Outline

Overview

This is a full semester of research equivalent to 25% of the load of the MND degree and qualifies students for PhD studies. Each student conducts a research project under the supervision of an academic or dietitian experienced in research. The projects encompass clinical, health promotion, public health, food service management and nutrition science areas relevant to dietetic practice. Research projects can include cross-sectional surveys, nutritional epidemiology or clinical trials, qualitative research, systematic literature reviews, or laboratory-based projects and are conducted within the University or within the facilities of the approved external supervisor. Students will gain skills in development of a research protocol; conference abstract and presentation; and write the final report in the form of a manuscript for publication.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Nursing and Midwifery
Credit points	24
Prerequisites ?	NTDT5503 and NTDT5601 and NTDT5602 and NTDT5604 and NTDT5305 and NTDT5307 and NTDT5608
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Margaret Allman-Farinelli, margaret.allman-farinelli@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Margaret Allman-Farinelli, margaret.allman-farinelli@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Merryl Ireland, merryl.ireland@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Assessment 1: Project proposal written task Background, methods and bibliography for project	0%	Week 03 Due date: 19 Aug 2022 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Assessment 2: Project proposal oral presentation Formal presentation of background and methods to project	0%	Week 04 Due date: 22 Aug 2022 at 09:00	3 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Assessment 3: Final report oral presentation Oral presentation with questions at end of talk	15%	Week 13 Due date: 03 Nov 2022 at 08:30	10 minutes per student
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Assessment 5: Supervisor’s assessment Students critical thinking, dedication to project and scientific writing	35%	Week 13 Closing date: 04 Nov 2022	Student is assessed on the 13 weeks
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 4: Final report written task Written as a paper for journal submission. Follow journal directions	50%	Week 13 Due date: 06 Nov 2022 at 23:59	Up to 5000 word paper
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

All assessments are compulsory
Assessment 1: Project proposal written task: Students are required to submit a research project proposal containing the following: (i) Background (include relationships between your project and existing research on the topic); (ii) Aim(s); and (iii) Methods (include the study design, e.g. systematic literature review).
Assessment 2: Project proposal oral presentation: Each student is to also prepare a maximum of 5 PowerPoint slides for a 3-minute presentation of their project proposal.
Assessment 3: Final report oral presentation: The time allowed is 8 minutes for presentation, and 2 minutes for questions. If working as a pair, 16 minutes for the talk and 4 for questions are allowed and 24 minutes for the talk and 6 for questions for the group of three students. This is an opportunity to present the main findings of the research project rather than all data, which has been collected during the semester.
Assessment 4: Final report written task: The final report should be written in the form of a manuscript acceptable for publication in an academic journal. Students are advised that scientific writing is time consuming and 3-4 weeks should be allocated for this task. Supervisors are to advise students as to which academic journal would be most appropriate for their project.The final report must be formatted according to the author guidelines/instructions set out by the selected journal. All pages must be numbered. Additional material, if necessary, may be presented in an appendix. It is not appropriate to use the DA logo on slides or on written material.
Assessment 5: Supervisor report

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Please note: Each student is required to submit all assessment items in order to pass this unit. Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Students in this range show performance from excellent (85-94) to exceptional (>95) and are capable of a PhD and exceed expectations for all learning outcomes
Distinction	75 - 84	The majority of MND project students will perform in ths range with very good performances but perhaps less independence and critical thinking skills than HD but excellng in a majority of competencies for the learning outcomes
Credit	65 - 74	Students in this range typically demonstrate competence and may excel in some but not all areas of research performance and unit learning outcomes
Pass	50 - 64	Students meet the learning outcomes but do not excel
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

For the final written report task students will be penalised at 5% for each day late.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction lecture	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 01	SLR session 1 with librarian	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 03	SLR session 2 with librarian	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 04	Students present their project to the UoS coordinator and the rest of the class	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 09	Scientific writing workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Students present their final work to the class; supervisors and unit of study coordinator	Lecture (7.5 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are expected to work normal full-time working hours (i.e. 35 hours per week) Monday to Friday during semester. Any deviations from these working hours including student leave, late/early start dates, or early completion dates are at the discretion of supervisors.

Referencing style: The final report should follow the referencing style of the journal but the default is Vancouver for most. See the library guide for more detail.

https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476168

Assignment formatting guidelines: Unless the unit coordinator has indicated otherwise, please make sure your submitted assessments are formatted as follows:

font: use Times New Roman 12 point or as indicated by journal
double line spacing
margins: 2.5cm each side
use page numbers
refer to assessment instructions for use of title and headings

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 24 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 480-600 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. formulate a research question and research the specific topic
LO2. collect and interpret data
LO3. prepare an article in the style for a scientific journal
LO4. prepare an abstract for conference presentation
LO5. integrate their own data into the existing body of knowledge.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia (2015) - 1.1.2. Recognises own professional limitations and the profession’s scope of practice and seeks assistance as necessary. 1.1.3. Accepts responsibility for and manages, implements and evaluates own personal health and well- being. 1.1.4. Shows a commitment to professional development and conduct and lifelong learning. 1.1.5. Consistently demonstrates reflective practice in collaboration with supervisors, peers and mentors. 1.3.1. Uses negotiation and conflict resolution skills when required. 1.3.2. Develops and maintains a credible professional role by commitment to excellence of practice. 1.3.3. Seeks, responds to, and provides, effective feedback. 1.3.4. Participates in mentoring. 1.3.5. Demonstrates initiative by being proactive and developing solutions to problems. 3. Domain 3: Applies critical thinking and integrates evidence into practice 3.1.3. Applies problem-solving skills to create realistic solutions to nutrition problems or issues. 3.2.1. Identifies and selects appropriate research methods to investigate food and nutrition problems. 4.2.2. Identifies, builds relationships with and assists in implementing plans with key stakeholders who have the capacity to influence food intake and supply. 4.3.2. Participates in collaborative decision making, shared responsibility, and shared vision within a team.
	National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia (2015) - 1.4.1. Applies organisational, business and management skills in the practice of nutrition and dietetics (effective time, workload and resource management). 1.4.2. Utilises suitable evaluation tools to review effectiveness of practice. 1.4.3. Identifies and assesses risks, follows risk management protocols and develops basic risk management strategies for services. 1.4.4. Utilises relevant technology and equipment efficiently, effectively and safely. 2.1.1. Collects, analyses and interprets relevant health, medical, cultural, social, psychological, economic, personal, environmental, dietary intake, and food supply data in determining nutritional status. 3. Domain 3: Applies critical thinking and integrates evidence into practice 3.1.1. Adopts a questioning and critical approach in all aspects of practice. 3.2. Conducts research, evaluation and quality improvement processes using appropriate methods 3.2.1. Identifies and selects appropriate research methods to investigate food and nutrition problems. 3.2.2. Applies ethical processes to research and evaluation. 3.2.3. Collects, analyses and interprets qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation data.
	National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia (2015) - 3.2. Conducts research, evaluation and quality improvement processes using appropriate methods 3.2.2. Applies ethical processes to research and evaluation. 3.2.4. Accurately documents and disseminates research, quality improvement and evaluation findings.
	National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia (2015) - 3.2. Conducts research, evaluation and quality improvement processes using appropriate methods 3.2.2. Applies ethical processes to research and evaluation. 3.2.4. Accurately documents and disseminates research, quality improvement and evaluation findings. 4.1.4. Adapts and tailors communication appropriately for specific audiences.
	National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia (2015) - 1.2.1. Exercises professional duty of care in accordance with relevant codes of conduct, ethical requirements and other accepted protocols. 1.2.2. Demonstrates integrity, honesty and fairness. 1.2.3. Prepares appropriate documentation according to accepted standards. 3. Domain 3: Applies critical thinking and integrates evidence into practice 3.1.1. Adopts a questioning and critical approach in all aspects of practice. 3.1.2. Gathers, critiques, uses and shares research and information to support sound decision making with key stakeholders. 3.1.3. Applies problem-solving skills to create realistic solutions to nutrition problems or issues. 3.2. Conducts research, evaluation and quality improvement processes using appropriate methods 3.2.1. Identifies and selects appropriate research methods to investigate food and nutrition problems. 3.2.2. Applies ethical processes to research and evaluation. 3.2.3. Collects, analyses and interprets qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation data. 3.2.4. Accurately documents and disseminates research, quality improvement and evaluation findings. 4.1.1. Practises in a manner that encompasses the needs, preferences and perspectives of others. 4.1.4. Adapts and tailors communication appropriately for specific audiences. 4.1.5. Communicates clearly and concisely to a range of audiences using a range of media. 4.2.1. Shares information with and acts as a resource person for colleagues, community and other agencies. 4.3.5. Actively promotes the role of a Dietitian and the broader profession of nutrition and dietetics.

National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia (2015) -

Competency code	Taught, Practiced or Assessed	Competency standard
1.1.2		Recognises own professional limitations and the profession’s scope of practice and seeks assistance as necessary.
1.1.3		Accepts responsibility for and manages, implements and evaluates own personal health and well- being.
1.1.4		Shows a commitment to professional development and conduct and lifelong learning.
1.1.5		Consistently demonstrates reflective practice in collaboration with supervisors, peers and mentors.
1.1.6		Accepts responsibility for own actions.
1.2.2		Demonstrates integrity, honesty and fairness.
1.2.3		Prepares appropriate documentation according to accepted standards.
1.3.1		Uses negotiation and conflict resolution skills when required.
1.3.2		Develops and maintains a credible professional role by commitment to excellence of practice.
1.3.3		Seeks, responds to, and provides, effective feedback.
1.3.4		Participates in mentoring.
1.3.5		Demonstrates initiative by being proactive and developing solutions to problems.
1.4.1		Applies organisational, business and management skills in the practice of nutrition and dietetics (effective time, workload and resource management).
1.4.2		Utilises suitable evaluation tools to review effectiveness of practice.
1.4.3		Identifies and assesses risks, follows risk management protocols and develops basic risk management strategies for services.
1.4.4		Utilises relevant technology and equipment efficiently, effectively and safely.
1.5.3		Works respectfully with individuals, groups and/or populations from different cultures.
3.1.1		Adopts a questioning and critical approach in all aspects of practice.
3.1.2		Gathers, critiques, uses and shares research and information to support sound decision making with key stakeholders.
3.1.3		Applies problem-solving skills to create realistic solutions to nutrition problems or issues.
3.2.1		Identifies and selects appropriate research methods to investigate food and nutrition problems.
3.2.2		Applies ethical processes to research and evaluation.
3.2.3		Collects, analyses and interprets qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation data.
3.2.4		Accurately documents and disseminates research, quality improvement and evaluation findings.
4.1.4		Adapts and tailors communication appropriately for specific audiences.
4.1.5		Communicates clearly and concisely to a range of audiences using a range of media.
4.2.1		Shares information with and acts as a resource person for colleagues, community and other agencies.
4.2.2		Identifies, builds relationships with and assists in implementing plans with key stakeholders who have the capacity to influence food intake and supply.
4.3.2		Participates in collaborative decision making, shared responsibility, and shared vision within a team.
4.3.5		Actively promotes the role of a Dietitian and the broader profession of nutrition and dietetics.

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Thank you for your valuable feedback. All comments have been read and considered. I realise that you have had varying experiences depending on the project, supervisor and whether you worked alone or as a pair. Some people indicated they needed some more help writing etc than they were given and I will address this as much as possible via the supervisor meetings I hold and with our in class sessions.

Additional information

Sensitive materials in teaching: Please note that in this Unit of Study sensitive and potentially distressing or disturbing content might be presented and/or discussed from time to time. This may include reference to for example, discrimination, assault, suicide, illness, death and dying or culturally sensitive issues. These topics are relevant to your learning and your knowledge and skill development for nursing practice.

You will be advised before the information/topic is presented. If you are participating in the teaching session/activity online, you are advised to use headphones and ensure that anyone not participating in the session cannot see images that you may be watching on your device. If the nature of the content makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed, it is important that you contact the unit coordinator or another member of the academic team to discuss this with them.

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General Laboratory Safety Rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

NTDT5310: Nutrition Research Project

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect