Unit information: General and Generic Research Skills 1 in 2012/13

Unit name	General and Generic Research Skills 1
Unit code	PSYCM0011
Credit points	10
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Tom Troscianko
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Psychological Science
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

The unit provides taught postgraduate students with a toolkit to allow them to carry out research within Psychology. The purpose of the unit is to bring all students up to the standard required to support teaching and learning at postgraduate level.

Intended Learning Outcomes

The sessions aim to cover general research skills, which are not subject-specific, but which should help you to produce high quality psychological research. In addition, the unit aims to facilitate the acquisition of several personal skills that are transferable or generic, being applicable both within and outside academia. The unit provides an introduction to basic IT skills, being able to use web-based databases and reference management systems in addition to being aware of the issues relating to ethics in human behavioural research.

Teaching Information

Lectures and practical programming interactive sessions.

Assessment Information

This Unit is assessed purely on Coursework: Programming Tasks (70%) and Seminar Diary (30%).

Reading and References

• APA (2001) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Edition). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. (PN147 PUB).

• APA (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct: 2010 amendments. http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

• Bell, P.B., Staines, P.J. with Michell, J. (2001). Evaluating, doing and writing research: A step-by-step guide for students. London: Sage Publications. (BF77 BEL).

• BPS (2009). Code of ethics and conduct: Guidance published by the Ethics Committee of the British Psychological Society. Leicester: British Psychological Society. Available online to download as a .pdf file: http://www.bps.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/code_of_ethics_and_conduct.pdf

• Kimmel, A.J. (2007). Ethical issues in behavioral research: basic and applied perspectives (2nd edition). Oxford: Blackwell. (BF76.4 KIM)

• Sternberg, R.J. & Sternberg, K. (2010). The psychologist's companion: A guide to scientific writing for students and researchers (5th edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (BF76.8 STE).