HMPYC80/101/0/2024

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2024

Research Methodology
HMPYC80

Year Module

Department of Psychology

This updated tutorial letter contains important information about your module.
The module assessment consists of 6 assignments.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 4
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ..................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Purpose........................................................................................................................................ 6
2.2 Outcomes..................................................................................................................................... 6
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION .......................................................................................... 7
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................. 7
4.1 Email ............................................................................................................................................ 7
4.2 Lecturers ...................................................................................................................................... 8
4.3 Department .................................................................................................................................. 8
4.4 University ..................................................................................................................................... 9
5 RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................10
5.1 Prescribed book(s) ......................................................................................................................10
5.2 Recommended book(s) ...............................................................................................................10
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) .................................................................................................10
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ..............................................................................................11
6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme .............................................................................12
6.2 Study skills, personal development, employability and career development ................................13
6.3 myUnisa ......................................................................................................................................13
7 STUDY PLAN .............................................................................................................................14
8 PRACTICAL WORK ...................................................................................................................15
9 ASSESSMENT ...........................................................................................................................15
9.1 Assessment criteria .....................................................................................................................15
9.2 Assessment plan .........................................................................................................................16
9.3 Assessment due dates ................................................................................................................16
9.4 Submission of assessments ........................................................................................................17
9.5 The assessments ........................................................................................................................18
9.6 Other assessment methods.........................................................................................................18
9.7 Summative assessment ..............................................................................................................18
9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring ..................................................................................................................18
10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY .........................................................................................................19
10.1 Plagiarism ...................................................................................................................................19
10.2 Cheating......................................................................................................................................19
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10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below: ..................................................... 20
11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES .................................................................................. 20
12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 20
13 SOURCES CONSULTED ........................................................................................................... 22
14 IN CLOSING ............................................................................................................................... 22

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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
Welcome to the module on research methodology. Your teaching team is an energetic group of
people, and we promise you a fruitful year with us. Although you may have some fears about
research, especially because it has to do with numbers, we will do our best to make things as clear
and as easy as possible for you. We are looking forward to spending this year with you.

The module you are about to embark on is called Research Methodology. The code of this module
is HMPYC80. Module names and codes are part of Unisa-speak. So, if you want to ask anybody
at Unisa something about this module remember the name Honours Module in Research
Methodology and the code HMPYC80.

A tutorial letter is our way of communicating with you about teaching, learning and assessment.
During this year you will receive several tutorial letters. These tutorial letters are allocated unique
numbers. For example, the tutorial letter you are reading now is number 101 for the research
methodology module (HMPYC80).

Tutorial Letter 101 contains important information regarding the module content and the resources
you will need to consult when working through the module content. We urge you to read this tutorial
letter carefully and to keep it at hand when working through the study material, preparing the
assignments, and addressing questions to your lecturers.

You will find information regarding the Research Methodology assignments, assessment criteria
and instructions for the preparation and submission of the assignments. This tutorial letter also
provides all the information you need regarding the prescribed study material and other resources
you might need and how to obtain them. Please study this information carefully and make sure that
you obtain the prescribed material as soon as possible.

We have also included certain general and administrative information about this module in this
tutorial letter. Please read this section of the tutorial letter carefully.

Formal tuition in this course will be conducted in English only. Where capacity exists, and upon
request, individual discussions will be conducted in any preferred South African language.

Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) higher education institution. The
comprehensiveness of our curricula encapsulates a range of offerings, from strictly vocational
to strictly academic certificates, diplomas and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its distance
eLearning character result in many students registering at Unisa who may not have had an
opportunity to enrol in higher education. Our CODeL character implies that our programmes are
carefully planned and structured to ensure success for students ranging from the under-
prepared but with potential to the sufficiently prepared.

Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involves multiple modes of delivery ranging from
blended learning to fully online. As a default position, all postgraduate programmes are offered
fully online with no printed study materials, while undergraduate programmes are offered in a
blended mode of delivery where printed study materials are augmented with online teaching and

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learning via the learner management system – myUnisa. In some instances, undergraduate
programmes are offered fully online as well.

Furthermore, our programmes are aligned with the vision, mission and values of the University.
Unisa's commitment to serving humanity and shaping futures combined with a clear appreciation
of our location on the African continent, Unisa's graduates have distinctive graduate qualities
which include:

• independent, resilient, responsible and caring citizens who are able to fulfil and serve in
multiple roles in their immediate and future local, national and global communities;

• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent with its histories,
challenges and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts;

• the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information
and data from multiple sources in a globalised world with its ever-increasing information
and data flows and competing worldviews;

• the ability to apply their discipline-specific knowledge competently, ethically and

creatively to solve real-life problems; and

• an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and future potential.

In this module, we follow the online approach to teaching and learning. The online services are
provided on our virtual campus and is called myUnisa. This is an online system that is used to
administer, document and deliver educational material to you and support engagement with you.
Look out for information from your lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to determine how to
access the virtual myUnisa module site. Information on the tools that will be available to engage
with the lecturers and fellow students to support your learning will also be communicated via
various platforms.

You will therefore see that all your study material, assessments and engagements with your
lecturers and fellow students will take place online. Your tutorial letters will not be printed and can
only be accessed online via the myUnisa platform. All assignments must be submitted online via
the electronic assignment submission system on myUnisa. This tutorial letter is intended to offer
you some guidance in this regard.

We will also send email announcements to your myLife email when any updates are made on
the myUnisa site of this module. You are also encouraged to log into the module site HMPYC80-
2024-Y on myUnisa regularly (that is, at least once per week).

We wish you every success with your studies!

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2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES
2.1 Purpose

Students who complete the module can demonstrate knowledge about the design, implementation
of a small research study, application of ethical principles and objectively assess the application of
various qualitative and quantitative designs and methodologies in terms of fitness for purpose and
context. The knowledge, skills and values required for successful completion of the module are
fundamental to studying research literature and delivering research outputs in social science.

2.2 Outcomes

Students who complete this module will have attained the following learning outcomes:
Outcome 1: Students are able to formulate research designs.
Outcome 2: Students are able to formulate methods of information gathering in a study.
Outcome 3: Students are able to formulate methods of analysis for qualitative and quantitative.
data.
Outcome 4: Students are able to critique research studies.

The assessments are designed to evaluate your competence in the following:

Outcome 1 The learner is competent to formulate research designs if evidence shows that:
1.1 The formulation of the research design is technically correct.
1.2 The formulated research design is fit for purpose.
1.3 The practical implications of implementing the research design are
understood.
Outcome 2 The learner is competent to formulate methods of information gathering if
evidence shows that:
2.1 The formulation of the method of information gathering is technically
correct.
2.2 The formulated method of information gathering is fit for purpose.
2.3 The inherent strengths and limitations of the method of information
gathering are understood.
2.4 The correct implementation of the information gathering method is
understood.
Outcome 3 The learner is competent to formulate methods of analysis for qualitative and
quantitative data if evidence shows that:
3.1 The formulated method of information analysis is technically correct.
3.2 The formulated method of information analysis is fit for the purpose.
3.3 The inherent strengths and limitations of the method of information
analysis are understood.
3.4 The correct implementation of the method of information analysis is
understood.
Outcome 4 The learner is competent to critique a research studies if evidence shows that:
4.1 The technical correctness of the study is understood.
4.2 The fitness for the purpose of the study is understood.
4.3 The technical correctness of the presentation of the study (research
proposal and research report) is understood.
4.4 The linguistic correctness of the presentation of the study is understood.
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4.5 The technical correctness of the referencing style and conventions

embedded in the presentation of the study is understood.
4.6 The ethical correctness of the study is understood.

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 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 Email

Please use the e-mail address [email protected] to communicate with the module staff. (If
your e-mail is not acknowledged or answered within 2 to 3 workdays, please resend the e-mail
and/or contact module staff via telephone.) E-mail is the most efficient and effective way to contact
the teaching team. The e-mail address [email protected] will be continuously monitored by
the module secretariat.

The ability to communicate professionally is an important aspect of graduateness. Graduateness

involves the generic qualities that are expected of a person who holds a tertiary degree.

Professional communication means:

o to know exactly what your enquiry is about.
o to make an effort to ensure you contact the right person.
o to communicate in a formal, friendly and courteous manner. For example:
"Dear Lecturer, as a student in HMPYC80 I would like to inquire about ……
Regards. Ms Emily Makoena (student number 345345317)".
o to indicate the module in the "subject line" of your e-mail, for example:
"HMPYC80". Also indicate what your inquiry is about, for example: "Assignment 01".
o that all registered students are required to communicate with all Unisa staff via
Unisa myLife e-mail address.
o that you include your student number in all correspondence.

All assignments have to be submitted online, and not to the Department of Psychology. Do not e-
mail any assignments to the lecturers. Lecturers are not allowed to submit assignments on behalf
of students.

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When you submit an e-mail message, please indicate the enquiry category in the subject line of
your e-mail. Write the following in the subject line: "HMPYC80 Assignment 01". The subject line is
used to route your e-mail to the proper person for quick attention.

4.2 Lecturers

If you are unable to contact the teaching team by e-mail you may select to do so by phone.

Designation Name Telephone

Module secretary Ms Germinah Phuthi 012-429-8309

Primary lecturer Mr DJ (Johan) Kruger 012-429-8044

Lecturers on the team Ms Nonhlanhla Khumalo 012-433-4865

Ms Joy Hlokwe N/A

Please keep in mind that we do not always have sufficient staff to maintain synchronous
communication. Therefore, your call may be routed to a voice mail service. Lecturers frequently
attend meetings, and conferences, and may not be available at that time. Please make sure you
phone and leave your message for the correct person. E-mail is the most effective way to contact
your lecturers. Lecturers are available between 08:00 and 16:00 for consultations. They may be
contacted telephonically but preferably via e-mail for discussions and appointments. The
alternative e-mails to [email protected] are [email protected] or [email protected]

4.3 Department

Department of Psychology

Telephone number: 012-429-6934

Physical address: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Building, 5th floor, Room 5-49.

Note that the lecturers are not always working from the main Unisa campus in Muckleneuk,
Pretoria. Access to the campus is strictly controlled.

If you need to access any Unisa campus, you must make a booking in advance with the relevant
lecturer. No student will be allowed access to any campus without a booking. Rather consider
telephonic or video conferencing with the lecturers to address all your questions.

(Depending on the current COVID-19 regulations, only limited services may be available. Should
there be a lockdown situation you can make your booking using this URL link:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/access)

4.4 University

During this year you will regularly receive posts from Unisa, and Unisa surely will hear from you. It
is important that you address your communications correctly when you phone or e-mail the
university. Always consult the Study @ Unisa for information about correct procedures (see section
6). Always have your student number at hand when you contact the University.

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Do not contact the Psychology Department when you have enquiries for other departments. The
Psychology Department is an academic department. It can help you only with specific information
about your modules. Consult the Study @ Unisa to find the right department to contact if you have
general enquiries about your studies.

Administrative enquiries about module registration, cancellation, fees, etcetera, should be

addressed to Student Admissions and Registrations.

Contact addresses for the various departments are contained in the Study @ Unisa brochure.
Please note that there are different ways to communicate with the University – by telephone or e-
mail and via myUnisa. myUnisa is an Internet facility offered free of charge to all registered Unisa
students. With the aid of myUnisa, students will ultimately be able to perform all study-related
functions on the Internet, which used to be performed by posted mail or personal visits to the
campus in the past.

Please ensure that you contact the correct section or department for each enquiry as this will result
in a speedy resolution of the enquiry.

Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries.

The contact details are:

Fax number (RSA only): 012-429-4150
Fax number (international): +27 12-429-4150
E-mail address: [email protected]

Other means of contacting the University are:

Physical address: University of South Africa
Preller Street
Muckleneuk
Pretoria
City of Tshwane

Postal address: University of South Africa

PO Box 392
UNISA
0003

Telephone number 080-000-1870 or 012-429-3111

Online address: http://my.unisa.ac.za

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

Examinations: [email protected]

Aegrotat and special examinations: [email protected]

Please write a separate e-mail to each department and do not combine different requests in one
e-mail. Please include your student number in all correspondence.

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All assignments must be submitted online via the myUnisa assignments submission platform for
multiple-choice assignments. (Postal assignment submissions will not be processed.)
Please include your student number in all correspondence.

5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)

The prescribed book you have to acquire in addition to the study material provided by Unisa is:

Fouché, C. B., Strydom, H., & Roestenburg, W. J. H. (2021). Research at grass roots: For the
social sciences and human service professions (5th Edition). Van Schaik.

ISBN: 978-0-627-03821-1 ePub ISBN: 978-0-627-03822-8

Students often ask whether they can use previous editions of the textbook. Unfortunately, this is
not possible as the 5th edition of the textbook has been significantly updated and includes various
new chapters. Therefore, you must use the 5th edition. The downloadable e-book is available for
purchase worldwide from various booksellers
See https://www.vanschaiknet.com/book/view/509 for the publisher’s details of the 5th
edition of the prescribed textbook.

5.2 Recommended book(s)

There are no recommended books in this module.

5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

There are no electronic reserves in this module.

5.4 Library services and resources

The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources. The library has
created numerous library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides :

• For brief information on the library, 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
• Frequently Asked Questions,
visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Frequently-Asked-Questions
• For research support and services such as the Personal Librarian service and the
Information Search Librarian's Literature
Search Request (on your research topic) service,
visit http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-
support

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• For library training for undergraduate

students, visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Training
• Lending Services https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Lending-services
• Services for Postgraduate students
- https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-Postgraduates
• Support and Services for students with disabilities
- https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-students-with-
special-needs
• Library Technology Support -https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport
• Finding and using library resources and tools -http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• A–Z list of library databases – https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

• 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]
• Interlibrary loan service for postgraduate students: [email protected]
• Literature Search Service: [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 registering
at Unisa, by following this link: [email protected]

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 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 The Unisa 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 Email Support

www.unisa.ac.za/FYE [email protected]

FYE1500
Post
myUnisa; Study
Registration
Referrals to Skills; Academic &
Orientation Digital Literacies;
other support
services i.e. etc
Counselling;
Reading & Writing
workshops

To ensure that you do not miss out on important academic and support communication from
the SRU, please check your myLife inbox regularly.

6.2 Study skills, personal development, employability and career development

The Unisa Directorate: Counselling and Career Development (DCCD) have a website with
resources dedicated to:
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(a) study orientation and study skills,

(b) personal development, including coping with COVID-19, and
(c) employability and career development. The "Psychology @ Unisa" document
provides detailed information on career planning and careers in Psychology -- we highly
recommend that you download and study this resource!

Consult the following DCCD webpage for these resources at:

https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Learner-support-&-regions/Counselling-and-
career-development/Downloads-and-podcasts

6.3 myUnisa

The Unisa Directorate: Counselling and Career

Regular access to your Unisa e-mail address and myUnisa is very important. This is how you
receive information on all you need to know about your studies. All students must be registered on
myUnisa to be able to submit assignments, have access to the Library functions, download study
material, “chat” with their lecturers or fellow students participate in online discussion forums, and
get access to all sorts of learning resources.
If you have access to a computer that is linked to the internet, you can quickly access resources
and information at the University. The myUnisa learning management system is Unisa's online
campus that will help you to communicate with your lecturers, with other students and with the
administrative departments of Unisa – all through the computer and the internet.

Please consult the publication Study @ Unisa which you received with your study material for more
information on myUnisa.

To make use of myUnisa, you will need a computer with a modem and an Internet connection, as
well as a browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer.

The following functions are available on myUnisa:

• You can contact your lecturers via e-mail.

• You can join a discussion forum (e.g., to discuss your module with other students
doing the same module).
• You can order books from the library, and search for books on the library database.
• You can download study material placed on myUnisa.
• You can check whether your assignments have been received and marked.
• You can submit assignments via myUnisa.
• You can look up your assignment or exam marks as soon as they are released.

How to register on myUnisa:

1. Using your browser, go to the Unisa web page, which is located on the Internet
address: http://www.unisa.ac.za.
2. On this web page, select the option “myUnisa”. If you are a first time user, you must
now click on the option “Register as myUnisa user” which will enable you to register
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 online (this does not cost anything). Type in your name, student number and a
password (the password must be at least 6 characters long).

How to submit assignments via myUnisa:

1. To submit an assignment via myUnisa: Go to myUnisa.

2. Login with your student number and password.
3. Go to myModules.
4. Select the module.
5. Click on the relevant assignment or quiz in the left menu.
6. Select the assignment number you want to submit.
7. Follow the instructions.

For detailed information and requirements as far as assignments are concerned, see the Study @
Unisa brochure, which you can download as indicated above (see section 6).

7 STUDY PLAN
During this year you will receive the following tutorial letters:

• Tutorial Letter 102: Formulate a research proposal.

• Tutorial Letter 103: Formulate and review the research proposal.
• Tutorial Letter 104: Resource material.
• Tutorial Letters 201, 202, 203, and onward, with assignment feedback.

All tutorial letters will be available on myUnisa in the Official Study Material or the Additional
Resources folder for this module. There will be no printed study materials or tutorial letters. All the
tutorial letters must be downloaded on the myUnisa website for HMPYC80. The tutorial matter is
provided in Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) format.

