Program Overview

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Unit Overview

The unit MIDW402 - Honours Thesis P/T (Part C) is a capstone unit that allows students to design, conduct, and communicate a research project in a collaborative and collegial environment. This unit is directly linked to the pre-requisite unit, Honours Thesis (Part A), and complements the coursework portion of the degree.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

The thesis units form the capstone of the Honours degree, respecting the individual as an independent and active learner. The aim of these units is to report the results of a research project in the form of an academic thesis to be submitted for independent examination following the existing University policy.

Campus Offerings

The unit is offered in the following campuses:

• Brisbane
• Melbourne

Term and Mode

The unit is available in the following terms and modes:

Brisbane

• Semester 1: Multi-mode
• Semester 2: Multi-mode

Melbourne

• Semester 1: Multi-mode
• Semester 2: Multi-mode

Prerequisites

The prerequisite for this unit is MIDW400 Honours Thesis (Part A).

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical issues: Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical issues, and ethical process associated with their project through the acquisition of approval from the appropriate oversight committees.
2. Conduct a critical review of the literature: Conduct a critical review of the literature that is able to inform and direct the research to be undertaken.
3. Implement a program of research: Implement a program of research that will effectively address a relevant research question, including the design of appropriate research methods and analysis and interpretation of the resultant data.
4. Effectively communicate the outcomes: Effectively communicate on the outcomes of that research program in a manner consistent with well-recognised and prescribed academic practice specific to the discipline.

Content

A specific research topic will be chosen in discussion with the allocated supervisor. The student will be required to prepare and present a systematic or narrative review of the literature, a discussion of the method chosen, describe their results, and discuss the implications and conclusions of their findings.

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessment strategy for this unit includes:

1. Ethics Approval: Approval from the appropriate Ethical Committee is mandatory for all research conducted in Australia and must be obtained prior to the start for data collection.
2. Thesis Submission: Students can submit their thesis in either a traditional or manuscript-based thesis format.
3. Oral Presentation: Require students to demonstrate their skills in oral communication and the use of visual media by presenting the outcomes of their project.

Overview of Assessments

• Ethics Approval: Hurdle task, weighting: N/A, learning outcome: LO1
• Thesis Submission: Weighting: 90%, learning outcomes: LO2, LO3, LO4
• Oral Presentation: Weighting: 10%, learning outcome: LO4

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

Learning will be largely by means of a mentoring relationship with the allocated supervisor. Students will be expected to meet regularly with their supervisor on an individual basis and encouraged to draw on the skills and knowledge gained within the Honours coursework units and Honours Thesis (Part A) and apply it to their own research projects.

Representative Texts and References

• Baumgartner, T.A., Hensley, L.D., Zhu, W. & Hodges Kulinna, P. (2021). Conducting and reading research in kinesiology (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Gastel, B. & Day, R.A. (2017). How to write and publish a scientific paper (8th ed.). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
• Divan, A. (2009). Communication skills for the Biosciences: A graduate guide. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
• Katz, M.J. (2009). From research to manuscript: A guide to scientific writing. (2nd ed.). Springer: Dordrecht.
• Lindsay, D. (2020). Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words. (2nd. Ed.). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
• Matthews, J.R., & Matthews, R.W. (2014). Successful scientific writing: a step by step guide for biomedical and medical sciences (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
• Murray, R. (2011). How to write a thesis (3rd ed.). Open University Press: Philadelphia.
• Reardon, D. (2006). Doing your undergraduate project. Sage Publications: California.
• Rugg, G. & Petre, M. (2007). A gentle guide to research methods. Open University Press: New York.
• Thomas, J.R. Nelson, J.K. & Silverman, S.J. (2015). Research methods in physical activity (7th ed). Champaign: Human Kinetics.

Locations

The unit is available in the following locations:

• Brisbane
• Melbourne

Credit Points

The unit is worth 20 credit points.

Year

The unit is available in the year 2025.