This course provides students with an overview of the variety of research methods utilised in health research and the skills to determine which research method best answers a research question. Its focus is the development of a research proposal for the purpose of conducting research as part of a thesis.
This course is designed to provide Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) and Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) students with the necessary skills to develop a research proposal relevant to the research question chosen for their research thesis.ﾠThe course is designed to complement NUMW6001 – Advanced Discipline Readings. As an Honours student, you will be expected to read the literature on a variety of research methods utilised in health research and then determine which research method is most appropriate for a given research question.ﾠUnder the guidance of your project supervisor/s you will develop a research proposal for your thesis. Your research proposal comprises the main assessment task for this course.
We recommend completing the following courses at the same time:
NUMW6001
Bachelor of Nursing (Honours), Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours)
During your Honours studies you will work closely with your supervisor/s and attend regular meeting and feedback sessions. Be sure to discuss your research details with your supervisor/s.
There are no timetabled learning activities for this course. You are expected to arrange to meet with your project supervisor/s on an approximately weeekly basis to ensure consistent progress on learning and assessment activities throughout the semester.
To provide you with an overview of the variety of research methods utilised in health research and the skills to determine which research method best answers the research question you have chosen for your research thesis. The course is designed to provide you with one-on-one academic mentoring in order to increase your knowledge of research methodologies and assist you to learn how to write a research proposal.
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods utilised in health research.
LO2.
Determine which research method best answers a specific research question.
LO3.
Write a high quality research proposal for the purpose of conducting research as part of your thesis.
LO4.
Present an overview of your research proposal in a professionally prepared oral presentation.
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Assessment 1: Written Research Proposal | 60% |
19/05/2025 1:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Assessment 2: Oral Presentation
|
40% |
9/06/2025 - 16/06/2025
Presentations will occur during the end of semester Examination period. The exact schedule will be advised nearer the time via the Blackboard site. |
19/05/2025 1:00 pm
The aim of this assessment is for students to demonstrate an understanding of the research process.
Assessment 1 requires the student to choose a research methodology or design that will answer their research question and provide a justification as to why this design will best address their chosen thesis topic. The structure of this assignment should follow the guidelines of the Research Proposal Template.
Do not underestimate the volume of work required to complete this assessment – regular meetings with your project supervisor will assist and focus your progress.
Please see the Assessment tab in the course Blackboard site for further details of this assessment.
Students are required to submit an electronic version of their work in Word document format via Blackboard. Please check the companion website assessment area for specific instructions on this process. A link will be made available in the assessment area of your Blackboard course to allow you to submit your assignment electronically.
The anti plagiarism software TURNITIN is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the TURNITIN software. Work submitted may be subjected to a plagiarism detection process. If this process is used then copies of this work would be retained and used as source material for conducting future plagiarism checks. Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assignments in Blackboard or using TURNITIN as instructed on the companion website.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Applying for an extension
Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved.
Information about applying for an extension can be found on my.UQ .
Extension guidelines
Outcome of application
Extension requests are generally processed within 2 working days. Students can see the outcome of their application by logging in to my.UQ.
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.
9/06/2025 - 16/06/2025
Presentations will occur during the end of semester Examination period. The exact schedule will be advised nearer the time via the Blackboard site.
This individual oral presentation is based on the Research Proposal and provides the student with the opportunity to present their work within the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. The presentation will be 15 minutes in duration, followed by 10 minutes of questions from the audience. Academic staff and students of the School will be invited to attend, and a member of the academic staff will be invited by the Honours Program Director to review and assess the presentation.
Presentations will be during Exam Week (details of date, time and location will be provided once scheduling is finalised). Where students are working interstate or in remote or rural areas the presentation will be delivered via Zoom.
Further details of this assessment are provided via the Assessments tab in the course Blackboard site.
Students are required to submit their PowerPoint presentation at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled presentation timeslot. A link will be made available in the assessment area of your Blackboard course to allow you to submit your assignment electronically. Please check the companion website assessment area for specific instructions on this process.
The anti-plagiarism software TURNITIN is being used at UQ. Work submitted may be subjected to a plagiarism detection process. If this process is used then copies of this work would be retained and used as source material for conducting future plagiarism checks. Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assignments in Blackboard or using TURNITIN as instructed on the companion website.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Applying for an extension
Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved.
Information about applying for an extension can be found on my.UQ .
Extension guidelines
Outcome of application
Extension requests are generally processed within 2 working days. Students can see the outcome of their application by logging in to my.UQ.
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.
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29.9 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46.99 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64.49 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 64.5 - 74.49 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 74.5 - 84.49 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 84.5 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Each assessment item has a marking rubric with criteria and marks identified for each component. These can be accessed via the Assessments tab in the course Blackboard site.ﾠBe sure to read these carefully when planning and undertaking your assessment. Overall grades are calculated based on the weighting of each assessment item to provide an overall grade for the course.
All assessment items must be submitted to be eligible to pass the course.
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
In the case of a student requiring a supplementary assessment for this course, the supplementary assessment will be designed to address those components of the final assessment task where the student has yet to demonstrate achievement of the required learning objectives.
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 are available on the UQ Library website.
The Blackboard site contains information that may support your learning.ﾠ Studies will be student led with regular supervisor meetings to support student learning.ﾠ
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 11 |
Not Timetabled |
Write Research Proposal Draft the different sections of your research proposal, submit drafts to your supervisor/s for feedback, and incorporate feedback from your supervisor/s into your revised proposal. |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
General contact hours |
Book and Attend Supervision Meetings Meet with your supervisor/s regarding roles and responsibilities. Set clear meeting times and agenda items and a plan of work for the semester. Attend regular supervision meetings with your supervisor/s and use their advice and feedback to guide the development of your research proposal and presentation. |
Multiple weeks From Week 10 To Week 13 |
Not Timetabled |
Develop PowerPoint (Oral) Presentation Prepare for the oral presentation of your research proposal, including development of PowerPoint slides to support your presentation delivery. Seek advice and feedback from your supervisor/s on the content, layout, and overall structure of your presentation. |
Multiple weeks From Exam week 1 To Exam week 2 |
General contact hours |
Present Research Proposal Present your Research Proposal, incorporating feedback from your written submission into your presentation. |
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:
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.