Department of Psychology, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
PS50043 Supervised research project |
| Credits: 12 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 60%, OR 40% |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50136 and while taking this unit you must take XX50138 |
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Aims: This unit develops research skills that students have acquired in the precursor and concurrent methods units, enabling them to apply these in design and execution of pilot research projects. Students will apply knowledge acquired on taught units in order to develop and refine hypotheses and the methods of investigating them, discuss the work in progress with a supervisor, and on the basis of a short oral presentation, discuss the work with fellow students and staff. Students use the feedback from this exercise to write a research report.
Learning Outcomes: On completion students will be able to: * Design and plan a short research project and revise the working plan on the basis of (a) a literature review, (b) opportunities and pitfalls encountered during the research, and (c) discussion with the supervisor and with fellow-students; * Refine working hypotheses on the basis of emerging findings and advice given by the supervisor; * Evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of research methods; * Prepare and Present a work in progress report and deal with questions about it; * Plan, draft and finalize a short written report. Skills: Facilitated Practical/Key skills: * Project planning, * Project-related communication (e.g. with subjects and with other students) * Execution of plans according to an agreed timetable. * Preparing and presenting a short verbal report * Structuring a short written report. Facilitated intellectual skills: * Application and adaptation of research methods to an investigation; * Evaluation of contenting positions; * Evaluation of one's own findings * Specifying future lines of research Assessed skills: * Delineation of a problem or issue for investigation. * Oral presentation of research in progress. * Writing a short report of the research. Content: Supervised pilot studies of a research topic agreed with the supervisor; empirical and library-based research; presentation and discussion of an oral report of the research; writing-up as a short report. |