Outline

Overview

Honours students undertake a supervised research project in a health discipline area within the Faculty. Each student will contribute to designing and/or implementing an approved research project and submit a thesis describing the project and its implications. In completing the research thesis, the student will work closely with academic staff, normally 2 co-supervisors, who will supervise their research activities. Students will meet regularly with their supervisors; attend seminars and workshops that contribute to the research process and their thesis. Students will attend classes on research methods and statistics, ethics, library skills, writing a literature review, and presentation skills. Additionally students should expect to engage with their supervisor(s) on a regular basis for iIndividual academic/research supervision.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	BHSC4005
Academic unit	Health Sciences
Credit points	24
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Tatjana Seizova-Cajic, tatjana.seizova-cajic@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Justin McNab, justin.mcnab@sydney.edu.au
	Anne Cusick, anne.cusick@sydney.edu.au
	Michelle Villeneuve, michelle.villeneuve@sydney.edu.au
	Maria Fiatarone Singh, maria.fiataronesingh@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research proposal Proposal	0%	Formal exam period	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Mini assessments Written assessments	12.5%	Multiple weeks	5 x 300-500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Draft literature review Literature review	0%	Week 07	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
In-semester test	Research methods main assessment quiz Online exam, open book	30%	Week 09 Due date: 29 Apr 2020 at 10:00 Closing date: 29 Apr 2020	1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Research proposal presentation Online presentation, pre-recorded + questions via Zoom	17.5%	Week 11 Due date: 14 May 2020 at 10:00 Closing date: 14 May 2020	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Rejoinder Report	2.5%	Week 12	300 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Literature review Literature review	37.5%	Week 14 (STUVAC)	3000-4000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Mini assessments: The five mini assessments are based on the required readings, material covered in the research methods seminar, and online modules.
Draft literature review: The purpose of literature review is to clearly outline the state of current knowledge in the area of interest to the student, and identify a knowledge gap that explains the relevance of the project to be undertaken. The literature review should be presented in a format suitable for publication, and can be a systematic or traditional narrative review.
Research methods main assessment quiz: This quiz will test the understanding of concepts covered in the seminars and compulsory readings. A detailed list of concepts to be assessed will be given in the seminars.
Oral presentation of the research proposal: This first oral presentation is an opportunity for you to develop your oral presentation skills through a short presentation to the Faculty and your peers, in preparation for the final oral exam. Content: your research proposal. Marking: two examiners and your peers.
Rejoinder: Examiners and your peers will comment on your research proposal presentation and ask questions. You need to write down at least three questions and email them to the unit coordinator. You will then be asked to provide a written response that addresses three questions or comments. They may be based on the questions you have sent, or new questions, or a combination. This process is designed to give you the opportunity to analyse your project in terms of research design, and whether the design is appropriate to answer the research question(s).
Literature review: This is a formal, examinable submission of your literature review, following a revision based on your supervisor’s feedback.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Exceptional standard of work, showing depth and sophistication
Distinction	75 - 84	A very high standard of work
Credit	65 - 74	A good standard of work
Pass	50 - 64	An acceptable standard of work
Fail	0 - 49	Not meeting the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Honours; meet and greet	Presentation (2 hr)
	Introduction to the research methods seminar	Presentation (1 hr)
	[Wed] Types of research; research process; role of theory (online study; group discussion; self-test)	Independent study (2 hr)
	[Thur] Quant. research: Variable types and basic study designs; Observational research in epidemiology (online study; group discussion; self-test)	Independent study (2 hr)
	[Thurs] Reading published research (with topics covered in mind)	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
	[Thurs] Experimental research (online lecture, group discussion and self-test)	Independent study (1.5 hr)
	[Thurs] Reading published research	Lecture and tutorial (1.5 hr)
Week 02	[Wed] Library skills and EndNote	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
	[Wed] Descriptive statics and displaying data (an overview)	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	[Wed] How good is your study design? How we evaluate quantitative research design (online; group discussion; self-reflection)	Independent study (1.5 hr)
	[Thurs] Randomized controlled trials	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
	[Thurs] Writing a narrative review (online reading and discussion)	Independent study (3 hr)
Week 03	[Wed] From study design to statistics: How do we choose statistical tests?	Lecture (3 hr)
	[Wed] Qualitative research: How good is your study? How we evaluate qualitative research	Lecture (2 hr)
	[Thurs] The importance of and how to conduct a systematic review	Lecture (3 hr)
	[Thurs] Use of interviews in qualitative research	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	[Wed] Use of focus groups in qualitative research	Lecture (2 hr)
	[Thur] Data in quantitative research: Descriptive statistics, part 1: Parameters and statistics for univariate data (for a single variable); Hands-on stats corner	Lecture (2 hr)
	[Thur] Ethics in research	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 05	[Wed] Descriptive statistics, part 2: Parameters and statistics for bivariate data; Hands-on stats corner	Lecture (3 hr)
	[Thurs] Inferential statistics, Part 1	Lecture (2 hr)
	[Thurs] Analysis of qualitative data	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	[Wed] Oral presentation: skills and guidelines	Lecture and tutorial (1.5 hr)
	[Wed] Inferential statistics, Part 2	Lecture and tutorial (2.5 hr)
	[Thurs] Inferential statistics, Part 3	Lecture and tutorial (2.5 hr)
Week 07	[Wed] Workshop: present and explain a result, table or figure from a QUANTITATIVE study of your choice (students teach)	Tutorial (2 hr)
	[Thurs] Workshop: present and explain a result from a published QUALITATIVE study of your choice	Tutorial (2 hr)
	[Thurs] Different, but how exactly: A comparative analysis of terms and concepts in qualitative and quantitative research (student-facilitated)	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	[Wed] Research Methods: In-class ASSESSMENT	Practical (2 hr)
Week 10	[Wed] Oral presentations – feedback	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 10	[Thurs] Oral Presentations -- ASSESSMENT	Presentation (2.5 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Students are expected to attend all scheduled seminars and to participate in discussions and activities. Attendance of less than 80% of the scheduled seminar classes must be supported by written documentation.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 24 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 480-600 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Bourgeault, I., Dingwall, R. and deVries, R. (2010). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in health research. London: Sage.
Field, A. P (2014). Discovering statistics using SPSS (4th ed.), London: Sage. Chapter 1 and 2.
Polgar, S. and Thomas, S. (2013). Introduction to research in the health sciences. Elsevier.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. study and work independently and in teams
LO2. manage schedules and resources
LO3. propose research that will increase knowledge in the area of interest
LO4. know the ethical principles of research and adhere to them
LO5. understand quantitative and qualitative approaches to research
LO6. conduct a literature review and write it up
LO7. investigate a topic under supervision, including data collection and analysis
LO8. write a research article that compiles all aspects of the study
LO9. demonstrate the ability to orally present ideas and research findings and respond to questions.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Some online video lectures were revised and more material added for self-study to free class time for discussion of difficult concepts.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

BHSC4005: Honours Thesis A

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Cumberland, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect