Prof Bradley Franks QUE.3.03

This course is compulsory on the BSc in Psychological and Behavioural Science. This course is not available as an outside option nor to General Course students.

The BSc in Psychological and Behavioural Science is accredited by the British Psychological Society. Students will be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership if they gain a lower second classification (2:2) overall and pass this course.

Students should have taken Year 1 and Year 2 of the BSc in Psychological and Behavioural Science, which provide the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake guided independent research.

The independent research project is an empirical investigation, carried out by the student under the supervision. Research topics and methodologies vary considerably, but they must relate to Psychological and Behavioural Science as broadly understood. All research project topics will need to be approved in advance by a supervisor who is a faculty member of the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science. Students will be informed about the range of topics that supervisors would like to supervise, in a Project Shop Window held in Summer Term of Year 2. This is when faulty members will present their own research so that students can assess who would be an appropriate supervisor for their research interests. Students can then think about their topics and carry out planning over the summer vacation between Years 2 and 3 The supervisor will meet with the student throughout the year, to guide the formulation of the research question and investigative methods, and provide feedback on the research as it unfolds.

4 hours of lectures in the MT. 4 hours of lectures in the LT.

Teaching for this course will take place:

1. through dissertation lectures (4 x 1 hour in MT, 4 x 1 hour in LT)

2. via Supervision by individual faculty members allocated to students at the start of MT; sessions may be individual or group-based or a mix of both

3. The Programme Conference will take place in Summer Term and allow all students to present their work; it will be chaired by faculty with all supervising faculty taking part.

In order to assess student performance and practice for the summative assessments, students will:

1. Write a  short plan of the proposed research in MT

2. Write a short summary of progress on the research in LT

3. Make one oral presentation to their supervisor outlining progress on the research in LT

American Psychological Association. (2006). Publication manual of the American psychological association (6th Edition).

Washington DC: American Psychological Association. (see: http://www.apastyle.org/manual/index.aspx)

Bernard, H. R. (2000) Social Research Methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.  London: Sage. 

Fisher, C. (2007). Researching and writing a dissertation: A guidebook for business students. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education

Flick, U. (2011) Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to doing a research project. London: Sage.

Additional readings will be recommended as necessary by Supervisors.

Dissertation (75%) and presentation (25%) in the ST.

Further details of the summative assessment:

1.  a dissertation of 6000-8000 words submitted in ST (75%)

2. an oral presentation of the project to a Programme Conference in ST (25%).