HBS400 - Research Methods
Unit details
| Year | 2027 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Semester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online Semester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s) | 2 |
| EFTSL value | 0.250 |
| Unit chair | Semester 1: Amelia Carr Semester 2: Amelia Carr |
| Cohort rule | Only available to students enrolled in Faculty of Health Honours courses |
| Prerequisite | Nil |
| Corequisite | Nil |
| Incompatible with | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | 3 hours of seminars per week or equivalent |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 300 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Content
This unit aims to enable Honours students to develop:
- a deep understanding of the philosophies, ethics and principles of research
- knowledge of a range of research approaches
- skills in data management, methods and tools for research practice
- skills in planning, implementing and reporting research studies
The unit is constructed in four streams. All students must complete the compulsory introductory research stream which includes research paradigms, ethics and data management. Students must also select one elective stream of study of most relevance to their honours research disciple from the following i) Qualitative research ii) Quantitative research iii) Laboratory based experimental research iv) Medicine stream. Each of the elective streams provides students with the necessary methodological, technical and analytical skills and knowledge required for research practice.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Apply and uphold the ethical principles by which human and animal research is conducted by evaluating the ethical issues that apply to a chosen case study. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Critically analyse literature in their area of research by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a chosen research publication. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Apply knowledge of key characteristics of research designs to their Honours project. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO4 | Demonstrate application of knowledge in data collection, management, analysis and interpretation. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some units still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Assessment
| Assessment description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Compulsory stream: written assessment | 1500 words or equivalent | 25% |
|
| Assessment 2: Compulsory stream: written assessment | 1500 words or equivalent | 25% |
|
| Assessment 3: Elective: written assessment | 3000 words or equivalent | 50% |
|
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for HBS400 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
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Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.