Tutorial letters must be downloaded online from the HMPYC80 site on myUnisa “Official Study
Material” or “Additional Resources” folders. Some of the tutorial letters may not yet be available
when you register.

The coursework is structured around the processes involved in research studies. You work on a
research topic and are expected to consult resource material concerning research design, data
gathering, data analysis and ethics. You complete a series of assignments. You are also expected
to produce an acceptable research proposal. You are also expected to perform a self- review of
your draft and final research proposals. You are expected to submit all assignments on time as
these add up to your final mark in this module. (There is no examination.)

The module consists of two parts, Part 1 and Part 2 (see Tutorial Letter 102 for more information
about Part 1, and Tutorial Letter 103 for more information about Part 2). Part 1 is the first step in
the research process. It concerns the identification and development of a research question as well
as the formulation of a research proposal. The outcome of the first step in a research process is a
research concept and draft outline. In Part 1 you learn how to write a research proposal and to
review research proposals and articles in general. Tutorial Letter 102 contains further information

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about the identification and development of a research problem and the formulation of a research
proposal.

Part 2 is the second step in the research process. Here the research proposal is completed. It also
explores how a research project is conducted and how the results are reported. The outcome of
the second step in a research process is a research report (proposal). There are different kinds of
research reports, such as Master’s dissertations and Doctoral theses. However, most research
results are reported in the form of journal articles. In Part 2 you will be shown how to write a short
research article and how to review research proposals and articles. Tutorial Letter 103 contains
further information about how to conduct a research study and how to write a research article.
However, for the final assignment, you will submit your final research proposal only.

You will note that the study material in Tutorial Letters 102 and 103 is structured in a particular
format. You are required to work through different learning experiences to achieve the outcomes
of Parts 1 and 2. Each of these experiences entails a number of actions. Actions are the steps you
take to achieve the required objectives. In particular, you will learn how to find and outline a
research problem, how to plan your research, and how to write a proposal for your research project.
You will also learn how to execute a research project, how to manage the execution of the project,
how to monitor the quality of your actions and how to report research results in the form of a journal
article or report.

A detailed study plan will be provided in Tutorial Letter 102 together with the instructions for the
assignments.

8 PRACTICAL WORK
Except for the Learning Activities and Assignments, there are no additional practical tasks in this
module. You will not be expected to complete a full research project on this module. A completed
research proposal is one of the main outcomes of the module.

9 ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria

“Continuous assessment” 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 throughout the year will
contribute towards your final mark. You will not write an examination in this module.

9.2 Assessment plan

• To complete this module, you will be required to submit 6 assessments.

• All information about when and where to submit your assessments will be made available
to you via the myModules site for your module and in Tutorial Letter 102 and 103.

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 • Due dates for assessments, as well as the actual assessments are available on the
myModules site for this module and in Tutorial Letter 102 and 103.
• There is no examination in this module. According to the university rules regarding
"continuous assessment", there will be no exam or supplementary examinations.
• Your assignments will comprise a combination of multiple-choice assignments, and proposal
or article reviews.
• A minimum of two-thirds of the assessments must be completed to qualify for completion in
the module.
• You must submit at least 4 of the 6 assignments, including the compulsory assignment 06,
and receive an aggregate mark of 50% or higher to pass. Your aggregate assignment mark
is the weighted mark for all your assignments added together.
• The combined assignment weighting for the module is 100%. The assignments count 100%
towards the final module mark.
• Therefore, it is very important that you aim to complete and submit every assignment on
time.

What happens if my The final mark in this module consists of your combined assignment marks.
final mark is very low? This is guided by the principle of continuous assessment. Therefore, it is
important to submit all the assignments.
Can I be exempted Assignment marks from a previous registration period cannot be
from submitting transferred to your current registration period. Students who are repeating
assignments?
the module have to resubmit their assignments for their current registration
period.
What do I need to You have to submit at least 7 assignments and obtain a final aggregate
achieve to pass the mark of at least 50% to pass. The assignments contribute 100% to the
module?
final mark. There is no examination in this module.

9.3 Assessment due dates

• No assignment due dates are 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 myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for
the submission of the assessments.

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 lecturers 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

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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
2024 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 quiz 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 quiz online and complete it within the time available to
you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter 101),
and are only made available online. You must therefore access the quiz online and complete
it online where the quiz has been created. Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to
obtain more information on the due dates for the submission of the assessments.

