PUBH5610: Semester 1, 2024

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Units PUBH5610 Semester 1 2024 [Supervision]

Unit outline_

PUBH5610: Public Health Research Project

Semester 1, 2024 [Supervision] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit gives high-achieving students the opportunity to undertake a research project in an area of interest relevant to public health or global health. It is undertaken in a student's final semester (with very rare exceptions) or final two semesters if studying part-time, when students have completed their core units or are concurrently completing their final core unit(s). Students are eligible if they have an average weighted mark (WAM) of approximately 75% or more at the time of entry to the semester in which they will complete the research project. Places are limited and selection of candidates will be based on academic merit (students with a higher WAM will be prioritised for placement) and suitability of the research projects available for student interests/skills. Projects are usually identified by the unit coordinator, and each student will be assigned to a project, taking into account student preferences. The student will work on an independent research project under the guidance of an expert supervisor, who will guide the student through the process of conducting a research project. The project may be a systematic review of the literature, an analysis of an existing dataset, a quantitative or qualitative research study, a policy analysis or some other project acceptable to the unit coordinator and the project supervisor. Students are expected to do around 240-300 hours of work on their projects and the assessments are 1) a project outline and 2) a manuscript for publication (preferred format) or a dissertation.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Public Health
Credit points	12
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	PUBH5010 AND (PUBH5018 OR FMHU5002) AND (FMHU5003 OR PUBH5505 OR BACH5255 OR QUAL5005) AND HPOL5000 AND PUBH5033 AND PUBH5036
Prohibitions ?	PUBH5611 or PUBH5612
Assumed knowledge ?	Knowledge gained from a minimum 48 credit points of the Master of Public Health or Master of Global Health is required to successfully undertake the proposed project. Students must have completed any core unit directly related to their project prior to commencing the research project - this will be determined by the Unit of Study Coordinator at the time Departmental permission is considered.
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Saman Khalatbari Soltani, saman.khalatbarisoltani@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Marina De Barros Pinheiro, marina.pinheiro@sydney.edu.au
	Juliana Souza de Oliveira, juliana.oliveira@sydney.edu.au
	Saman Khalatbari Soltani, saman.khalatbarisoltani@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 April 2024

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research project proposal Written project proposal	10%	Week 04 Due date: 17 Mar 2024 at 23:59	1,000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Dissertation	Final research report Manuscript for publication (preferred) or Dissertation/report	90%	Week 13 Due date: 26 May 2024 at 23:59	Manuscript; or report 10-15,000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Research project proposal

Manuscript for submission / dissertation

More information on requirements is available on the unit Canvas page

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	work of an exceptional standard
Distinction	75 - 84	work of a very high standard
Credit	65 - 74	work of a good standard
Pass	50 - 64	work of an acceptable standard
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.

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Ongoing	Prepare research proposal	Project (10 hr)
Ongoing	Prepare project report	Project (290 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

There are no other requirements for this unit.

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 12 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 240-300 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. Undertake a discrete research project in public health
LO2. Work independently and engage in self-direct learning
LO3. Communicate effectively with a project supervisor
LO4. Apply public health knowledge and research methods to a research project

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

Responding to student feedback

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

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

Students considering doing this unit should submit an expression of interest in response to the request for this from the unit coordinators, which will be sent out during the semester beforehand.

Additional costs

There are no additional costs for this unit.

Site visit guidelines

There are no site visit guidelines for this unit.

Work, health and safety

There are no specific WHS requirements for this unit.

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

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

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