CSH077-1 Research Project in Contemporary Clinical Practice

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Medical imaging practice is a rapidly advancing field and research has a place in informing professional practice. This final year unit further develops your research skills in conducting a research project to source new knowledge applicable to contemporary clinical practice. You will apply the skills developed in both CSH600 Evidence-Based Clinical Practice and PUB561 Statistical Methods in Health to complete an individual research project of relevance to contemporary professional practice in medical imaging.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Apply research skills to design, plan and execute a research project
2. Select and critically analyse peer reviewed literature relevant to your topic
3. Collect.organise, and analyse data and interpret findings
4. Report research findings through written and other methods to peers and medical imaging professionals.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit engages you through a series of workshops to assist with the research planning process and development of your literature review. At these workshops you will be encouraged to join with peers to discuss and review processes. Materials will also be provided online and you will be encouraged to interact through the online discussion board in Canvas. This will be particularly relevant during the clinical placements during the year as part of Transition to Professional Practice 1 & 2, when you are off campus for several weeks.
The main teaching approach is one of mentoring support through supervision.You will consult with your QUT academic supervisor in person or using electronic technology as required on a regular basis when undertaking your project. Where your project is clinically based there will also be a clinical advisor who will also be available to provide site specific assistance.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback in this unit will be provided in the following ways:

• Formative feedback on project ideas will be provided in workshops by peers.
• Formative feedback on developing your research plan will be provided by your supervisor individually.
• Generic comments may be provided through Canvas discussion board
• Comments from markers and criteria sheet gradings will be provided for summative assessment items which will assist and inform the activities to be undertaken during Part 2 of the unit in second semester.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment items in this unit will assess your work in the early phases of the research project and are situated across the semester, as you move through the processes of determining the research question and designing the research plan and preparing to gather data for your project. Formative feedback will be provided during the workshops where these aspects will be reviewed and discussed amongst your peers.

This first component of your research project is graded as satisfactory/unsatisfactory. If you are at risk of an unsatisfactory grade you will be provided with formative feedback to give you the opportunity to demonstrate satisfactory progress. Your final numerical grade for CSH077-2 will be applied to CSH077-1 so that both unit components contribute to your Honours grade point average.

Threshold assessment conditions:
In this unit, for you to be eligible to receive a passing grade, threshold assessment conditions apply. If you do not achieve the pass level for an assessment task you are able to make one resubmission of this work for the minimum pass level, only when their achieved mark/grade is within 10% (or 1 grade) of the pass level for the assessment item. You are advised to seek feedback on your submission from the unit coordinator prior to resubmission.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale and S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory)

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Research proposal and plan

Evidence-based practice informs all good clinical practice. As a graduating medical imaging practitioner, your written research project proposal will demonstrate your application of research skills in the design and planning a research project. This will be done by identifying your research question, aims, methodology, justification and a research timeline. The inclusion of an annotated bibliography to initiate critical analysis of the selected topic, will inform your unit coordinator if your research proposal is viable or if it needs modification prior to assessment 2. This assessment will be completed on a template aligned to an authentic higher degree research proposal.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Threshold Assessment:

Threshold conditions apply.

If your research topic and/or proposal is considered not viable, unit coordinators will work with you and a re-submission may be required for changes to the topic.

Assessment: Background Literature Review

As an emerging radiographer, this written introduction to your research will provide the context, justification and aims of your research topic. You will submit a written evaluation and interpretation of the existing peer reviewed work, highlighting the gap in the literature to your supervisors. This summative assessment will form the foundation of your introduction/background to the final research article submission for CSH077-2.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

Substantial computer-based work will be required. You should ensure that your workstations are properly adjusted and that regular rest breaks are taken.