Research Thesis (Psychology)

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

1. Expert understanding of a substantial body of theory and its practical application at the frontier of a field of work or learning, including substantial expert knowledge of ethical research principles and methods applicable to the field;
2. Intellectual independence and cognitive skills to undertake a systematic investigation, reflect critically on theory and practice and evaluate existing knowledge and ideas, including identifying, evaluating and critically analysing the validity of research studies and their applicability to a research problem;
3. Expert cognitive, technical and creative skills to design, develop and implement a research project/s to systematically investigate a research problem; to develop, adapt and implement research methodologies to extend and redefine existing knowledge; and to manage, analyse, evaluate and interpret data, synthesising key ideas and theorising within the context of key literature;
4. Expert communication skills to explain and critique theoretical propositions, methodologies and conclusions; to disseminate and promote new insights; and to cogently present a complex investigation of originality, or original research, both for external examination and to specialist (eg. researcher peers) and non-specialist (industry and/or community) audiences through informal interaction, scholarly publications, reports and formal presentations;
5. Capacity to reflect on, develop and evaluate strategies for achieving their own learning and career goals;
6. Intellectual independence, initiative and creativity in new situations and/or for further learning;
7. Ethical practice and full responsibility and accountability for personal outputs; and
8. Autonomy, authoritative judgment, adaptability and responsibility as an expert and leading scholar.