook of Psychological Testing (2nd edition). London: Routledge.
Mays, N. and Pope, C (2002) Assessing quality in qualitative research. British Medical Journal 320, 50-52 (www.bmj.com)
Michie, S and Abraham, C (2004) Health Psychology in Practice. Blackwell Publishing.
Murray, M. and Chamberlain, K (eds) (1999). Qualitative Health Psychology Theories and Methods. London: Sage.
NHS CRD (2001) Report 4: UK Guidance on how to carry out a systematic review of effectiveness (2nd ed) (www1.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/report4.htm)
Rosenthal, R (1991) Meta-analytic Procedures for Social Scientists (revised) Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Shadish, W.R.; Cook, T.D. and Campbell, D.T. (2002) Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Silverman D. (2001) Interpreting Qualitative Data: Methods for analysing talk, text and interaction. 2nd Ed. London: Sage.
Sternberg, R.J. (ed) (2000) Guide to Publishing in Psychology Journals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wright, D.B. and Williams, S. (2004) How to produce a bad results section. The Psychologist. 16, 646-48.