MAP5000 - Research in advanced health professional practice - 2019

This unit is designed to support students to develop or progress a Master's level research proposal for implementation in the post-requisite unit MAP5010 Advanced health practice research project (for the 24 credit point research project) or MAP5001 and MAP5002 (for the 36 credit point minor thesis).

Engagement in this unit will enable students to demonstrate their ability to critique the literature and relevant methodological approaches. It will provide health practitioners with the skills to confidently and successfully conduct professional focused research of interest to them.

Students will achieve a range of outcomes depending upon their pre-requisite pathway of either SRH5003 or GHS5841.

Successful completion of MAP5000 and MAP5010 or MAP5000, MAP5001 and MAP5002 with an overall grade of 70 Distinction or above may permit a student to apply for a graduate research program, including the PhD, at Monash University.

Upon completion of this unit and in collaboration with the supervisor, students will be able to either*:

1. Select a topic for further research that addresses a gap in the literature.
2. Develop and refine a research question (or set of questions) answerable within a Master's-level research process.
3. Propose and justify the selection of an appropriate research methodology.
4. Design and conduct an appropriate literature search strategy.
5. Critically evaluate and analyse the literature collected through the search strategy
6. Create a rigorous and feasible research proposal, including a protocol that includes data collection methods and participant recruitment procedures.
7. Prepare an application for approval by the relevant ethics committee/s (if appropriate).
8. Explain and apply the moral, ethical and legal principles of scientific research (including applying the principles of academic integrity).

   * recommended for students who are changing their topic/focus/research question/s from the one used in the prerequisite module (GHS5841 or SRH5003)

   Or**

9. Critically review and further develop a research question (or set of questions) targeting a gap in the literature, that is answerable within a master's-level research process.
10. Synthesise relevant literature to develop arguments supporting the research question/s and approach.
11. Present and justify the rationale underpinning the research question in language understandable by a non-specialist audience.
12. Further develop and justify a research methodology appropriate to the proposed research question in a format appropriate for an academic thesis.
13. Prepare an application for approval by the relevant ethics committee/s (if appropriate).
14. Explain and apply the moral, ethical and legal principles of academic research (including applying the principles of academic integrity).

    ** recommended for students continuing with the same proposal developed in their prerequisite module (GHS5841 or SRH5003)

The following assessment tasks are available to students completing this unit.

The exact combination to be completed will be determined in conjunction with the student's supervisor, and must comply with University workload requirements.

Students complete A + B + (C OR D)

• Task A. Completion of the research integrity module (Hurdle) (2 hrs effort)

And TWO of:

• Task B1. Research proposal (incorporating proposed research question, background/annotated bibliography, methodology outline, timeline, budget* and risk management strategy* (3500-4500 words equivalent) (50%)

Students please note if you choose the Research Proposal task you must contact your supervisor who will inform you of the weighting of marks attributed to each element for this rubric.

• Task B2. Detailed critical literature review (3500-4000 words) (50%)
• Task B3. Methodology chapter (4000-4500 words) (50%)

* if appropriate for the research approach

Total word count for Task B not to exceed 8000 words.

• Task C. Preparation of an ethics application** (Hurdle)
• Task D. Poster summarising ethical considerations relevant to the focus topic (for literature-based research projects not requiring ethics approval, e.g. guideline development or systematic reviews). (Hurdle)

** Students going on to complete research projects in MAP5001 or MAP5010 must also have submitted their ethics application before the end of the semester, if relevant to the project design.

Assessment strategy is guided by the notional hours of effort approach.

Minimum 1 hour per week consultation with supervisor either face-to-face or electronically, 11 hours per week directed research activities which may include on-line tasks (project dependent), 12 hours per week for self-directed study.

See also Unit timetable information