HRPYC81/101/0/2023

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2023

Research Report
HRPYC81-2023-Y

Year Module(s)

Psychology

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and
make sure that you have regular access to the myUnisa module
website, MODULE HRPYC81-2023-Y, as well as your group website.

Note: This is a fully online module. It is, therefore, only available on myUnisa.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 4
1.1 Getting started ................................................................................................................................ 5
2 OVERVIEW OF HRPYC81 ............................................................................................................. 5
2.1 Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Syllabus .......................................................................................................................................... 6
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................ 6
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................... 7
4.1 Lecturer(s) ...................................................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Department ..................................................................................................................................... 7
4.3 University ........................................................................................................................................ 7
5 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 8
5.1 Recommended book(s) .................................................................................................................. 8
5.2 Other e-resources ........................................................................................................................... 9
5.3 Library services and resources ....................................................................................................... 9
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ............................................................................................... 10
6.1 First-Year Experience Programme ................................................................................................. 11
7. STUDY PLAN ............................................................................................................................... 12
8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE ........................................................................................................... 13
8.1 What does it mean to study fully online? ...................................................................................... 13
9. ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 13
9.1 Assessment criteria ...................................................................................................................... 13
9.2 Assessment plan .......................................................................................................................... 14
9.3 Assessment due dates ................................................................................................................. 15
9.4 Submission of assessments ......................................................................................................... 15
9.5 The examination ........................................................................................................................... 16
10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY .......................................................................................................... 16
10.1 Plagiarism ..................................................................................................................................... 16
10.2 Cheating ....................................................................................................................................... 17
11. STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ................................................................................... 17
12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 17

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13. IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................. 18

14. ADDENDUM ................................................................................................................................. 19

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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student

Welcome to the honours module Research Report. Psychology is an empirical science, and we
only learn about and understand human behaviour when we study it systematically. In this
module, you will learn how to design, conduct, and report psychological research. We hope that
your experience in doing research in psychology will be an exciting and meaningful contribution
to your development as a future honours graduate.

Because this is a fully online module, you will need to use myUnisa to access your study
materials and complete the learning activities for this module. Visit the website for your
myModules frequently. The website for your module is HRPYC81-23-Y. The formal tuition in this
course will be conducted in English only.

Any psychological knowledge you have been taught during your undergraduate studies and you
are going to be taught in the honours programme is based on systematic and scientific
research. The scientific research process consists of different, logical, and consecutive steps
that inform each other. Any research in psychology starts with a research problem that is
informed by existing psychological knowledge and that determines the research goals, that is,
the research question(s)/ research hypotheses. The research goals – in turn – inform the
research method(s) considered as most appropriate to address the research question(s)/
research hypotheses. Psychologists have various research methods available which range from
psychological experiments to case studies to systematically study and analyse the experiences
and behaviours of individuals or groups. Because different psychological research methods
produce different kinds of data (i.e., empirical evidence), they are commonly classified as
quantitative or qualitative research methods – which are both used for pure and applied
research. The research method(s) – in turn – determine(s) the research design (e.g., cross-
sectional survey), research instruments (e.g., measurements, questionnaire), research sample,
research procedure, and approach for data analysis (e.g., statistical tests, thematic analysis)
which – in turn – determines the results/findings produced. The research results/findings are
summarised and discussed in relation to their contribution(s) to the existing knowledge, their
limitation(s), and possible implications for future research and/or practical application(s).

In this module, you will be taught how to formulate a research problem, how to select the most
appropriate research method, how to apply the research method and analyse the data you
produced, and how to report your research. You will learn about psychological research by
doing psychological research. As psychology consists of a range of sub-disciplines such as
psychological assessment, developmental psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology,
community psychology, clinical psychology etcetera, we are offering a range of research
projects in this module from which you are required to select one (1). Each research project has
a dedicated project number.

Please note that the full descriptions, project guidelines and prescribed material required for the
research projects are provided in Tutorial Letter 102. Please read the full descriptions of the
research projects before you select the research project you want to work on.

Always keep in mind that we will communicate with you by means of tutorial letters under the
code name HRPYC81. This first tutorial letter, for instance, is marked HRPYC81 101/0/2023. All
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tutorial letters are concerned with the module in Research Report only. The following tutorial
letters are included in your syllabus:

Tutorial Letter HRPYC81 101/0/2023: Detailed information about the Module HRPYC81 and
guidelines.

Tutorial Letter HRPYC81 102/0/2023 Detailed information about the offered research
projects offered (including expectations and
assignments) from you which are expected to choose
one.

Tutorial Letter HRPYC81 103/0/2023: Detailed information about the research process, the
structure of the research report, and the components of
the research report according to American
Psychological Association (APA) standards.

1.1 Getting started

Owing to the nature of this module, you can read about the module and find your study material
online. Go to the website at https://my.unisa.ac.za and log in using your student number and
password. Click on "myModules" at the top of the web page and then on "Sites" in the top right
corner. In the new window, click on the grey Star icon next to the modules you want displayed
on your navigation bar. Close the window in the top right corner. Then select the option "Reload
to see your updated favourite sites". Now go to your navigation bar and click on the module you
want to open.

We wish you every success with your studies!

2 OVERVIEW OF HRPYC81
2.1 Purpose

Students who have completed this module successfully will be able to identify a research
problem, to design and conduct a research study following ethical standards, and report the
findings in the form of a research report following the styles and standards as outlined by the
American Psychological Association (APA). The knowledge, skills, and values required for
successful completion of the module are fundamental to studying literature and delivering
research outputs in psychology.

2.2 Outcomes

For this module, you will have to master several outcomes:

Outcome 1 To be able to formulate a research problem.

You will achieve this outcome if you have successfully learnt how to:
1.1 state a research problem in terms of psychological constructs,
1.2 justify the problem in terms of existing literature in the psychological field,

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 and
1.3 justify the necessity to solve the research problem in terms of the
contribution of its potential findings.

Outcome 2 To be able to select the most appropriate research method to address the
research problem and to conduct a study based on the research method.

You will achieve this outcome if you have successfully learnt how to:
2.1 collect data that is valid, reliable, and sufficient to address the research
problem,
2.2 analyse the collected data using techniques that are appropriate and
executed correctly,
2.3 address the research problem in terms of the outcomes of the analysis,
and,
2.4 employ research procedures in a manner that adheres to prescribed
ethical guidelines.

Outcome 3 To be able to report your research in accordance with the Standards in

Psychology as outlined in the 7th Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association.

You will achieve this outcome if you have successfully learnt how to:
3.1 present a research problem, the research method, and the research
findings and discuss your results/findings in relation to their contribution(s)
to the existing knowledge, their limitation(s), and possible implications for
future research and/or application,
3.2 present this information technically correct using clear and correct
language, utilising an objective and scientific style, and conforming to
prescribed referencing standards and conventions, and
3.3 edit your research report structurally correct, following prescribed textual
and layout conventions.

2.3 Syllabus

The different topics covered in this module such as how to formulate a research problem, how
to select and apply the research method(s), and how to report psychological research
scientifically correctly are described for each research project (Tutorial Letter 102). More
information about these topics is also provided in Tutorial Letter 103. Note that you are required
to complete at least three assignments and one research report to complete module
HRPYC81 (see also under 9. Assessment for more details).

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter, in terms of which the university has placed curriculum
transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes student-
centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of
teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. All of these will be
phased in at both programme and module levels, and as a result of this you will notice a marked change
in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with the way in which the content

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is conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at
Unisa in a responsive way within the framework of transformation.

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 Lecturer(s)

How and when to Each research project has a lecturer. The names and contact details are
contact the outlined in Tutorial Letter 102 and on the HRPYC81 website. You can
lecturers? contact the lecturers of the research projects within the Research Report
module (HRPYC81) via e-mail, or myUnisa. E-mail is the most efficient and
effective way.

Please feel free to contact the lecturers when you have any queries about:
o the content and the syllabus of the research project you selected in
the Research Report module (HRPYC81),
o problems experienced in studying the content of the module, or
o any questions concerning your assignments.

When to contact General administrative questions – in other words, any matter addressed in
the the Tutorial Letter 101/0/2023 for HRPYC81 – should be addressed to the
administrative administrative coordinator for the module. The name and contact details of
coordinator? the administrative coordinator are outlined on the HRPYC81 website.

When to contact You are welcome to contact the module leader if you have general
the module questions or if you have any complaints relating to the Research Report
leader? module HRPYC81. The name and contact details of the module leader are
outlined on the HRPYC81 website.

4.2 Department

Department of Psychology
Telephone number: 012 429 6934
Physical address: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Building, 5th floor, Room 5-49.

4.3 University

The contact details are:

Telephone number 080-000-1870 or 012-429-3111
E-mail address: [email protected]

Other means of contacting the University are:

Physical address University of South Africa
Preller Street

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 Muckleneuk
Pretoria
City of Tshwane

Postal address: University of South Africa

PO Box 392
UNISA
0003

Unisa website: http://www.unisa.ac.za

Examinations: [email protected]

myModules: [email protected].

Please include your student number in all correspondence.

5 RESOURCES
5.1 Recommended e-books on research methodologies available at Unisa library

Advanced research methods for applied psychology: design, analysis and reporting / edited by
Paula Brough. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019

Understanding research methods and statistics in psychology Gavin, Helen. Los Angeles;
London: SAGE, 2008.

Handbook of research methods in social and personality psychology / edited by Harry T. Reis,
University of Rochester, Charles M. Judd, University of Colorado at Boulder. New York, NY:
Cambridge University Press, 2014

Research methods in clinical psychology: an introduction for students and practitioners Barker,
Chris, author. Malden, MA : Wiley Blackwell, 2016.
Research methods for environmental psychology / Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2016.

Handbook of research on applied social psychology in multiculturalism / Hershey, PA :

Information Science Reference, an imprint of IGI Global, 2021.
Reporting quantitative research in psychology: how to meet APA style journal article reporting
standards. Cooper, Harris, author. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2020.

Selecting and describing your research instruments McClure, Kelly S., author. Washington :
American Psychological Association, 2020.
The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in psychology / Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE
Publications Inc., 2017.

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Conducting your literature review / Hempel, Susanne, author. Washington, DC : American

Psychological Association, 2020.
Handbook of research ethics and scientific integrity / Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2020.

5.2 Other relevant e-resources relevant for research in psychology available at Unisa

Handbook of health psychology New York ; London : Routledge, 2019.

Handbook of community psychology / New York : Springer Science+Business Media, LLC,

2000.

Handbook of psychology / Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, [2013] [2013]

The SAGE handbook of developmental psychology and early childhood education / London ;
Thousand Oaks, California : SAGE Reference, 2019.

Handbook of environmental psychology and quality of life research / Switzerland : Springer,

2017.

Handbook of sport psychology / Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, 2007.

Stevens' handbook of experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience / New York : John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2018.

The SAGE handbook of industrial, work & organizational psychology / Los Angeles: SAGE,
2015.

Handbook of research on geriatric health, treatment, and care / Hershey, Pennsylvania (701 E.
Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, USA) : IGI Global, 2018.

Academic assessment and intervention / Hoboken : Taylor and Francis, 2014.

The SAGE handbook of mental health and illness / Los Angeles : SAGE, 2011.

5.3 Library services and resources

The Unisa library offers a range of information services and resources:

• For brief information, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance

• For more detailed library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• For research support and services (e.g. the services offered by personal librarians and
the request a literature search service offered by the information search librarians), go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support
• For library training for undergraduate students, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Training

The library has created numerous library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

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 Recommended guides: Psychology
Research Support

• Request and find library material/download recommended material:

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
• Postgraduate information services: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• Frequently asked questions about the library:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability
• A–Z of library databases:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

• Ask a librarian: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: Lib-
[email protected]
• General library-related queries: [email protected]
• Queries related to library fines and payments: [email protected]
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and Twitter: @UnisaLibrary

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies.

This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through
Unisa.

If you need assistance with regard to the myModules system, you are welcome to use the
following contact details:

• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)

• E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to
access module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessment
and how to participate in forum activities via the following link: https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130

Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices
and updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours
for your account to be activated after you have claimed it. Please do this immediately after

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registering at Unisa, by following this link: [email protected]

Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official
correspondence with the university, and will remain the official primary e-mail address on
record at Unisa. You remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.

6.1 First-Year Experience Programme

Many students find the transition from school education to tertiary education stressful. This is also true in
the case of students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-
learning institution, and it is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega university,
and all our programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully online learning. It is for this
reason that we thought it necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended support to help them
seamlessly navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few barriers. We
therefore offer a specialised student support programme to students enrolling at Unisa for the first time –
this is Unisa’s First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme, designed to provide you with prompt and helpful
information about services that the institution offers and how you can access information. The following
FYE services are currently offered:

• FYE website: All the guides and resources you need in order to navigate through your
first year at Unisa can be accessed using the following link: www.unisa.ac.za/FYE

• FYE e-mails: You will receive regular e-mails to help you stay focused and motivated.

• FYE broadcasts: You will receive e-mails with links to broadcasts on various topics
related to your first-year studies (e.g. videos on how to submit assessments online).

• FYE mailbox: For assistance with queries related to your first year of study, send an e-
mail to [email protected] .

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7. STUDY PLAN
The HRPYC81 module is a 36 credit Module. Each credit equals 10 notional hours, which
means 36 credits equal 360 notional hours of learning. Notional hours of learning are defined as
learning and studying time that it would take an average student to meet the outcomes defined
for this module. Refer to the [email protected] website for general time management and
planning skills.

The following recommendations will help you to plan your studies in this module.

Firstly, select a The Research Report module offers various research projects from which
research project you are requested to select one (1) research project. In order to make an
informed decision, familiarise yourself first with the available research
projects (see Tutorial Letter 102 and myModules HRPYC81-23-Y for
detailed information about each research project). Only after you have
familiarised yourself with the structure, material, and expectations of the
research projects, select one research project. Please select under
myModules the module HRPYC81-23-Y and click on the link Research
Group Selection. Please select the Research Group you have chosen
and submit your choice. It is pertinent that you select a Research Group
and submit your choice as this will allow you to access the material of the
respective research project and assignments.

Important: We recommend that you abstain from changing the research

project during the course of the year as the assignments within the
research projects build on each other and their successful completion is a
requirement for a successful research report.

Secondly, attend In order to make use of the extensive research resources of the Library,
the library training we strongly recommend that you attend the Library training. You will be
informed about the different resources available to you and taught how to
access and use these resources. The dates of Library trainings will be
announced on the module site HRPYC81-23-Y.

Thirdly, attend the We will offer you a range of orientation sessions and lectures on how to
orientations and conduct a literature review, the various research methods available to
training on psychologists, and basic statistics. The dates of sessions and lectures will
research be announced on the module site HRPYC81-23-Y.

Fourthly, Any research project within the Research Report module HRPYC81
familiarise yourself requires you to conduct research and to produce a portfolio (i.e., Research
with requirements Report). More specifically, during the course of the year, you are required
to complete and submit three assignments that are related to the research
project you selected, and you are also requested to submit a Research
Report. Note: If you do not submit the three assignments, you will not
be allowed to submit your research report to complete this module.

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Finally, familiarise The offered research projects in this module differ from each other. Each
yourself with study research project has its own content, activities and schedules. Please
content, activities, consult the full descriptions of the research projects provided in Tutorial
and schedules Letters 102 for the requirements set by each research project. Familiarise
yourself with the content of the research project by reading the prescript
literature. Prepare yourself for the activities and meet the due dates for the
assignments and the research report. The due dates for the assignments
and research report will be announced on the module site HRPYC81-23-Y.
Always keep in mind that NO extensions are given.

Lastly, study To successfully complete the module Research Report (HRPYC81-23-Y),

continuously and it is recommended that you study continuously which means that you read
plan your work the prescribed literature and that you identify additional sources to extend
your knowledge about the research problem, research methods, research
data analysis techniques, and research reporting. Always keep in mind that
when we do research, 90% of our activities are studying the most recent
papers on the content (e.g., the psychological phenomena addressed by
the research project), the most recent developments and innovations
concerning research methods and data analysis techniques, and the
changing requirements in reporting research as stipulated by the APA.

8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE

8.1 What does it mean to study fully online?

To study online HRPYC81 means that study material and any resources will be provided
and that any communication and interaction between you and the lecturer will be conducted
online through the module site HRPYC81-23-Y. It is highly recommended that you visit the
module site regularly (i.e., weekly) to keep up with the information we will share with you.

9. ASSESSMENT
The module Research Report applies a continuous assessment which refers to the ongoing
periodic and systematic assessment and evaluation of students during the process of
learning using a variety of assessment methods throughout the tuition period. All the
assignments that you completed within your research project throughout the year will
contribute towards your final mark. You will not write an examination in this module.

9.1 Assessment criteria

We will know that a student can formulate a research problem when

o research problems can be formulated in terms of psychological constructs,
o research problems can be contextualised within existing psychological knowledge,
and

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 o that the solution of research problems can be framed in terms of their contribution to
psychological knowledge.
We will know that a student can select the most appropriate research method to address the
research problem and conduct a study based on the research method when
o the research design to collect data (i.e., empirical evidence) is valid, reliable, and
sufficient to address the research problem,
o the collected data are analysed using techniques that are appropriate and executed
correctly,
o the outcomes of the analysis address the research problem, and
o the research procedures adhere to prescribed ethical guidelines.
We will know that a student can report the research in accordance with the Standards in
Psychology when
o the research report includes the research problem, the research method, the
research results/findings, and the discussion of research results/findings in relation to
their contribution(s) to existing knowledge, their limitation(s), and possible
implications for future research and/or application,
o the research report is technically correct presented, written in a clear and correct
language, applied an objective and scientific style, and applied prescribed
referencing standards and conventions as stipulated by APA, and
o the research report is structurally correct edited, following prescribed textual and
layout conventions as outlined in Tutorial Letter 103.

9.2 Assessment plan

• To complete this module, you will be required to submit three assignments and the
portfolio (i.e., research report).
• All information about when and where to submit your assessments will be made available
to you via the myModules site for your module (HRPYC81-23-Y).
• Due dates for all assignments are available on the myModules site for this module
(HRPYC81-23-Y).
• To gain admission to submit the research report (i.e., the summative assignment), you
will be required to submit three assignments.
• The three assignments will be averaged and contribute 20% towards the final module
mark.
• The examination will be the research report. You must submit the research report on or
before the final due date.
• Failure to submit the research report will be considered as “absent from examination”.
• The research report will count 80% towards the final module mark.
• To pass you must obtain a subminimum of 40% in the research report and a final
mark (portfolio mark plus year mark) of at least 50%. The year mark (three
assignments) contributes 20% towards the final mark, and the research report
contributes 80%. However, if you do not obtain the subminimum of 40% in the year mark
(three assignments), the percentage obtained for the research report constitutes the final
mark.

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9.3 Assessment due dates

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.

• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myUnisa landing page for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.

• Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.

• Log on to the module HRPYC81-23-Y through your myModule to obtain more information
on the due dates for the submission of the assignments and the portfolio (i.e., research
report).

9.4 Submission of assessments

• Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving

towards becoming an online institution. You will, therefore, see that all your study
material, assessments and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take
place online. We use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

• The myUnisa virtual campus will offer students access to the myModules site, where
learning material will be available online and where assessments should be completed.
This is an online system that is used to administer, document, and deliver educational
material to students and support engagement between academics and students.

• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the

myModules 2023 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are
registered for.

• The university undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

ensure that you obtain the greatest benefit from the use of the myModules learning
management system. Please access the announcements on your myModules site
regularly, as this is where your lecturer will post important information to be shared with
you.

• When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will
see a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message you will
see the assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. Some
assessments may be multiple choice, some tests, others written assessments, some
forum discussions, and so on. All assessments must be completed on the assessment
shells available on the respective module platforms.

• To complete Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) assessments, please log on to the

module site where you need to complete the assessment. Click on the relevant
assessment shell (Assessment 1, Assessment 2, etc.). There will be a date on which the
assessment will open for you. When the assessment is open, access the MCQ online
and complete it within the time available to you. MCQ assessment questions are not
included in this tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter 101) and are only made available online.

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 You must, therefore, access the MCQ online and complete it online where the MCQ has
been created.

• It is not advisable to use a cell phone to complete the MCQ. Please use a desktop
computer, tablet or laptop when completing the MCQ. Students who use a cell phone find
it difficult to navigate the Online Assessment tool on the small screen and often struggle
to navigate between questions and successfully complete the quizzes. In addition, cell
phones are more vulnerable to dropped internet connections than other devices. If at all
possible, please do not use a cell phone for this assessment type.

• For written assessments, please note the due date by which the assessment must be
submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment on the myModules
site of the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double
check that you have selected the correct file for upload. Remember, no marks can be
allocated for incorrectly submitted assessments.

• Not completing MCQ or submitting written assignments and the research report by the
due date will be treated as “not submitted”. Under no circumstance will be post-hoc
extensions be granted. You have sufficient time to plan and complete your assignments
and you should always consider possible eventualities. The latter will not be accepted as
excuses for not submitting the assignments and research report in time.

9.5 The examination

You do not sit for an examination in this module. But you are required to submit a portfolio (i.e.,
research report) for the examination. Your examination date is, therefore, the due date for the
submission of the portfolio. Because this is an examination date, no extension can be given.

You pass if you obtain a subminimum of 40% in the research report and a final mark
(examination mark plus year mark) of at least 50%. The year mark contributes 20% towards the
final mark, and the research report contributes 80%. However, if you do not obtain the
subminimum of 40%, the percentage obtained for the research report constitutes the final mark.

There is no supplementary examination. If you fail the module, you will have to re-register.

10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

10.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:

• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.

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 HRPYC81/101/0/2023

There are various freely available software available that you can use to check the originality of
your written assignments before you submit it for grading/marking. One commonly used is the
SafeAssign service which you can find under:
https://help.blackboard.com/SafeAssign/Student/Submit_SafeAssign

10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another

student during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files, this forms part of examination guidelines
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

11. STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, you are invited to contact either the module administrator or the module leader
(for contact detailed see module website of HRPYC81) to discuss the assistance that you need.

12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I have to select Yes, you are required to select one research project as you will only have
a research project? access to the assignments after you selected the research project.
Do I have to stay in Yes, it is recommended that you stay in the research project that you
one research selected because your research report builds on the previous assessments.
project?

Is there an No, there is no exam. The assignments and the research report in this
examination in this module combine to constitute your final mark.
module?

And, can I apply for According to the university rules, there will be no supplementary
a supplementary examinations for module HRPYC81.
examination?

Can I be exempted Assignment marks from a previous registration period cannot be transferred
from submitting to your current registration period. Students who are repeating the module
assignments? must resubmit their assignments for their current registration period.
Will I get extension No, you have to submit your assignments on or before the due dates. Due
to submit my dates for the assignments and the portfolio (i.e., research report) are

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 assignments available on the landing page of myModule site of HRPYC81-23-Y. We
granted? advise you to regard these dates in a serious light as no late submissions will
be accepted. We work on a tight schedule. The due dates are the absolute
final dates on which assignments can be accepted by the system. We know
that despite this warning, students tend to contact the Department of
Psychology requesting an extension of time for assignment submissions.
However, please note that under no circumstances (and this includes
illness, accidents, oversea trips, overwork, job changes, and lost post)
can an extension of time be granted. You can easily counteract
unexpected problems because you receive ample opportunity to earn year
marks. Do not wait until it is too late in the year to do something about
examination admission and your year mark. Plan and commit yourself to your
studies.
Plagiarism will not Note that all your assignments, including the research report, must be your
help you in any own work. If you take words, ideas and thoughts of others and pass them off
way!! as your own you are committing an act of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of
theft that involves a number of dishonest academic activities. Please note
that plagiarism is forbidden and there are serious consequences for
submitting any plagiarised work.

For further information see: Disciplinary Code for Students. The Disciplinary
Code for Students is given to all students as part of your study materials.
Students are advised to study the Code, especially Sections 2.1.13 and
2.1.14 (pp. 3-4). Kindly also study the University’s Policy on Copyright
Infringement and Plagiarism.

Further consult: The [email protected] website contains an A-Z guide of the most relevant
study information.

13. IN CLOSING
We wish you a stimulating and successful year of study!

YOURS HRPYC81 LECTURERS

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14. ADDENDUM

Portfolio:

THE RESEARCH REPORT

CONTENT OF THE PORTFOLIO

The Research Report is the description of the research project you completed within this
module. The Research Report informs about why the research project was conducted, how it
was executed, and what the results/findings were. Research Reports consist of different
sections such as Title, Abstract, Introduction, Method(s), Results, Discussion, and References
which are reported in a standardised form. As psychologists, we follow the standards of writing
research reports as outlined in the 7th Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (see: https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition). You are
expected to apply these standards.

THE DETAIL ON THE PORTFOLIO

The detail on the portfolio is provided in Tutorial Letter 103. The tutorial letter comprises:

Sections of the portfolio assignment

• Part 1: Criteria for good research

• Part 2: The main sections of a research report
• Part 3: The format of the research report
• Part 4: References and recommended sources

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PREPARATION FOR THE PORTFOLIO
The syllabus for this module is provided in Tutorial letter 101. The research projects are outlined
in detail in Tutorial Letter 102. To prepare for the portfolio (i.e., writing the research report), the
following is recommended:

Recommendation After familiarising yourself with the different research projects, you are
1 requested to select one research project. Follow the instructions (and
assignments) of your selected research project.

Recommendation To conduct sound research, you need to know what you are researching,
2 that is you need to have subject knowledge. Attend the library training as it
will inform you about the different resources available and how to access
and use these resources. Identify relevant literature (e.g., papers and
books) and READ. Always keep in mind that 90% of any research project is
READING.

Recommendation Prepare and submit all assignments in time as they prepare you for the
3 portfolio.

Recommendation Conduct your research (i.e., collect your data) as soon as possible.
4

Recommendation Start writing your research report as soon as possible as you might realise
5 that academic writing requires (1) skills such as disciplined, logical, and
abstract thinking (which you will only acquire by reading extensively), (2)
being in command of the technical language (which you will only acquire by
reading extensively in your field), and (3) being able to summarise
(synthesise) and paraphrase existing knowledge while applying APA
standards of referencing (which you only acquire by paying attention to the
information provided in Tutorial Letter 103).

Recommendation Systematically and continuously work on your research project. Always

6 remember, DOING RESEARCH is time consuming.

Final Enjoy every step in the preparation of your portfolio (i.e., research report) as
recommendation you move from being a consumer of psychological knowledge on human
behaviour to being a producer of knowledge on the psychology of human
behaviour.

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