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PSY540 Clinical Research Methods (8)

Abstract

This subject aims to provide candidates with the skills and knowledge to commence independent research in clinical psychology and to evaluate their own clinical practice. It focuses on meeting the specific demands associated with doing research in clinical settings, such as: ethical dilemmas, links between research and practice, the researcher's own involvement in the research process, techniques for dealing with verbal data and numerical data, n=1 designs, case studies, and program evaluation.

+ Subject Availability Modes and Location

Session 2
Distance*Bathurst Campus
*This subject offering contains a residential school. Please view following information for further details.
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: PSY540
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject information

Duration Grading System School:
One sessionHD/FLSchool of Psychology

Enrolment restrictions

Available to students in the Master of Clinical Psychology
Prerequisite(s)
PSY533 and PSY534

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to demonstrate an awareness of the wide range of research techniques pertinent to research in clinical and forensic settings
  • be able to demonstrate an understanding of the methods used for gathering and analysing numerical and verbal data
  • be able to demonstrate an awareness of methodological, ethical and professional issues that arise in clinical and forensic research
  • be able to prepare a written research / thesis proposal
  • be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role of research in the scientist-practitioner model of practice and in becoming a reflective practitioner

Syllabus

The subject will cover the following topics:
  • Review of the fundamentals of research design
  • Program evaluation
  • Review of fundamental statistical concepts and techniques
  • An introduction to more advanced statistical concepts
  • Strategies for selecting the appropriate research design to answer different types of questions
  • The development of research proposals
  • Ethical issues in clinical and forensic research
  • Handling data
  • Research report writing

Residential School

This subject contains a compulsory 2.5 day residential school. The residential school is intended to serve a number of functions
  • to teach selection of research methodologies applicable to stduent projects
  • to review and analyse student proposals for research
Activities include
  • lectures
  • demonstrations
  • student self-evaluation tasks

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The information contained in the 2016 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 06 September 2016. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.