Outline

Overview

This unit of study builds on the fundamental health research knowledge gained in FMHU2000 (Introduction to Research Methods in Health). This unit is designed to extend students' knowledge, skills and competence in research methods, data analysis, critical appraisal, and oral and written scientific communication. Students then apply these knowledge and skills by conducting and presenting a literature review for a chosen health research topic. The knowledge, skills and competence developed in this unit of study prepares students for their Honours research project (PHAR4913) and equips them to appropriately analyse and apply research evidence to the practice of pharmacy.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Pharmacy
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	FMHU2000
Corequisites ?	PHAR3921 and PHAR3922
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Barbara Mintzes, barbara.mintzes@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written exam ?	Final exam Written final exam	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
In-class quiz	Workshop quizzes In-class quiz on Canvas (total of four quizzes)	10%	Multiple weeks	10min per quiz	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Workshop participation Workshop participation	0%	Ongoing	NA	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Q&A following presentation, submission or placement	Critical appraisal presentation Q&A Question and answer session following group presentation	5%	Week 05 Due date: 09 Sep 2025 at 17:00	5 minutes	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Critical appraisal presentation Group presentation critically appraising a chosen scientific paper	10%	Week 05 Due date: 09 Sep 2025 at 17:00	10 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Literature review report Written mini literature review including 3 scientific papers.	35%	Week 13 Due date: 09 Nov 2025 at 23:00	5 pages	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Short quizzes

The short quizzes are designed to help students integrate and apply the knowledge and skills acquired in lectures, pre-work and tutorials. The sum of all short quizzes (4x2.5%) will make up 10% of the Unit of Study mark.

Critical appraisal group presentation

This is a group assignment in which students will be asked to choose a peer reviewed article and critically appraise the evidence presented based on the methods they learned in weeks 3 – 5 and present their findings in front of the class. Students will be asked to plan and divide the workload among their group and collaborate on putting together the presentation. Each student in a group will be expected to present a part of the group presentation.

Question and answer session following presentation

The presentations will be followed by a 5-minute class discussion, when the presenting group will be required to respond to questions about their critical appraisal from the tutor and fellow students. All students in the group will be expected to contribute to the discussion.

Literature review

In this individual assignment, which is submitted on-line students will construct a mini literature review summarising previous research on a specific research topic based on three papers. The review should critically analyse and interpret findings from the chosen literature, any conflicting, and identify gaps any gaps in evidence.

Students will also be asked to complete a reflective exercise, explaining their literature search strategy, why they selected the three chosen references, and why they judge the evidence to be trustworthy.

Final Written Exam: This examination will be based on lectures/pre-work/tutorial materials from the Research Methods unit of study. The exam will comprise multiple-choice and short answer questions. You must pass this assessment to pass the unit of study. The Final Exam requires a minimum of 50% pass to pass this unit overall.

If you do not pass any hurdle assessment(s) the maximum final grade you can obtain will be 45 FA, regardless of the total raw mark you obtain for the unit of study.

No use of AI tools (Final Written Exam, question and answer session)

The use of automated writing tools and generative artificial intelligence is prohibited in this assessment. You are not allowed to use AI or any other software to create information or answers, to alter your own original writing, or to generate or modify text from other sources. This includes translation software, editing/paraphrasing software and other generative artificial intelligence tools.
Unapproved use is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and may result in penalties, which can include a fail for the assessment.

AI tools permitted (Literature review, critical appraisal group presentation, short quizzes,)

In these assessments you are allowed to use automated writing tools and artificial intelligence (AI). For literature review and group presentation assessments you can use AI for the following purposes:
  Editing assistance
You may use automated writing or AI tools such as to provide feedback on your work and suggest readability improvements to your text in terms of grammar and expression. You cannot use generative AI tools to generate content.
Creating media for assessment
You may use AI tools such as to generate that you use as part of your submission.
Suggesting a structure or outline
You may use AI tools such as to help you .
Searching and summarising literature
You may use AI tools such as to find and summarise research articles. The generated summary should not be included in the submission. You need to incorporate the scholarship yourself into your submission.

Please adhere to the following guidelines:

Do not enter confidential, personal, copyrighted or otherwise sensitive information into any AI tool.
Do not rely on the accuracy of outputs. You remain responsible for your work. This means you must independently verify and edit AI-generated content to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and suitability of the output.
If you use these tools, you must be aware of their limitations, biases, and propensity for fabrication.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission, must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to reference and acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

You are advised to keep copies of the prompts you provided and AI outputs as evidence of your research and writing process. This allows you to produce an accurate acknowledgement of AI use when you submit your work. This can be requested by the unit coordinator if there is any uncertainty about the originality of your work.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (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	At HD level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to students who demonstrate the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the units material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the units material and can solve routine problems and/ or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory adequately referencing the original source of the work.
Fail	0 - 49	The learning outcomes of the unit of study have not been met to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

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 University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Students will be required to undertake approximately XX hours self directed learning, viewing recorded lectures and pre-work, lecture and tutorial material revisions	Independent study (72 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to the Research Methods unit and software tools	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to research ethics	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Developing a research question and understanding key experimental and observational research designs, their applicability, strengths and weaknesses	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Introduction to literature reviews	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Literature search methods	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Getting data from your literature - data extraction in systematic reviews	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Honours information session	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Critical appraisal : how do you know if you can trust study results?	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Conducting a critical appraisal - group presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Principles of academic writing	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Systematic review – putting it all together	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Introduction to pharmacoepidemiology research methods	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Population-based observational studies and risk of bias	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Researcher Integrity and use of AI in research	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Evidence-based clinical decision-making	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Pharmacoeconomics clinical evaluation for drug reimbursement	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Descriptive statistics and introduction to inferential statistics	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Comparing proportions	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Comparing means	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Correlations and linear regression	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Introduction to qualitative research methods	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Qualitative research methods - thematic analysis	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Policy oriented research	Seminar (2 hr)
	Quantitative methods – survey research	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Introduction to laboratory research methods	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Laboratory research methods 2	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Unit wrap-up and revision. What's next for honours research?	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: In accordance with the course resolutions on Attendance Requirements, students must attend a minimum of 85% tutorials/ labs/ workshops to satisfy attendance requirements for this unit of study. For more information see the current handbook.

If a tutorial/ lab/workshop is missed due to illness or misadventure, students are to submit a special consideration application along with supporting documentation.

Students arriving more than 10 minutes after the commencement of the tutorial/ lab/ workshop will be marked as absent. Students swapping a class without prior approval from the UoS co-ordinator will be marked as absent.

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 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library Reading list available on Canvas

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.

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

LO1. Describe and apply commonly used statistical methods in health research.
LO2. Demonstrate skills in research communication, such as written, oral and multi-media presentation skills, as well as providing, receiving and responding to feedback.
LO3. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of different experimental and observational research designs used in pharmaceutical science and pharmacy practice research, and how these research designs can be appropriately applied to answer different research questions.
LO4. Explain the importance of ethics approval in health research, and describe and apply principles of research ethics in research design and conduct.
LO5. Conduct and present a critical appraisal discussion of a relevant published article relevant to assessment of the effectiveness and/or safety of a medicine.
LO6. Formulate appropriate research questions systematically and plan, conduct and synthesise a literature review for a chosen health research question.
LO7. Develop and demonstrate knowledge and core research skills relating to laboratory, quantitative and qualitative research.
LO8. Demonstrate responsibility for personal and professional development through independent learning and continuous reflection.
LO9. Apply appropriate writing and referencing techniques, including appropriately acknowledging sources, to uphold academic honesty.

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

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.d. drawing conclusions by synthesising the results of research and inquiry activities
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.e. reporting and disseminating the outcomes appropriately
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.c. undertaking relevant investigations, where appropriate
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.c. undertaking relevant investigations, where appropriate
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.b. identifying and critically appraising relevant source materials
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - At the point of general registration as a pharmacist - 5.4. contributing to the evidence base through engaging in research and inquiry, including 5.4.b. identifying and critically appraising relevant source materials Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.b. identifying and critically appraising relevant source materials
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.a. formulating questions 5.4.b. identifying and critically appraising relevant source materials 5.4.c. undertaking relevant investigations, where appropriate
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - At the point of general registration as a pharmacist - 1.6. adopting a proactive and reflective approach to maintaining and developing their own professional competence and expertise in order to remain fit-to-practise 4.1. engaging in regular and systematic reflection to enhance professional learning and practice 4.2. identifying and acknowledging professional limitations and seeking appropriate support where necessary, including additional professional education and/or referral of patients to other health care professionals Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 1.6. demonstrating a proactive and reflective approach to developing their own professional competence and expertise 1.8. accepting personal responsibility and accountability for decisions and actions in simulated and/or work-integrated learning environments 4.1. undertaking regular reflection as a means of enhancing learning and practice 4.2. demonstrating awareness of professional limitations and adopting appropriate strategies where necessary, including additional professional education and/or referral of patients to other health care professionals
	Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - At the point of general registration as a pharmacist - 1.9. upholding and advancing the reputation and value of the profession 5.4. contributing to the evidence base through engaging in research and inquiry, including 5.4.e. reporting and disseminating the outcomes appropriately Performance Outcomes Framework - Australian Pharmacy Council - On successful completion of an approved pharmacy degree program - 1.9. upholding and maintaining the reputation and value of the profession 5.4. demonstrating skills in research and inquiry, including 5.4.e. reporting and disseminating the outcomes appropriately

Responding to student feedback

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

NA - new subject

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

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PHAR3923: Research Methods

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links