Course coordinator
Dr Karan Gulati
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- Herston
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Herston
- Coordinating unit
- Dentistry School
This course provides students with a foundation for and experience in preparing a research proposal in their self-selected area of interest, with the support of an appointed supervisor(s), with a focus on evidence-based practice. The competency building activities of this course provide students with experiential learning through the development and preparation of a proposal for their chosen research project and workshops.
This course teaches the skills required for the preparation of a research proposal in a self-selected area of interest. The course will develop the skills to gather, manage and summarise data; demonstrate the policies, procedures and provide instruction on how to produce a research ethics application; and develop the ability to compile a research proposal and project including the introduction, aim, objectives, method results and discussion.
ﾠ
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
DENT3021
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Karan Gulati
Tutor
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The course contact hours include a 2-hour workshop and 1-hour tutorial per week. There will be recordings for the workshops provided that the technology functions (as it usually does), but we strongly recommend that you attend ALL workshops and that you use the recordings only to help in your review of the material from the workshops that you have attended. Note that the tutorials will NOT have any associated recordings, so you must attend these sessions to gain the benefit of working through activities to apply the workshop material.
Aims and outcomes
Students will be able to prepare and develop a research proposal and an ethics application based on a self-selected project.ﾠﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Undergrad Honours - Identify and propose solutions to ethical considerations underpinning research in a health project.
LO2.
Undergrad Honours - Justify the construction of research questions, aims and objectives to guide a health-based research project.
LO3.
Undergrad Honours - Propose and justify a scientific study to investigate an area relevant to dental sciences while supported by experienced researchers.
LO4.
Undergrad Honours - Develop and communicate methods to analyse quantitative or qualitative data to solve research questions.
LO5.
Undergrad Honours - Critically evaluate, transform and present information in written and verbal formats.
LO6.
Undergrad Honours - Develop skills and attributes of collaborative team work in developing a research proposal.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation |
Research Presentation
|
30% |
Presentations will occur on 20th and 27th April 2026 in an allocated timetabled session. More information will be provided on Blackboard regarding your group’s presentation slot. Please note it is a group assessment and all members have to present. |
| Project |
Research Project Proposal
|
40% MUST PASS |
18/05/2026 4:00 pm |
| Quiz |
Research Analysis Assignment
|
30% |
29/05/2026 4:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Research Presentation
- Identity Verified
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
Presentations will occur on 20th and 27th April 2026 in an allocated timetabled session. More information will be provided on Blackboard regarding your group’s presentation slot. Please note it is a group assessment and all members have to present.
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Task description: The purpose of this task is for your group to present your research area of interest.
For this assessment task you will work with your research group to present a research article of your choice in a total of 5 minutes presentation time. Each student must speak during the presentation.
Your presentation should provide information on the following:
- Provide background information and highlight the importance of the study;
- State research aim and question;
- Present the finding of the study;
- Use thoughtfully designed presentation slides that enhance your group’s presentation.
Due date: Presentation slides are to be submitted as Powerpoint slides (.pptx). These submitted slides will be compiled together to make sure presentations run smoothly on the day.
Weighting: This assessment will contribute a maximum 30% towards your final mark for the course.
More details including marking criteria/rubric is available on Learn.UQ.
Helpful resources:
The CLIPS Blackboard Community Site contains resources and information about how to present research/project outcomes in an effective and appealing oral presentation. The CLIPS Blackboard site is open to all UQ students and you can self-enrol by going to: www.tiny.cc/clipsuq1.
This Research Presentation will be recorded and retained as per university policy. The recording will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed if required for the purposes of moderation of marking; provision of feedback to the student; and/or re-marking following a successful re-mark application.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 2 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Research Project Proposal
- Hurdle
- Team or group-based
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 40% MUST PASS
- Due date
18/05/2026 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
DENT4021 Research Informed Practice II
Research Project Proposal
Task description: This is the keystone project for this course. Your research project group of a maximum of three students are to propose the research project that you will complete in the final year of your BDSc (Hons) course.
The research proposal is expected to follow the structure taught throughout this course and in the template that is made available on Blackboard. .
Text format: As stated in template made available on Blackboard: Line spacing 1.5 for full document except appendices, which can be single space. All margins 2.54 cm. Sections can include tables and figures, insert at or nearby where referred to.
Referencing style: Use the Vancouver style for your references. Further details about the style are available here: https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/vancouver. It is recommended that you use referencing software for managing your references.
Weighting: This assessment will contribute a maximum 40% towards your final mark for the course and is a must pass assessment.
More details including marking criteria/rubric is available on Learn.UQ.
Hurdle requirements
Must PassSubmission guidelines
TurnItIn
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Research Analysis Assignment
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
29/05/2026 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L04, L05
Task description
In this assessment, students will be required to undertake data analysis and present the findings. Work must be individual's work and submitted via Turnitin.
More details including marking criteria/rubric is available on Learn.UQ.
Submission guidelines
Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of less than 20% |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 20% but less than 45% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 45% but less than 50% OR has obtained overall 50% but has failed the hurdle requirement. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 50% but less than 65% AND has passed the hurdle requirement. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 65% but less than 75% AND has passed the hurdle requirement. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 75% but less than 85% AND has passed the hurdle requirement. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 85% AND has passed the hurdle requirement. |
Additional course grading information
Overall mark will be rounded to the nearest whole number in computing score. For example, 74.50 and above will be rounded up to 75 and 74.49 will be rounded down to 74. This will apply to all grade cutoffs apart from a grade of 4. As such, the minimum pass mark is 50% and a pass cannot be achieved with a rounded up score, for example 49.9%.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
All of the materials that you will need for your classes and assessment tasks in the course will be made available via the DENT4021 Blackboard website, either directly or through internet links.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 11 |
Workshop |
Workshop Learning outcomes: L02 |
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial Describing types of data and Univariate summary Learning outcomes: L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
- Recording of Teaching Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: