Dissertation

Recommended Prerequisites

Recommended prerequisites: This curricular unit implies aquired basic knowledge in descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as basic notions about research methods in social and human sciences, particularly in the field of Psychology. The articulation with two other courses offered in the same year (Advanced Research Methods in Clinical and Health Psychology; Advanced Data Analysis in Clinical and Health Psychology) will allow students to apply advanced research methods and data analysis procedures within a specific dissertation research project.  

Teaching Methods

The “learning by doing” teaching method (teaching through practice) is privileged in this course and includes different methodologies:

 

a. Participation in research group seminars, aiming the development of the knowledge and skills required to conduct a research project and write a scientific paper; it resorts to interactive teaching methodologies focused on active exploration;

 

b. Tutorial supervision, which includes supervised training of practical skills and problem solving inherent to the research process and the writing of a master dissertation in a research paper format.

Learning Outcomes

This course aims to promote an understanding of the research process in the field of clinical and health psychology. It aims to promote skills required for designing and developing a research project, as well as skills required to write a dissertation in a research paper format.

These include both specific skills and transversal skills:

Specific skills - To be able to:

a) Define or conceptualize a research question;

b) Formulate research hypotheses;

c) Ensure ethical standards along the research project implementation;

d) Conduct a search on scientific literature databases;

e) Write a literature review;

f) Conduct sample(s) collection;

g) Setup a database and perform data analysis;

h) Interpret and discuss findings, recognizing limitations and implications;

i) Communicate findings in a written document;

Transversal skills - To be able to:

j) Develop a critical perspective on scientific knowledge;

k) Consolidate knowledge about methodological and assessment issues.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Introductory seminars:

a. The scientific research process;

b. Ethical issues inherent to the research process in clinical and health psychology;

c. Planning the different steps for developing a research project;

d. Search in scientific literature databases;

e. Critical analysis of scientific papers;

f. Consolidation of scientific writing skills and guidelines for the presentation and discussion of findings;

 

2. Scientific literature review in the field of the topic under study.

 

3. Design of a scientific research project:

a. Planning the different research project phases;

b. Elaboration of a timeline for the execution of the research project;

c. Writing of the research project;

 

4. Methodology and procedures for an appropriate sample collection.

 

5. Critical reflection about the main findings and outcomes.

 

6. The structure of a master dissertation in a research paper format on the topic under study.

 

7. Writing a master dissertation in a research paper format.

Head Lecturer(s)

Helena Teresa da Cruz Moreira

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Trabalho escrito (dissertação em formato artigo) e Defesa pública da dissertação: 100.0%

Bibliography

 

A bibliografia será indicada pelo orientador de acordo com a temática do projeto de investigação/ dissertação a ser desenvolvido por cada aluno.

The bibliography will be indicated by the Professor/ master's advisor according to the theme of the research / dissertation project to be developed by each student.

 

Brough, P. (Ed.) (2019). Advanced research methods for applied Psychology: Design, analysis and reporting. New York, NY: Routledge.

 

Cargill, M., & O’Connor, P. (2009). Writing scientific research articles: Strategy and Steps. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

 

Código Deontológico da Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (2011). Retrived from: https://www.ordemdospsicologos.pt/ficheiros/documentos/web_cod_deontologico_pt_revisao_2016.pdf

 

Field, A. (2017). Discovering statistics using SPSS (5th ed.). London: Sage Publications.

 

Hayes, A.F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York, NY: Guilford Press.