Adolescent Health Minor Thesis (POPH90268)

The purpose of this subject is to develop the critical disciplines of research methodology and to arm students with the necessary knowledge and skills to analyse and interpret research that informs our understanding of young people’s health and well-being. The aim is also to provide students with the skills needed to design, implement and communicate the findings of research that will contribute to more effective program delivery to young people, within and across different sectors.

This subject will provide participants with the critical skills needed to design their research project, including the research questions, a rationale - why is it worth studying this question/area, the aims and objectives of the research; identification of theoretical/conceptual frameworks to be used as well as relevant bodies of literature; methodology - how will the problem be investigated and why is this the best design.

On completion of the minor thesis, students will have:

• Read and written about their specific area of research interest;
• Defined a research problem or issue;
• Developed understandings of research approach(es) and techniques that are relevant to the proposed project;
• Written a detailed research proposal;
• Conducted a thorough literature review;
• Selected an appropriate research design;
• Justified appropriate methods for data analysis;
• Demonstrated skill in using appropriate methods;
• Demonstrated skill in interpreting the data in such a way that has relevance for youth health policy or practice;
• Demonstrated skill in writing up the results.

Methods of study may include policy analysis, theoretically-based studies as well as methods based on the collection and analysis of interview or survey data, or as determined by both the student and the supervisor. In this unit students will have a supervisor appointed, work with the supervisor to develop a research proposal, enhance their ability to plan and conduct research in a specific methodological framework, explore current literature relating to their proposed research topic, and prepare an application for human research ethics approval.

There is no prepared content in this unit. It is a research unit in which students, in consultation with an appointed supervisor, carry out research tasks to develop new knowledge (content) themselves. From time to time, supervisors will provide students with appropriate readings to support their research. Supervisors are appointed by the co-ordinator in consultation with the student.

Students will be assigned a supervisor in the year they begin their thesis.

NOTE: As part of thesis development, the majority of students will also be required to complete a University of Melbourne Ethics Standard Project Application Form and gain ethics approval