• It is not advisable to use a cell phone to complete the quiz. Please use a desktop computer,
tablet or laptop when completing the quiz. 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.

• As this is a continuous assessment module, there will be no formal examinations for this
module. What is important is that you complete and do well in each of the assignments that
you need to complete for this module. In cases where your marks are not satisfactory, you
need to contact the lecturer to discuss options for engaging in a process of improving the
marks for those assignments.

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9.5 The assessments

As indicated in section 9.2, there are 6 assessments in this module. Further details on the
assignments are provided in Tutorial Letter 102 and on the module website. Assignments and due
dates will be made available to you on myModules for this module. We envisage that the due dates
will be available to you upon registration.

9.6 Other assessment methods

There are no other assessment methods for this module.

9.7 Summative assessment

As we use a “Continuous Assessment” approach in this module there is will be no examination

(See 9.1 Assessment criteria.)

You will be provided with formative feedback on your draft proposal (Assignment 08) via a Turnitin
report.

The summative assessment of your research proposal (Assignment 10) will be submitted for
proctoring via Turnitin.

9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring

Since 2020 Unisa conducts all its assessments online. Given stringent requirements from
professional bodies and increased solicitations of Unisa’s students by third parties to unlawfully
assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the University is obliged to
assure its assessment integrity through the utilisation of various proctoring tools: Turnitin, Moodle
Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools will authenticate the student’s identity and flag
suspicious behaviour to assure the credibility of students’ responses during assessments. Although
it is important that you are aware of this information, for this module you are not required to use an
invigilator app, but you will be required to submit your work on Turnitin..The description below is
for your benefit as you may encounter any or all of these in your registered modules:

Turnitin is a plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions
against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and ghost
writing. Students are expected to submit typed responses for utilisation of the Turnitin software.

The Moodle Proctoring tool is a facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identity
during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop camera.
Students must ensure their camera is activated in their browser settings prior to their assessments.

The Invigilator “mobile application-based service” does verification of the identity of an

assessment participant. The Invigilator Mobile Application detects student dishonesty-by-proxy and
ensures that the assessment participant is a registered student. This invigilation tool requires

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students to download the app from their Play Store (Google, Huawei and Apple) on their mobile
devices (camera enabled) prior to their assessment.

IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides for
both manual and automated facial verification. It has the ability to record and review a student’s
assessment session. It flags suspicious behaviour by the students for review by an academic
administrator. IRIS software requires installation on students’ laptop devices that are enabled with
a webcam.

Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports are referred to the disciplinary office for formal proceedings.

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
10.2 NB: We want to emphasize the utmost importance of avoiding plagiarism in all your
academic endeavours. Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else's work, ideas,
or words without proper acknowledgement and present it as your own. Such
practices are strictly prohibited and can have serious consequences.
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 as per examination guidelines.
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
• purchasing answer scripts from third-party suppliers.
• using prohibited materials.
• unethical usage of Artificial Intelligence Software (e.g., ChatGPT, Jenni AI, Rytr, etc.), AI-
powered writing tools e.g., Quillbot) or online sources (e.g., course material). *

* Note that it is unethical and academically dishonest to submit work that has been
generated by Artificial Intelligence Software. The use of these programs in your
assignments may lead to academic disciplinary steps taken against you, and could
lead to your expulsion from the university.
Always submit your own writing – in other words, work that was done in your own words and in
your own unique writing style!
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 10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules
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 read the
University’s Policy on Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism as well.

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 the module leader via [email protected],
[email protected] or [email protected] so that you can be assisted to discuss the
assistance that you need.

12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I study o Read all tutorial letters carefully.

this module? o Work through the learning opportunities provided in Tutorial Letters 102
and 103.
o Study the various resource materials that are required to complete the
activities of the various learning opportunities.
o Complete and submit the assignments on time.

Can I use the No, you should not use previous editions of the textbook. The new 5th edition
previous edition of
the textbook? of the textbook has been significantly updated and includes various new
chapters. Therefore, you must use the new 5th edition.
What if my local The e-book is available worldwide from various booksellers and can be
bookseller does downloaded after purchase.
not stock the
prescribed book?
Is there an No, there is no exam. The assignments in this module combine to constitute
examination in this your final mark within a continuous assessment framework.
module?
You must submit at least 4 of the 6 assignments, including assignment 06
that is compulsory, and receive an aggregate mark of 50% or higher to
pass.
And, can I apply
for a According to the university rules regarding continuous assessment, there will
supplementary
examination?
be no supplementary examinations.

What are my For career opportunities please consult the guide provided by the Unisa
career Directorate: Counselling and Career Development. (See the URL link in
opportunities in
Psychology? Section 6.2: Study skills, personal development, employability and career
development.)

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Can the module We can help you if your question is about this module. Please send us an
lecturers or email with your inquiry.
secretariat assist
me?
However, if your question is about something else, please see the Study @
Unisa brochure. The Study @ Unisa brochure contains an A-Z guide of the
most relevant study information. (The link is provided in Section 6.1: Study @
Unisa.)
What is myUnisa? myUnisa is an internet facility offered free of charge to all registered Unisa
students. With the aid of myUnisa students are able to perform study-related
functions on the Internet which in the past were done by letter or personal visits
to the campus. This module requires the use of myUnisa. Study tasks and
assignments are available on myUnisa. To access myUnisa you need a
computer with a modem, Internet connection, and a browser. See Study @
Unisa for further information.
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.
What happens if The final mark in this module consists of your combined assignment marks.
my final mark is This is guided by the principle of continuous assessment. Therefore, it is
very low?
important to submit all the assignments. A minimum of 66% of the
assignments must be submitted, together with a cumulative mark of 50%,
to pass the module. This means that you must submit at least 4
assignments to qualify to pass the module, submit the compulsory
Assignment 06, and receive a cumulative mark of 50% or higher.
Plagiarism will not Note that all your assignments, including the research proposal, 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.
Can I work with No, you may not produce a shared research proposal with other students. You
others in a team to must develop your own proposal.
develop a joint
research proposal?
If you submit a joint or group proposal this will be deemed to be a plagiarised
proposal and you will receive a mark of zero (0%).

Must I develop a You must develop your own unique research question for this module. Ensure
research proposal that your study is a psychological study and that the research question
or perform a full
research study for contains psychological constructs and terminology. The activities in Tutorial
this module? letters 102 and 103 are designed to help you develop your own research topic.

You will submit a research PROPOSAL only. See Tutorial Letter 102 where
we will guide you to identify, develop, and a research interest and concept,
and then develop a research outline. This will then be used to develop your

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 research proposal. The outcome is a research concept and a research
proposal on a psychological topic of your own choice.

You may not use any of the research topics from the Research Report module
(HRPYC81). Nor may you use a research topic from any other Honours
module. You may also not use any previous research projects that you were
involved in, nor any research projects or proposals that have been performed
and developed by others.

In summary: You are required to develop a new and unique research proposal
from scratch for this module (HMPYC80). This will be submitted to Turnitin
for a complete plagiarism check and will be reviewed by yourself and by the
lecturers.
Does Unisa offer Unisa does not offer any additional “study notes” or workshops nor does Unisa
additional study expect you to pay for any additional services. All the necessary and required
notes or
workshops for a study materials are included in your tuition package and are provided on
fee? myUnisa. (If you receive a notice or advertisement regarding study notes or
workshops these are not authorised by Unisa. Please advise the lecturers
should this occur.)
Can I register with No, it is not possible to register as a “psychological counsellor” with the South
the Health African health Professions Council. (To do this you must also complete a
Professions
Council of South “B.Psych equivalent” programme. This includes practical counsellor training
Africa with the and involves a 6 month registered internship, after which you can apply to the
Honours degree at HPCSA for registration.) Unisa does not offer this qualification. All three the
Unisa as a streams in the Honours in Psychology at Unisa are academic qualifications
registered only and therefore they do not lead to any HPCSA registration.
psychological
counsellor?

Some students No, the work involved in all the Honours modules at Unisa is very extensive.
choose to enrol for In practice we find that many students who register for all modules in one year
all 8 modules of
the BA Psychology deregister from 4 modules during the middle of the year, due to excessive
Honours degree. Is workload. As a rule of thumb, we encourage students 2 spread their studies
this over 2 years. We suggest that you take HMPYC80 (Research Methodology),
recommended? PYC4802 (Psychopathology), PYC4807 (Psychological assessment) and one
more module in the first year.
In the second year, students are advised to take HRPYC81 (Research report)
and the remaining three modules.

13 SOURCES CONSULTED
No other sources were consulted.

14 IN CLOSING
The HMPYC80 Teaching Team wishes you a productive period of creative and collaborative
learning about research methodologies and methods.

©
Unisa 2024

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