Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course is an introduction to research methodology in language learning and teaching. It covers the skills needed to plan and carry out various types of postgraduate research, ranging from course papers to the dissertation.
The course introduces students to research methodology in applied linguistics and second language research. It is a postgraduate-level course on academic research methods with a particular focus on the areas of language use, learning, and teaching, designed to familiarise the students with a range of qualitative and quantitative research techniques and ethical research practices.
The course covers exciting topics about the nature and types of research on language acquisition across ages, in different communities, as well as in and out of the classroom context. It endows students with the skills to conceptualise, design, undertake, discuss and write a research project, which are the essential skills for postgraduate students and academics. To this end, students will acquire skills and gain experience relating to research quality and planning, honesty and ethics in research, library and database searches, developing a research topic and literature review, preparing a research proposal, and critical reading and writing skills. The course assessments will provide the opportunity to apply these skills in relevant research tasks.
After passing this course students will have acquired skills that are relevant for and applicable to many domains ranging from academic research and teaching over professional development to private sector enterprises.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course assumes no previous knowledge of research methods, but some knowledge of general and applied linguistics will be useful.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
SLAT6806, LTCS6000, LING3005, EDUC7212
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice.
Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable.
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need
help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ
student email account with the following details:
· Full name,
· Student ID, and
· the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to introduce research methodology in language and culture studies (with a particular interest in language). It willᅠpresent the fundamental skills needed to plan and carry out various types of postgraduate research,ᅠranging from critical reading, to structuringᅠcourse papers andᅠdissertation, to basic practical data collection and analysis tools and techniques.ᅠTopics examined include the nature and types of research, research quality and planning, honesty and ethics in research, library and database searches, developing a researchᅠtopic and literature review, preparing a research proposal, andᅠcritical reading and writing skills. Course assessments will provide the opportunity to apply these skills in relevant research tasks.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the nature and process of research and familiarise yourself with different research areas in language and culture studies
LO2.
Comprehend the basic aspects and components of research methodology, from the inception of a research project to data collection, analysis, and presentation
LO3.
Critically review, analyse, and synthesise findings from a range of secondary sources
LO4.
Design and present your research proposal in a manner conforming to accepted academic standards in both written and spoken form
LO5.
Identify, locate, and effectively use research materials relevant to your field of study
Assessment
Assessment summary
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Quiz |
Weekly Online Study Tasks
|
20% |
Week 3 OST - 5/08/2024 1:00 pm Week 4 OST - 13/08/2024 1:00 pm Week 5 OST - 19/08/2024 1:00 pm Week 6 OST - 26/08/2024 1:00 pm Week 7 OST - 2/09/2024 1:00 pm Week 8 OST - 9/09/2024 1:00 pm Week 9 OST - 16/09/2024 1:00 pm Week 10 OST - 30/09/2024 1:00 pm Week 11 OST - 8/10/2024 1:00 pm Week 12 OST - 14/10/2024 1:00 pm |
Presentation |
Annotated Bibliography presentation
|
30% |
18/09/2024 4:00 pm |
Quiz |
Research Ethics and Academic Integrity module
|
PASS/FAIL |
25/10/2024 4:00 pm
Available from the end of WEEK 8. Must be completed by 4pm, Friday of WEEK 13. |
Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research proposal
|
50% |
7/11/2024 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
Weekly Online Study Tasks
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Week 3 OST - 5/08/2024 1:00 pm
Week 4 OST - 13/08/2024 1:00 pm
Week 5 OST - 19/08/2024 1:00 pm
Week 6 OST - 26/08/2024 1:00 pm
Week 7 OST - 2/09/2024 1:00 pm
Week 8 OST - 9/09/2024 1:00 pm
Week 9 OST - 16/09/2024 1:00 pm
Week 10 OST - 30/09/2024 1:00 pm
Week 11 OST - 8/10/2024 1:00 pm
Week 12 OST - 14/10/2024 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Every week from Week 3 to Week 12, there will be an Online Study Task consisting of 10 questions that you need to answer and submit in preparation for that week.
These tasks are available 7 days before the due date and must be submitted by Monday at 1 pm (or Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday).
The questions will cover the lecture content and required readings for that week. For example, the Week 3 Online Study Task will be about the Week 3 lecture and readings, and you need to submit it by 1 pm on Monday of Week 3.
Each Online Study Task is worth 2% of your final grade. You have 60 minutes and one attempt to complete each task.
After all ten Online Study Tasks are completed, your total study task score will be calculated. Please note that tasks not completed and awarded 0 points are included in the average calculation. The percentage of the maximum achievable points will determine your final grade for this assessment.
The link to each week's Online Study Task will be available on Blackboard.
Marking Information
The weekly Online Study Tasks must be accessed, completed, and submitted via Blackboard.
Answers will be assessed automatically, and results will be made available to students within the week of submission. Answers to questions will be rated as correct or incorrect. For each correct answer, students will receive 1 point. Each Online Study Task consists of 10 questions, and there are 10 tasks in total, meaning students can earn up to 100 points if they answer all questions correctly. The marks for the Online Study Tasks follow the marking scheme of the School of Language and Cultures.
Statement on Gen AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
The weekly online study tasks will need to be accessed, completed, and submitted via Blackboard/UQ Learn.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
This is weekly submission, Online Study Task which is available seven days before the due date, with correct answers and results being made available on a weekly basis.
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.
Annotated Bibliography presentation
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
18/09/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
The purpose of this assignment is to give you experience in reading the research articles, identifying how research questions are motivated and examined, and to practice your presentation skills.
You should select 2 research articles in your area of interest. Please choose the articles very carefully (i.e., from reputable peer-reviewed journals), as the credibility of your selected sources will be assessed. For each article answer the following questions in your presentation:
1. What is the phenomenon under investigation and what research question(s) did the article attempt to answer?
Identify the phenomenon or topic the article investigated and state the research question(s) and, where relevant, any hypotheses that were tested.
2. What was the motivation for study?
Describe the motivation for the research undertaken. If possible, specify how it relates to, refines and extends. Describe the gap the articles aimed to fill. Be specific. Name and cite the previous studies where appropriate.
3. What methodology was used?
Identify the research methodology used to address the research question(s): Who were the participants? How was the data collected and analysed? How many participants were analysed? What corpus was used? What tools/techniques/procedures/methods were used?
4. What were the findings?
Briefly state the results of the study. Were the research question(s) addressed? Were the hypotheses proved or disproved? What did the study find?
5. What were the limitations and implications of the study?
What were limitations or shortcomings of the study? Evaluate the study's value (contribution to the field) and shortcomings (and were there any suggested improvement to mitigate those limitations?).
Prepare slides for your presentation and record yourself and the slides (we suggest you use Zoom and share your screen). The entire presentation should be between 9 and a maximum of 11 minutes (recordings must not be longer than 11 minutes). Your answers should be presented as a coherent, clear, logical, and engaging manner. Each article should be no longer than 4 minutes. Your answers should be presented as a coherent summary of the articles. Bibliographic details for each article should be presented in APA 7 citation style when you start summarising and discussing the paper. Any sources or citations mentioned in your presentation need to be added in a reference list at the end of your presentation (which should also be formatted according to APA7). After completing the summary and description of the two articles or studies, compare and critically evaluate the articles. This should also take about 3 minutes. Comment on differences and similarities across the articles. These common features might include the kind of research questions asked and the motivations used, the object of study, etc. Evaluate the methodologies and the presentation of results in the articles. Have the articles answered the research questions? Were the data and methods appropriate to answer the research questions? How were the results presented? Was one study better than the other and, if so, why and how?
