Leader: Professor L Piterman

Offered

Clayton First semester 2008 (Off-campus)
Clayton Second semester 2008 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit is a compulsory core unit for the MFM course and is designed to assist students in the development of their research project. It covers such issues as starting a project, measurement, project management, funding a research project, statistical planning, data analysis, collaborative research, and research in general practice.

Objectives

The overall aim of this unit is to give the participant sufficient practical experience and knowledge to enable them to undertake their own research project. The principle objectives are to give the participant an understanding of and experience in:

1. Practical issues concerned with research e.g. funding, support and logistic issues;
2. Technical issues, e.g. the role of computers and statistical analysis;
3. Management issues, e.g. managing a research team, administering a project;
4. Conducting a project from the development of an idea to publishing the results. This last objective is in reference to working through several stages of a project which could become the basis of a Master's thesis in the final year of the course.

Assessment

Literature Review (15%), Reliability and Validity Study (10%) Funding Application (20%), Ethics Application (20%), Pilot Study (35%)