Unit information: Research Project in 2023/24

Unit name	Research Project
Unit code	PSYCM0055
Credit points	40
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Benton
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Psychological Science
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Unit Information

This mandatory unit for the MSci Psychology with Innovation requires you to design, conduct, analyse and write-up an original piece of empirical research. The research report is to be based on an empirical investigation carried out by the student, with guidance from the project Supervisor.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:

1. Compose an appropriate research question that requires the application of quantitative, qualitative or mixed techniques in psychological science.
2. Demonstrate initiative in the design, development and enquiry required to address a research question
3. Design accurate techniques and demonstrate personal responsibility and self-direction in conducting an empirical investigation in psychology.
4. Evaluate solutions to a research problem and demonstrate practical insight to the analysis of data.
5. Justify the interpretation of research findings and arrange a research report appropriate to psychological science.

How you will learn

Independent and group work with supervisor. Teaching consists of meetings with the project supervisor to determine the nature of the theoretical question to be addressed, the appropriate empirical approach to the question, steering the proposal through the Ethics Committee, setting up and conducting the empirical work, analysing the data and discussion of the implications of the findings for the theoretical question posed.

How you will be assessed

Formative (mandatory) project proposal and poster presentation (both pass/fail).

The final unit mark is based on supervisor's report (5%) and dissertation (95%). The main body of the dissertation is not to exceed 6000 words for quantitative studies, 6500 words for mixed methods studies, and 7000 words for qualitative studies.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PSYCM0055).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.