Your slides and your presentation should be engaging and informative. Your slides should not be too text heavy, and the slides should contain the main aspects of what you say/present. Use appropriate language without errors both on the slides and in your presentation.
Statement on Gen AI & MT
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) provides emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task.. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission via Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Maximum extension length allows assessors to give timely feedback before subsequent tasks are due.
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 Ethics and Academic Integrity module
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- PASS/FAIL
- Due date
25/10/2024 4:00 pm
Available from the end of WEEK 8. Must be completed by 4pm, Friday of WEEK 13.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
After the lecture and tutorial on research ethics and academic integrity, students will be required to complete an online assessment on these topics via Blackboard. The assessment consists of 10 multiple-choice questions and can be taken an unlimited number of times until the passing standard is attained.
The module will be made available from the end of WEEK 8, and it must be completed by 4pm, Friday of WEEK 13.
To pass this assessment, students need to answer at least 80% of the questions correctly (8 out of 10).
This research ethics and academic integrity online module is different from the general Academic Integrity Online Module!
The link to the research ethics and academic integrity online module is available on Blackboard and must be accessed through that platform.
Statement on Gen AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Please note: failure to complete this module or to meet the required standard will result in a FAIL grade for the course, regardless of other marks attained.Submission guidelines
Submission via Blackboard/UQ Learn.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This assessment task is available for 5 weeks for completion.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Research proposal
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
7/11/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Write a research proposal of no longer than 2000 words (excluding references), explaining the significance and design of your proposed research project. It needs to be submitted via Turnitin (the link will be made available on Blackboard).
Purpose: To undertake in-depth research of a specific topic in language sciences (it may be connected to the literature review you have already undertaken for your Annotated Bibliography assessment) and to propose a novel and original project which contributes to and/or extends this topic.
Your task is to write a proposal consisting of the following sections:
- Introduction clearly stating the research topic and establishing the relevance of the research. This is also the section which clearly outlines the organisation of your paper.
- Literature Review of the topic under discussion. Its structure should be apparent and appropriate for the material. Transitions between different themes, points, and sections should be smooth and clearly indicated. Literature Review should demonstrate student's mastery of relevant theories and concepts and understanding of previous findings, covered in sufficient detail.
- A clear and specific statement of the Research Question, motivated by the literature review.
- Method should be clear and appropriate for the research question. Information about the context of the research, participants, data collection method, instruments used for data collection and data analysis should be given in detail.
- Conclusion should present critical evaluation of the proposed study, including its potential contributions to the relevant field of study and its limitations.
- References in APA7 format.
Statement on Gen AI & MT
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) provides emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task.. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission via 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 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
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
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
All resources will be made available on Blackboard/UQ Learn.ᅠ
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 13 |
Lecture |
Lecture: Research Methods in Applied Linguistics One-hour online lectures on the following topics: Week 1: Introduction to the course and to research Week 2: Conceptualising a research project Week 3: Designing a research project Week 4: Qualitative research Week 5: Quantitative research Week 6: Presenting and analyzing data Week 7: Reading and writing research effectively Week 8: (Research) Ethics and academic integrity Week 9: Research of text and talk (Sociolinguistics) Week 10 Action research in language classrooms Week 11: Corpus Linguistics Week 12: Experimentation, surveys, and questionnaires. Week 13: Revision, summary and outlook Learning outcomes: L01 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial: Research Methods in Appplied Linguistics Two-hour onsite tutorials with tasks about the following issues: Week 1: Introduction to the course and to research Week 2: Conceptualising a research project Week 3: Designing a research project Week 4: Qualitative research Week 5: Quantitative research Week 6: Presenting and analyzing data Week 7: Reading and writing research effectively Week 8: (Research) Ethics and academic integrity Week 9: Research of text and talk (Sociolinguistics) Week 10 Action research in language classrooms Week 11: Corpus Linguistics Week 12: Research Proposal preparation Week 13: Revision, summary and outlook |
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 - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.