Honours Project Planning

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

Level of Unit in Course

AQF Level(s) of Course

Level of Unit in Course

Introductory

Intermediate

Effective Term:

2027/05

Institute / School :

Institute of Health and Wellbeing

Unit Title:

Honours Project Planning

Unit ID:

HEHON4103

Credit Points:

15.00

Prerequisite(s):

Co-requisite(s):

Exclusion(s):

ASCED:

069900

Other Change:

Brief description of the Unit

The honours project planning unit is designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge required to undertake a substantial research or creative project. The journey begins with the independent selection and clear articulation of a research topic or creative project. Students are expected to justify their topic’s significance within their discipline, develop a focused research proposal in collaboration with supervisors and peers, and demonstrate an understanding of the broader scholarly or creative context. Students will be commencing their honour's project as part of this project planning unit.

A critical component of the unit involves evaluating and synthesizing relevant literature and theoretical frameworks to inform the research design. This process not only underpins the development of a robust methodology but also encourages students to critically assess the suitability and rigor of their chosen approaches. Students are supported in formulating ethics applications, ensuring their research adheres to ethical principles and research integrity requirements. This includes understanding the ethical responsibilities associated with their project, addressing issues such as informed consent, confidentiality, and responsible data management.

Effective project management is emphasized throughout the unit. Students are required to develop a comprehensive project management plan that includes timelines, milestones, resource allocation, risk assessment, and quality assurance measures. Regular progress reports and milestone submissions foster accountability and help students stay on track. Risk management, ethics, and Occupational Health and Safety considerations are incorporated as required, reinforcing a holistic approach to responsible research practice.

The unit culminates in an oral presentation or defense of the proposal, allowing students to demonstrate their ability to communicate research aims, feasibility, and ethical compliance. Ongoing supervision and adaptability are encouraged, as students may need to refine their focus or methodology in response to emerging challenges. Ultimately, this unit prepares students to manage complex research projects with integrity, critical thinking, and effective organizational skills, laying a strong foundation for future scholarly or creative endeavours.

Grade Scheme:

Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)

Work Experience Indicator:

Placement Component: No

Supplementary Assessment:Yes

Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment

Course Level:

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge:

Skills:

Application of knowledge and skills:

Unit Content:

Initial Proposal and Topic Selection

Identifying target areas of research focus/questions and/or creative outputs from previous works towards honours thesis deliverables.
Developing positive communication strategies with your supervisor and peers towards refining your proposal through constructive regular feedback.
The process of seeking ethics approval (if relevant to your research activities) including community approvals.

Research Ethics and Integrity:

The role of ethical conduct, responsibility, and integrity throughout the research lifecycle.
The value of ethical considerations with both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and creation of new knowledge
The impact of ethical considerations aligned with social, community, industry and government partnership arrangements.

Project Planning

Project management skills methodology suited to a variety of contexts and disciplines
Organize necessary resources and budgets such as studio or laboratory space, equipment, or materials.
Building internal and external networks as part of project developments, peer engagement and skill development.

Graduate Attributes:

	Learning Outcomes Assessed	Assessment Tasks	Assessment Type	Weighting	Professional Standards
1.	1, 2	Research Project: Focused plan	Detailed flowchart summary	10-20%
2.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Research Project: Focus research structure with early data, methodology implementation and target focus on progressive enhancements	Report with targeted focus and overarching honours structure with opportunity to commence methodology, data collection and early creation of outputs	60-80%
3.	4, 5	Research Project: Dissemination and Feedback	Research Project: Dissemination opportunity and response to critical feedback	10-30%

Adopted Reference Style:

Professional Standards / Competencies:

Standard / Competency