PSYC5312: Research Proposal Assessment 3

Assessment 3

Learning Outcomes

1. Apply and demonstrate advanced written and oral communication skills consistent with research and professional standards in psychology
2. Critically understand, evaluate and apply an ethical, critical and reflexive standpoint to uphold cultural safety in the application of psychological knowledge to practice and research
3. Critically understand and evaluate and apply robust and rigorous qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate contemporary issues in psychological research and practice
4. Critically demonstrate and apply skills in conducting, reporting, interpreting and critiquing qualitative and quantitative psychological research in contemporary issues.

Assessment Brief:

Applying the knowledge and skills of psychological research methods that you have developed during your psychological studies so far, write a research proposal in response to a call from a hypothetical philanthropic organisation who wishes to provide grants addressing the topic: Enhancing wellbeing of diverse Australian communities. You should identify a specific research question addressing the wellbeing needs of a specific minority group (those that do not have equal access to resources and socio-political power as other groups) and prepare a research proposal using a suitable methodological approach (either quantitative or qualitative). You will complete the proposal using the template provided to you on Moodle. You will need to provide a rationale for your proposed project, based on a brief literature review; a research question/hypotheses; a detailed methodology; a discussion of ethical issues; and a statement about your standpoint. We will discuss how to write a research proposal in the Week 9 Tutorial.

There are two example proposals under the assessment information section of the class space. These were taken from the ethics committee examples and are for honours projects. This means they have some different sections than your assessment, but they can be used as an example for what should be contained within each section of your template. Please ensure your proposal conforms to APA 7^th Edition formatting requirements.

Summary of the Assessment Requirements

Assessment 3 requires students to prepare a research proposal responding to a call from a hypothetical philanthropic organisation focused on enhancing the wellbeing of diverse Australian communities. The proposal must address the wellbeing concerns of a specific minority groupa population that experiences unequal access to resources, opportunities, or socio-political power.

The assessment evaluates the student’s ability to:

• Apply advanced written and oral communication skills consistent with professional psychology standards.
• Critically engage with an ethical, cultural, reflective, and culturally safe standpoint when applying psychological knowledge.
• Demonstrate understanding and application of qualitative or quantitative research methods relevant to contemporary psychological issues.
• Exhibit skills in conducting, interpreting, and critiquing psychological research.

Students must complete a full research proposal using the Moodle template, including:

• A brief literature review establishing a rationale for the study
• A clear research question or hypotheses
• A well-defined methodology (qualitative or quantitative)
• A discussion of relevant ethical considerations
• A transparent statement of standpoint
• Proper APA 7th Edition formatting

This assessment demonstrates students’ ability to design a rigorous, culturally informed, ethically sound research project.

How the Academic Mentor Guided the Student: Step-by-Step Approach

Step 1: Clarifying the Assessment Brief

The mentor began by helping the student interpret the call for proposals and identify how each learning outcome aligns with the assignment. The student was encouraged to choose a minority group with a clear wellbeing challenge (e.g., Indigenous youth, LGBTQIA+ migrants, refugees, people with disability).

Step 2: Selecting the Research Topic and Minority Group

The mentor guided the student in narrowing down the focus by:

• Reviewing current wellbeing issues in diverse Australian communities
• Checking gaps in the literature
• Ensuring the topic was ethically appropriate and researchable

The student finalized a population group and a preliminary research idea that aligns with the philanthropic objective.

Step 3: Conducting the Brief Literature Review

The mentor explained how to search for peer-reviewed articles and synthesise findings into a concise review.
Guidance included:

• Identifying theoretical frameworks
• Evaluating previous findings
• Highlighting gaps that justify the proposed study

The student then developed a rationale supporting the need for the research.

Step 4: Formulating the Research Question or Hypotheses

The mentor helped the student refine their question by ensuring it was:

• Focused
• Methodologically appropriate
• Linked directly to the literature review
• Aligned with the chosen methodology (qualitative themes or quantitative variables)

Step 5: Building the Methodology Section

The mentor provided step-by-step guidance on structuring a research method, including:

• Choosing a suitable research design
• Defining sampling strategy and participant inclusion criteria
• Describing materials/tools (e.g., interview protocols, surveys, validated scales)
• Outlining data collection and data analysis methods
• Ensuring the design was ethically safe and culturally sensitive

The student learned to justify each methodological decision with literature support.

Step 6: Addressing Ethical Considerations

The mentor explained how to identify and articulate:

• Potential risks to participants
• Cultural safety considerations
• Informed consent procedures
• Confidentiality and data protection
• Power dynamics and sensitivity toward minority groups

The student linked these concerns to psychological ethics guidelines.

Step 7: Writing the Standpoint Statement

The mentor helped the student reflect on:

• Their own cultural background
• Potential biases
• Their positionality in relation to the minority group
• How reflexive awareness strengthens research validity

The student wrote a transparent, reflective standpoint in line with ethical and cultural safety principles.

Step 8: Ensuring APA 7 Formatting and Coherence

The mentor reviewed:

• Structure and logical flow
• Academic tone
• APA in-text citations and reference formatting
• Clarity of writing and cohesion across sections

The student revised the draft to meet professional academic standards.

Final Outcome and Learning Objectives Achieved

Outcome

The student produced a well-organised, ethically sound, APA-formatted research proposal that:

• Demonstrated a clear understanding of psychological research design
• Addressed the wellbeing needs of a specific Australian minority group
• Provided a justified rationale, rigorous methodology, ethical analysis, and reflexive standpoint
• Met all assessment template and formatting requirements

Learning Objectives Achieved

The student successfully demonstrated:

• Advanced written communication skills appropriate for professional psychology research
• Ethical and culturally safe reasoning, grounded in a reflexive standpoint
• Critical understanding of qualitative/quantitative methods and ability to apply them to real-world issues
• Competence in designing, interpreting, and critiquing psychological research

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