Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 4
- Administrative campus
- Herston
- Coordinating unit
- Public Health School
Students undertake one or more projects, usually under the supervision of an experienced biostatistician, in order to gain practical experience in the application and knowledge and skills learnt in the coursework components of the Master of Biostatistics or Master of Science (Statistics) program. Typically the projects will involve the student acting as a statistical consultant in a research team so that they gain additional experience in communication and teamwork. Assessment is based on a portfolio comprising a reflective preface and brief reports on each project.
Students must obtain permission from the course coordinator before they can enrol.
The purpose of the Project is to enable students to engage in a guided research activity in a selected area of public health. The Project is designed to be flexible, with the specific setting, activities and outcomes negotiated between the student and advisor(s).
A member of the School of Public Health (SPH) academic staff shall be the Principal or Associate Advisor. Associate Advisors from SPHﾠor other institutions, including appropriate workplace or agency sites may be appointed, but this is optional. A Project is normally undertaken following the completion of required coursework; exceptions to this can be discussed with the relevant Program or Plan Co-ordinator.
Students are required to have identified an SPH Advisor, who has agreed to supervise the project, prior to obtaining permission to enrol in the course.
A two-page proposal should be submitted to the supervisor and agreed upon by both student and supervisor before the student enrols in the course. The proposal, which may be reviewed by other SPH staff, should include the following headings:
- Working title
- Introduction/background
- Aims/objectives
- Ethics implications (where relevant)
- Expected outcomes/benefits
- Tasks and timeline.
Students are required to contact their relevant Program or Plan Coordinator to seek permission to enrol in the course. This must occur at least three weeks before the commencement of the semester in which the student is seeking to enrol. It is therefore essential that students begin planning their Project, including contact with their proposed supervisor, at an early stage and no later than mid-way through the semester before they wish to enrol.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
STAT7608 or STAT7619
Course contact
Timetable
Additional timetable information
A Project is worth #4 units – the equivalent of 2 standard taught courses.ﾠ A Project enrolment is for one semester with commencement in either Semester 1 or 2. The expected workload is 20 hours per week over one semester.
Students and their research supervisor/s should establish regular meeting times to discuss the conduct and outcomes of this course.ﾠ Students should submit drafts regularly to their supervisor/s for feedback and incorporate that feedback into their final submission.ﾠ
Aims and outcomes
The aim of the Project is to enable students to engage in a guided research activity in a selected area of population health. It is intended to provide students the opportunity to consolidate, extend and apply knowledge and skills acquired in their population health training to date.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
engage in a guided research activity in a
selected area of population health
LO2.
complete a final report of a standard of and take the form of a manuscript suitable for publication in an academic journal.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Reflection | Project report | 85% |
14/10/2024 |
| Presentation | Presentation (Project Pitch or Presentation of Results) | 10% |
22/07/2024 - 13/09/2024 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Analysis plan | 5% |
22/07/2024 - 19/08/2024 |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Working with data module
|
22/07/2024 - 19/08/2024 |
Assessment details
Project report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Reflection
- Weight
- 85%
- Due date
14/10/2024
Task description
Projects are usually due the last day of teaching, which is Friday 28 October for Semester 2 2022.
Projects are marked by two examiners, nominated by the Program Coordinator who may be internal or external. A percentage and a corresponding grade from 1 to 7 is allocated using the assessment criteria. The Principal Supervisor or any Associate Supervisor cannot be an examiner. There is no set format for the final report as presentation, content and structure will vary according to the nature of the project completed. Thorough and accurate referencing is required and students are referred to the UQ Library citation style guides. Possible formats for project reports include:
Traditional academic format:
- Introduction
- Literature review
- Aims and objectives
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion of findings
- Recommendations for action and further research
Organisational or consultancy report format:
- Introduction
- Statement of the problem
- Scope of the project
- Data collection strategy
- Presentation, synthesis and critical review of findings
- Recommendations for policy, practice, further research
Critical literature review:
- Introduction/background
- Review questions
- Literature search strategy
- Presentation, synthesis and critical review of findings
- Conclusions, implications and recommendations for policy, practice, further research
Submission guidelines
email to Program Coordinator m.waller@uq.edu.au
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines
Presentation (Project Pitch or Presentation of Results)
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
22/07/2024 - 13/09/2024
Task description
The ability to communicate analysis approaches and study results correctly, confidently, and in an accessible and understandable way is an essential (but often overlooked) skill for any practising biostatistician. The oral presentation assessment will provide students with the opportunity to gain practical experience presenting their work.
Submission guidelines
A date for the presentation will be arranged with the program coordinator m.waller@uq.edu.au
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines
Analysis plan
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 5%
- Due date
22/07/2024 - 19/08/2024
Task description
Students will complete an analysis plan template. This template does not include all elements recommended in these guidelines, but instead represents a curated selection most likely to apply across a range of different study types and designs. Ideally, the completion of this statistical analysis plan will get you to think critically about the statistical methods required for your project before undertaking the analysis.
Submission guidelines
Email to m.waller@uq.edu.au
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines
Working with data module
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Due date
22/07/2024 - 19/08/2024
Task description
Students should complete this UQ library training:
Working with data module
https://uq.pressbooks.pub/digital-essentials-data-and-files/chapter/module-overview/
Submission guidelines
email m.waller@uq.edu.au once completed the training module
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: (typically 0 - 19%) |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: (typically 20 - 44%) |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: (typically 45 - 49%) |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: (typically 50 - 64%) |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: (typically 65 - 74%) |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: (typically 75 - 84%) |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: (typically 85 - 100%) |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Students and their research supervisor/s should establish regular meeting times to discuss the conduct and outcomes of this course.ﾠ Students should submit drafts regularly to their supervisor/s for feedback and incorporate that feedback into their final submission.ﾠ
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
To be decided between the supervisor and the student
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 |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Not Timetabled |
Completing the Analysis plan |
Not scheduled |
Not Timetabled |
Delivering the presentation |
Not scheduled |
Not Timetabled |
Computing the data training module |
Multiple weeks |
Not Timetabled |
Writing the Project and reflective preface It is highly desirable that the final report be of a standard of and take the form of a manuscript suitable for publication in an academic journal. The School of Public Health strongly encourages students and project supervisors to give preference to projects that are likely to lead to publication. It is expected that the final report will be of at least a standard suitable for dissemination as an organisational report. Higher level project reports may be of (or close to) a standard suitable for publication in the public health literature. Those not reaching this level will be eligible to Pass (65%; a grade of 4) provided basic assessment criteria are met. Types of research and research-related activities that may constitute a Project include:
|
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.