Program Overview

Unit Overview

The unit EXSC681 - Exercise Physiology Research Project (Part A) is a 12-month commitment that aims to design an experimental research project of interest to the student and of relevance to the industry. Students will conduct a literature review to provide evidence for the research question and develop a project design under the supervision of a member of staff.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

Research in the field of clinical exercise physiology is critical for providing clients and practitioners with evidence-based strategies for improving health and well-being. The aim of this unit is to design an experimental research project that addresses an industry-relevant issue or problem.

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to:

1. Critically present the design of an evidence-based project in written and/or oral forms to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
2. Critically appraise literature and contemporary concepts relevant to research in clinical exercise physiology.
3. Apply specialised knowledge and technical skills to plan and implement a substantial research-based project or piece of scholarship.
4. Demonstrate appropriate standards of technical and ethical conduct in professional practice and research.

Graduate Capabilities

The learning outcomes of this unit are informed by the following graduate capabilities:

• GC1: Think critically and reflectively
• GC2: Solve problems creatively
• GC3: Communicate effectively
• GC4: Collaborate and work effectively with others
• GC7: Demonstrate knowledge of the field
• GC8: Apply technical skills
• GC9: Demonstrate ethical conduct
• GC10: Demonstrate responsibility and accountability
• GC11: Demonstrate professional practice

Unit Content

Topics of the unit include:

• Identifying industry-relevant issues/problems
• Planning and conducting an evidence-based project
• Application of bibliographic and data management software packages
• Ethical practice in research project design, implementation, and reporting
• Communication of project findings

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessments for this unit are designed to guide students in their finalisation of a capstone project that reflects an advanced level of professional knowledge and skills, enhanced critical analysis, and professional writing style developed during the Master's Thesis pathway.

Assessment Tasks

1. Research Proposal: Enables students to apply evidence-based approaches to project design, ethical decision-making, statistical design, and communication skills. (Weighting: 20%)
2. Ungraded Hurdle - Human Research Ethics Committee Project Approval: Students must submit the approval letter from the ACU HREC and the project's assigned ethics approval number.
3. Literature Review: Enables students to apply research-related skills, which demonstrate literature searching, critique, interpretation, and scholarship to draw conclusions. (Weighting: 80%)

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The andragogical structuring of learning experiences that comprise this unit of research training and work-integrated learning recognises and utilises contributions from both academic and practice settings.

Representative Texts and References

• Baumgartner, T. A., Hensley, L. D., Zhu, W., & Kulinna, P. H. (2021). Conducting and reading research in kinesiology (6th edition.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
• Bird, S. (2019). Research Methods in Physical Activity and Health. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative & mixed methods approaches (5th edition. International student edition.). SAGE.
• Iphofen, R. (2020). Handbook of Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity. Springer Nature.
• Jones, I., & Gratton, C. (2015). Research methods for sports studies (3rd Ed.). Routledge.
• Leedy, P., & Ormrod, J. (2020) Practical Research: Planning and Design (12th Ed.). Pearson Education.
• Matthews, J.R. & Matthews, R.W. (2014). Successful Scientific Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Biological and Medical Sciences (4th Ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Maniar, N., Duncan, & Opar, D. (2019) Systematically searching and reviewing the literature. In S. Bird (Eds.), Research Methods in Physical Activity and Health. Routledge.
• Thomas, J.R. Martin, P. E., Etnier, J. L., & Silverman, S.J. (2023). Research Methods in Physical Activity (8th Ed.). Champaign: Human Kinetics.
• Williams, C., & Wragg, C. (2004). Data Analysis and Research for Sport and Exercise Science. Routledge.

Locations

• Online

Credit Points

20

Year

2026