PL4T001 - Dissertation 01 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 2
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | PL4T001 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Dissertation | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Life Sciences and Education | ||
| Faculty Group: | Psychology and Therapeutic Studies | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Psychology | ||
| Module Leader: | Victoria Markham | ||
| Module Team: | Rebecca Ward, Kirsty Richards, Rachel Taylor, Dan Bowers, Alexis Jones, Katie Fryett | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2027 | Final Year of Intake: | 2027 |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 60 | Credit Level: | 7 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | 100493 - applied psychology | 100497 - psychology | |
| HECOS Code Weighting: | 50 | 50 | |
Document Version Information
| Version | 2 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2023 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2028 |
Module Aims
To provide students with the core requirements for BPS accreditation by completing an Empirical Psychology Project.
To support students in carrying out a substantial piece of independent empirical enquiry.
Content Summary
Students will be guided by their supervisor and/or industry partners in the selection of an appropriate research topic, methodology and the interpretation and evaluation of their findings. However, students are ultimately responsible for planning, executing, and reporting the research they undertake. This includes:
• Supporting their proposed research study through a thorough literature search and literature review.
• Demonstrating a clear Research Question(s) and robust rationale for their research investigation.
• Developing clear and testable hypotheses.
• Choosing appropriate methodologies to test their hypotheses.
• Gaining ethical approval for their project topic and procedures for data collection.
• Work in a professional and ethical manner to gain access to specific participant groups either independently, or with Industry Partners
• Carrying out the research effectively and professionally.
• Selecting and applying appropriate analyses to their data.
• Presenting their results clearly, conforming to conventions of statistical or qualitative reporting.
• Interpreting their results within the context of previous research.
• Reflecting on ways to improve and develop their research.
• Considering the practical implications of their research.
• Writing a final dissertation which expresses the above process and conforms to the conventions of report writing.
Throughout the dissertation process students will develop their knowledge and understanding of professional and ethical issues. Particular emphasis will be given to the British Psychological Society’s codes of conduct and ethical guidelines in this module. A reflective approach will be taken on this, and skills developed across the course as a whole. Ethical approval will be gained through the Department’s existing processes for ethical approval, and data collection will not be able to take place until ethical approval has been received. Additional support for students will be provided in the form of statistics and qualitative methods clinics along with academic writing workshops
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Project supervision | 9 |
| Practical classes and workshops | 24 |
| Independent Study | 541 |
| Directed Study | 20 |
| Formative Assessment - Scheduled | 6 |
| Total Hours Selected | 600 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Plan and execute an independent piece of research from formulation of topic through to completion of the research. |
| LO2 | Critically assess and present research findings, including a sophisticated appreciation of associated ethical, methodological, and practical issues. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asynchronous Assessment | Observational Journal 1 | An observational journal recording reflections on the applied research process and on the students’ skills development across the course | 0 | 1500 | 20 | No | 50 |
| Asynchronous Assessment | Dissertation / Major Project 1 | Students will present an original piece of research in the form of a dissertation | 0 | 8000 | 80 | No | 50 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Observational Journal 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Dissertation / Major Project 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |