DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

August Semester 2019

Course Title: Introduction to Qualitative Methods

Course Code: PSY 106

Course Description: This course will introduce students with in qualitative research and equip
students with the skills and knowledge required to conduct a qualitative
research study. Upon completion of the course, students will learn the
necessary skills and tools to successfully plan, design and conduct an
independent qualitative study. This course covered the theories of
knowledge in forming qualitative research, approaches to sampling and
data collecting, analysis of qualitative data, research report writing and
ethical issues related to the conduct of qualitative research.

The course aims to provide students with:

Course Objectives:  An introduction to qualitative research, and the steps involved in
conducting an independent qualitative research project
 The basis for developing skills required to be a competent
qualitative researcher, which includes identifying the
researcher’s personal orientation towards the research
phenomena, being reflexive towards others’ lived experiences,
and ensuring validity and reliability throughout the entire
qualitative research process.
 An understanding of how to design a qualitative research that
adheres to ethical standards.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course, the students will be able to design and execute
an independent qualitative research study. Specific learning outcomes
include:

1. Understand the principles governing qualitative research (PLO 1).

2. Conduct a scientific and ethical qualitative research using
appropriate methods in a valid and reliable manner (PLO 6.
3. Analyze existing qualitative literature/research in order to draw
critical conclusions (PLO 7).

Prerequisites:
BPSY 105
Lecturer:
Lavanya Selvaratnam
Lavanya.s@help.edu.my
Tutors:
Hui Yen Ling
Yenling.H@help.edu.my
Assessments
Tutorials 20%
Assessments + ERB 10%
Qualitative Research Report 30%
Final Exam 40%
 Credit hours
Intakes Prior to Jan 2011 – 3 Credits
Intakes from Jan 2011 onwards – 4 Credits
References:
Merriam, S.B. & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to
design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.

Creswell. J.W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design :

Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks:
SAGE Publications

Assessment Items:

1. Tutorials (20%)

There will be 5 tutorials in this semester. The tutorials will be held is week 3,5,7,9 and 11. Each
tutorial is worth 5%. The best 4 out of 5 tutorials will be selected for this assessment. You will need to
sign-up for tutorials as a group based on your assignment research groups.

In order to sign-up for tutorials, you first need to fill a template in lms and email Hui Yen Ling
(yenling.h@help.edu.my) with a list of all 5/6 of your group members by 6th September (Friday,
2pm). Only one member of the group needs to sign-up for all 5 members (include the names of all
members when signing-up). Please ensure that ALL group members are able to attend your tutorial
slot of choice before signing-up. Individuals who are signed-up WITHOUT a group will be duly
removed from the tutorial list. Failure to sign-up within this time frame will result in the entire group
being assigned to any available tutorial slot. Please take note that the lead member of the group should
be checking emails and lms regularly for updates.

2. Group Research

You will be required to conduct a qualitative study in a group of 5. Please email your similar group
members as your tutorial group names to Yen Ling by 6th September (Friday, 2pm) to facilitate
tutorial sign-ups (see above). This research project includes passing your assessments and ERB
(ethics review board), collecting data via interviews or focus-groups, transcribing the interviews or
focus-groups, analysing the data, and reporting your findings in an individual written report. In
addition, you will also be required to conduct a poster presentation of your findings. Following is the
breakdown of this assignment:

a) Assessments + ERB (10%)

Assessments will be held on the 25th September (Wednesday) (Week 5).

Assessments (5%): You will sign up for the assessment’s slot via google drive on the 16th
September, Monday. Please ensure that you have already formed a group and will be ready to
propose a qualitative study. During assessments (40 minutes), you will be required to hand in your
ERB with all the necessary documentation to support your ERB. In addition, each student is required
to have knowledge of their proposed study and Lecture 1 to Lecture 5. Marks are awarded
individually based on the answers given during the assessments. Assessments will be held in my
office at Level 5.
ERB (5%): ERB marks are shared among the group members and it will be marked during the
assessment slot. Marks are awarded based on soundness of research, justification of conducting the
said research, detailed completion of the ERB and ethical considerations of the study. Groups who
pass the ERB will be given the permission to start their study immediately. Groups who fail will be
required to reschedule their assessment slot or resubmit their ERB and will not be allowed to start
their ERB until they fulfill all requirements.

b) Qualitative Research Report (30%)

Research Report (25%): The research report should be about 15 pages excluding reference, appendix,
cover page and content. Although the research will be conducted in a group, the report is written
individually (all components of the report MUST BE individually written and it is not group writing).
Any students who are caught plagiarizing each other will be penalized accordingly. This assignment is
due on 15th of November, Friday, 2pm (Week 12) in class.

Assignment briefing document for your assignment is below. Please see the briefing document for
detailed explanation on what is expected for this assignment, as well as its relevant marking scheme.

Group Poster Presentation (5%): Groups are asked to present their qualitative research reports in a
poster format. The poster presentation will be held during the research colloquium on the 23rd of
November, Saturday(week 13). A detailed marking scheme is below.

3. Final Examination (40%)MUST-PASS

 Duration: 2 hours
 Coverage: The final exam will be held on the last week of the semester. It will be based on
the textbook, supplementary texts, all lecture notes and other assigned reading materials
given/uploaded in this module.
 Format: There will be two parts to the exam; 10 Short Answer Questions (60%) and 2 Essays
(40%).
 Special instructions: Closed book examination.

Week Topic Notes

Course Introduction
1 Tutorial/Group
Introduction to Qualitative Research & Theories of
26 Aug sign up
Knowledge
2
2 Sept Types of Qualitative Research

3
General Principles of Designing Qualitative Research
9 Sept
Sample/Topic Selection Tutorial 1
ERB
4
16 Sept Ethics in Qualitative Research

Tutorial 2
5 Qualitative Data Collection 1:
Assessments +
23 Sept Designing and Conducting Interviews,Observation
ERB
6 Qualitative Data Collection 2:
30 Sept Designing and Conducting Focus Groups,
7
Transcribing Data Tutorial 3
7 Oct
 8
Qualitative Data Analysis 1 (Thematic Analysis)
14 Oct

9
21 Oct Qualitative Data Analysis 2 (Thematic Analysis) Tutorial 4

10
28 Oct Quality in Qualitative Research: Validity and Reliability

11
Qualitative Research Report Writing Workshop Part A Tutorial 5
4 Nov
Research Report
12
Qualitative Research Report Writing Workshop Part B due 15/11 at
11 Nov
2pm.
Poster
13
Poster Presentation Workshop Presentation -
18 Nov
Colloquium
14
Course Recap
25 Nov

PSY 106 Introduction to Qualitative Methods / PSY 214 Qualitative Research (August 2019) 

Further Assessment Details 
 
Assessment 
 
Assessment  %  Must- Remarks  Remediation 
Pass? 
Tutorials  20%  No  Barring if less than N/A 
80% attendance 
ERB & Assessment  10%  No    N/A 
Qualitative Research 30%  No    N/A 
Report 
Final Exam  40%  Yes    Yes 
(Students will receive an “RA”
(Remedial Assessment) grade, and
attempt a remedial final exam in the
following semester) 
 
* A must-pass component is an assessment (e.g. assignment, test, exam, etc.) that a student must
pass (i.e. obtain at least 50% of that assessment’s full mark, e.g. 25% out of 50%) in order to pass the
subject. As such, even if a student’s total overall marks for the subject are above 50% (out of 100%),
they will fail the subject if they have failed any of the must-pass components. 
** If a student passes a must-pass assessment component (e.g. 10/20%), but receives a late
submission penalty (e.g. 3 days late x 2% = 6% deduction), the student has passed that component
and can proceed with subsequent assessment components. However, the late submission penalty
will still be deducted from the final total. 
*** An overall total of 50% must still be attained for a student to pass the subject.  
 
Tutorials 
 Attendance is compulsory for 80% of the tutorials. Failure to attend 80% of the tutorials
(i.e. 4 out of 5 tutorials) will result in barring for the final exam (which will result in an F grade for the
subject) 
 
ERB & Assessment + Qualitative Research Report 
 Students must attempt these assessments and obtain at least 10% of the total marks (i.e. at
least 3% out of 30% for the Qualitative Research Report). Failure to do so will result in the student
being barred from this subject’s Final Examination. 
 
Final Exam 
 Students who fail to pass the Final Exam will receive an “RA” (Remedial Assessment) grade
and are given the opportunity to attempt a remedial final exam in the following semester. 
 To sit for the remedial final exam, students have to pay a RM100 administration fee. 
 There will be no overall grade cap, but the remediated final exam marks will be capped at
the passing mark, i.e. 20/40%. 
 
Remedial Tutorials and Support for Must-Pass assessments 
 If students have failed their first attempt at a must-pass assessment, the following academic
support will be provided (if applicable for the subject): 
i. Within-semester remediation for ACEs / mid-terms: remedial tutorials will be carried out
within the semester. Students are strongly encouraged to attend these sessions in order to
improve on their knowledge to pass these assessments. 
ii. RA mid-terms: For students who fail the within-semester remediation for mid-terms (i.e.
remediation 1), another opportunity for remediation will be held in the following
semester. Students are strongly encouraged to attend the first half of the following semester’s
lectures, in order to improve on their subject knowledge and pass the mid-term. 
iii. RA assignments: remedial tutorials will be carried out in the following semester. Students
are strongly encouraged to attend these sessions in order to improve on their previous work and
pass these assignments. 
iv. RA final exams: students are strongly encouraged to attend the following semester’s
lectures, in order to improve on their subject knowledge and pass the final exam.  
 
Department of Psychology Policies 
 
Please note that the policies below apply to all students enrolled for this
subject: BPsych students, BBusPsych students and ADP students. Students from other
departments taking this subject as an elective are bound by all policies stated here
except research participation and attendance at colloquium + other compulsory events. 
 
1. Academic Misconduct 
 
Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, falsifying
documents, and general unethical behaviour. Students who have been found engaging in acts
of misconduct can be referred to the Departmental Assessment Investigative Committee
(DAIC) for further investigation. If found guilty, the following penalties can be meted out at
the discretion of the committee: 
1. 0 for assessment 
2. F grade for the subject 
3. Suspension from the program 
4. Expulsion from the program 
 
2. Plagiarism note 
 All students must use the APA citation style – refer to the guide posted on eLearning. 
 Plagiarism is defined as any unacknowledged use of ideas and material produced by
someone other than the writer him/herself. 
 Please note that you are NOT to submit any part of an assignment that you have
already submitted to any subject, whether in the same or different semester. 
 All assignments must be submitted to Turnitin. Failure to do so will result in 0 marks
for that particular assignment. 
 The following rules apply: 
1. Any information taken from any source must be cited. 
2. If you copy the words (more than 3 words in the same sequence) from the source, this
is called a direct quotation. Quotation marks “…” must be used and this must be cited. 
3. If you re-write or summarize the information in your own words, this is called a
paraphrase. No quotation marks are necessary, but the source must be cited. 
Category  Description  Action 
Blatant  Complete paragraphs For cases of blatant
plagiarism  and/or sentences used without in- plagiarism, students may be called
text acknowledgement  before the Dept Assessment Investigative
 Clear intent to plagiarize   Committee (DAIC) consisting of the
  Head of Department and two Senior
  Lecturers. The following decisions can
be made at the discretion of the lecturer
and/or the  DAIC: 
1. 0 for assignment 
2. F grade for the subject 
3. Suspension from the program 
4. Expulsion from the program 
In addition to this, all faculty staff will
be made aware of the students who
appear before the committee.
Reference /recommendation letters will
not be provided for these students. 
Accidental  One or two in-text citations Maximum 50% of available points 
plagiarism  omitted   Lecturer discretion 
 Quotation marks omitted  Student to be notified of action. This will
 Little or no evidence of be accompanied by a
intent to plagiarize  discussion/consultation on how the
mistake can be avoided in future. 
Poor  Material is acknowledged Maximum 50% of available points 
paraphrasing  but at best, the paraphrasing is  Lecturer discretion 
only limited to a few words being Student to be notified of action. This will
changed Quotation marks be accompanied by a discussion /
are also not used)  consultation on how the mistake can be
 Little or no evidence of avoided in future. 
intent to plagiarize 
 
3. Mid-Term / Class Test Attendance Policy 
 
i. For class tests / mid-terms that are 1 hour or less – students are not allowed to
enter after / leave before the first 10 minutes of the test.  
ii. For class tests / mid-terms that more than 1 hour – students are not allowed to
enter after / leave before the first 30 minutes of the test.  
iii. For class tests / mid-terms, students are not allowed to leave in the last 10 minutes of
the test. 
 
4. Barring from Final Examinations 
 
Please note that effective from the Jan 2011 semester, for all Psychology subjects, students
must attempt any assessment within the enrolled subject that is 10% and above, and obtain at
least 10% of the total marks for that particular assessment. Failure to do so will result in the
student being barred from Final Examinations for that particular subject.  
 
For example, for a subject that has the following assessment: 
Quizzes: 5% 
Assignment 1: 10% 
Assignment 2: 15% 
Mid-terms: 30% 
Final Exams: 40% 
 
If a student does not submit/attend any of the following: Assignment 1 / Assignment 2 / Mid-
terms (and obtain at least 10% of the marks for those assessments), this student will be barred
from sitting for the final examinations of this subject. E.g. if a student attempts Assignment 1
and receives only 8 marks out of 100 (or 0.8%  out of 10% - i.e. less than 10% of the marks
for that assessment), they will be barred from that subject’s final examinations. 
 
Please note that students have to submit their assignments within 7 days of the due date (the 7
days include weekends). Assignments submitted after that will not be considered. (i.e.
students who submit assignments later than 7 days after the due date will be barred
from final exams) 
 
5. Assignment Submission and Late Assignment Deductions 
 
All assignments should include a title page. Once an assignment is submitted, no additions or
changes can be made, even if this is done before the deadline.  
Late submission of assignments will incur a penalty of 2% per day (24 hours) (including
Saturdays and Sundays). This 2% deduction per day is incurred on the total percentage of
the assignment. 
 
Example  
Assignment 1, worth 20% of your total grade, is marked upon 100 marks.  
The 2% deduction per day is from the 20% and not from the 100 marks. 
E.g.: If a student submits the assignment 2 days late, there will be a 4% deduction. If the
student scored 14% for the assignment, the student’s recorded score will be 14% - 4% =
10%.  
 
In addition to this, late submission of assignments within the first 12 hours incur a penalty of
1% and not 2%. For any late submissions after the first 12 hours, penalties are counted on a
daily basis (2% per day). 
 
For example, in the example above where the student’s original score was 14/20%: 
1. Submission = 10 hours late. This student will receive a deduction of 1% = 13%. 
2. Submission = 13 hours late. This counts as 1 day late = a deduction of 2% = 12% 
3. Submission = 1 day and 2 hours late. This counts as 2 days late = a deduction of 4% =
10% 
 
6. TurnItIn Information 
 
All assignments have to be submitted to TurnItIn. Instructions: 
 
1. Failure to submit your assignment to TurnItIn will result in ZERO marks for the
assignment. 
 
2. Sections of assignment to be uploaded – from the Cover Page to the last page of content.
Do not include your references and appendices when you upload your assignment
to TurnItIn because this results in a high plagiarism percentage. When uploading your
assignment to TurnItIn, make sure you use your registered name (i.e. what is in the
attendance list) & not a nickname. Failure to adhere to any of these instructions will result in
a deduction of 5%. 
 
3. In your hardcopy, after the last page (of references or appendices, if applicable), attach
your TurnItIn receipt as proof of submission. The TurnItIn receipt includes your name, date
& time of receipt. You will see it after you have uploaded your assignment
to TurnItIn. Failure to attach the Turnitin receipt to your assignment will result in a deduction
of 2% per day (if it is submitted within the first 12 hours, 1% per day). 
 
7. Policy on Extra Credit 
 
The Department of Psychology offers extra credit to students who wish to participate in
research and attend Colloquium. Students are reminded that the link to the extra credit
form and deadlines are already stated below – no further reminders will be sent on
LMS.  
 
Please note the following important information about extra credit for August 2019: 
1. The maximum extra credit for each psychology subject is 3% and can only be applied to
current semester subjects (i.e. not for subjects with RA / AA / AE / SX grades).  
2. Certain subjects (e.g. Career Modules, MPU, PSY 200, Thesis) will not be eligible for extra
credit. 
3. Students may obtain extra credit from participating in research advertised on
ipsy.help.edu.my/experiments (30 minutes = 0.25%, 1 hour = 0.5%) or from attending Psychology
Colloquium sessions (1 hour = 0.5%, minimum attendance = 1 hour) 
4. Individual subjects may also choose to offer other extra credit options (e.g. attending in-house
seminars, helping out during Colloquium) – these options, if available, will be explained by the
lecturer in class.  
5. The total extra credit earned through research participation + colloquium attendance + total
extra credit earned through individual subject’s opportunities cannot exceed 3%.  
 For example: 
Extra credit offered by PSY 105 lecturer: 
1. In-house seminar = 1% 
2. Acting as colloquium assistant = 1% 
3. If you have already obtained extra credit for the two items above, the maximum extra credit
that you can allocate from your research participation and colloquium attendance for PSY 105 is 1%. 
Total = 3% (maximum extra credit for PSY 105 reached).  
6. Students may choose to allocate any extra credit earned in any combination (minimum
0.25%) to the current subjects that they are enrolled for, provided that the extra credit per subject does
not exceed 3%.  
 For example: 
Total extra credit earned = 6%. Students can choose to allocate the 6% as follows: 
1. PSY 201 = 2% 
2. PSY 205 = 1.5% 
3. PSY 209 = 2.5% 
* Following the example above, the 6% extra credit cannot be allocated multiple times for each
subject (i.e. it cannot be 3% for PSY 201, 3% for PSY 205 and 3% for PSY 209 -- this would total
up to 9%, which the student above has not obtained.) 
7. Students are expected to monitor the extra credit obtained through individual subjects and
ensure that this does not exceed 3% when totalled with extra credit obtained through research
participation and colloquium attendance. 
8. To allocate extra credit obtained through research participation and attending colloquium,
please fill in the google form at the following
link: https://forms.gle/UPCJyiho8H1uEFWx7 by Monday, Week 14 (25 November 2019), 5pm. 
 You must have a google account to fill in and submit the form (if you do not have a google
account, click on the link above and you will see an option to create a google account).  
 Your responses to this form can be edited up to Monday 25 November 5pm, so please ensure
that you are logged in to your original google account so that you can edit your responses. Do not
log in to a different google account to fill in this form as that will be logged as two different
entries in your name and will affect the extra credit that you receive. Do not enter your extra
credit with your friend’s computer (unless you are very sure that you have logged out of your
friend’s google account), because there is a chance you may delete and edit over your friend’s
entry in the form. 
 Changes made after Monday 25 November 5pm will not be entertained. 
 If you only wish to apply for extra credit for 1 subject, only fill in the information under
"Subject 1" (leave the rest empty). If a subject does not appear in the options given, this means
that the subject is not eligible for extra credit.  
 Business Psychology / ADP students – please choose subjects according to the PSY subject
code that corresponds to your subject.  
 Please ensure that the amount of extra credit that you are allocating tallies with your total
research participation (experimental hours attended – experimental hours missed) + colloquium
attendance.  
9. Important: the google form is only for extra credit earned through research participation
(advertised on ipsy.help.edu.my/experiments) and colloquium attendance. Extra credit offered by
individual subjects will be monitored by the lecturer/tutor. Do not include extra credit from individual
subjects in the google form. For example, helping out at colloquium or attending in-house seminars =
extra credit from individual subjects and SHOULD NOT be included in the google form. 
10. The Department of Psychology does not guarantee that there will be sufficient extra credit
opportunities for students to obtain the maximum amount of extra credit for every psychology subject
that they are enrolled for.  
11. Important Timelines for August 2019: 
i. Monday 25 November, 5pm – Deadline to fill in google form  
ii. Friday 29 November – Allocated extra credit (filled in via google form) and actual
extra credit (tallied from colloquium attendance and research participation on Ipsy experiments)
will be posted on Psych General Matters on eLearning. Any discrepancies will be highlighted and
students will have to contact the department to clarify / rectify their allocations. 
iii. Wednesday 4 December, 5pm – Deadline to clarify / rectify allocations. If students
have allocated more extra credit than they have earned and do not contact the department by this
deadline, deductions will be made accordingly from their extra credit allocations (subjects
selected at random). If students have allocated less extra credit than they have earned and do not
contact the department by this deadline, their existing allocations will be maintained.  
 
8. Research Participation 
 
Students may sign up for all experiments eligible for extra credit at
http://ipsy.help.edu.my/experiments. There are instructions on the main page for all
experimenters and participants, so please refer to the instructions there.  
 
30 minutes of participation = 0.25% extra credit. 1 hour of research participation =
0.5% extra credit. 
 
Important Note: Total Hours eligible for Extra Credit = Attended Hours – Absent
Hours (clarify with the department if you are unsure). Students must ensure that they attend
every experiment that they sign up for. Failure to attend an experiment will result in the number
of hours of that experiment being deducted from the total hours you have completed.  
 
Example 1: If one signs up for a 2-hour experiment but fails to attend this experiment, the total
research hours eligible for extra credit = “-2 hours”. When a student has negative research
participation hours, this will then be tallied with the colloquium attendance hours (if any), and
will reduce the amount of extra credit earned. Using this example, if a student has -2 research
participation hours and has attended 4 hours of colloquium: 4 hours (colloquium) - 2 hours
(negative research participation hours) = 2 hours eligible for extra credit = 1% extra credit. 
 
Example 2: If one attended 2 hours of experiments and was absent from 0.5 hours, their total
hours eligible for extra credit = 1.5 hours. 1.5 hours = 0.75% extra credit.  
 
Please refer to the Department of Psychology admin staff if you have any questions about this. 
 
Attention: All Experimenters 
Kindly update your participants' attendance on ipsy latest by Friday, Week 13, 12pm (22
November). It is the experimenter’s responsibility to ensure that all students who have signed
up and attended the experiment receive a confirmation of attendance. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
Attention: All Participants 
Please double-check your research participation hours on ipsy for accuracy. If there are
discrepancies, kindly notify your experimenters to update your attendance. The last day to do
this is Friday, Week 13, 12pm (22 November). No changes will be entertained after this. 
 
9. Departmental Events 
 
In the August 2019 semester, the following Departmental Events will be held: 
1. Colloquium – Saturday 23 November 2019 
 
1 hour of colloquium attendance = 0.5% extra credit. 
 
Colloquium ticketing is now paperless, via Eventbrite. Please pay attention to the instructions
provided via eLearning closer to the date of the Colloquium. Please keep your Eventbrite
App (and/or printed tickets – if any) as proof of attendance. If there are discrepancies in extra
credit, this will act as evidence of attendance.  
 
10. Policy on Participation for Group Assessment 
 
1. It is the policy of this department that when group assessments are assigned, each
individual in that group holds the following responsibilities: 
 
1.1 in the case of written assessment, to contribute to the finished product, be it presentation
notes, a research report or a project report. This contribution may include archival
research, drafting, editing or formatting. 
 
1.2in the case of an oral presentation, to verbally present part of the presentation. No
individual should be exempt from speaking during the oral presentation.  
 
1.3 to be clear on what your specific roles and contributions are to the group effort, as well as
the expectations your group members have in terms of your contributions. 
 
1.4 attend group meetings unless there are legitimate and documented reasons for missing
them. 
 
1.5 attend group meetings with supervisors unless there are legitimate and documented
reasons for missing them 
 
2. Group members have a right to report fellow members for negligence if there are deemed
to have failed in any of the responsibilities listed above. 
 
1. Group members are encouraged to raise these complaints with their lecturers and
attempts made to resolve differences before a formal complaint is lodged. 
 
2. Negligence (social loafing) reports can be filled in by one or several members of the
group using a form that can be downloaded from Psychology General Matters on eLearning. 
 
3. Negligence reports should be submitted to the course lecturer who will then make a
decision having investigated the issues raised. The group member accused will have an
opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations made. 
 
4. If a student is found to be negligent in this matter, a lecturer can penalize them by
deducting any amount of marks from their group assessment marks and/or their individual
assignment marks.  
 
11. Evaluations 
 
Every semester, there will be 2 evaluation processes for each subject: 
1. Mid-semester evaluations:  
These evaluations are conducted online and consist of 2 subjective questions. This is
so that lecturers and tutors can receive feedback in the middle of the semester, in
order to address student concerns and make improvements within the same semester. 
2. Compulsory end of semester evaluations:  
These evaluations are conducted online and consist of Likert-scale questions as well
as 2 subjective questions. The purpose of this is to obtain feedback that will be
beneficial for future semesters.  
 
Students are strongly encouraged to fill in BOTH evaluation forms as feedback is important
and can help the faculty make important decisions about the curriculum and the direction of
the course.  

CLASS POLICY

1.House Rules

 Strictly NO talking during lectures. Stern actions will be taken towards students who
disturb the class.

 Strictly NO handphones/laptops during lectures. Stern actions will be taken towards

students who disturb the class. If you have an emergency call coming in during the
class, make sure to take it outside the class.

 Course Outline & Lecture Slides are a framework. Instructions in-class over-rides the
course outline and lecture slides.

2.Readings

In order to be adequately prepared for class, you are required to READ the scheduled
chapter/journals/case studies before/after class and to come with a basic understanding of the
terms and concepts within the chapter. You should expect to ask questions, answer questions,
and enter discussions about the material you read.

One important point to mention is about the function of human memory. We tend to
remember things much easier when we have some sort of mental framework to guide us.
That’s exactly what reading the material ahead of time does; it gives you that all important
mental framework so that when the lecturer mentions the concept, you already have a place to
“hang” the information.

3. Lecture & Discussion

 This course will carry out a lecture-discussion format to cover the major topical
areas of study.

 Lecture notes will only be uploaded after the chapter is covered.

 Lecture slides will be taken from various resources (i.e: author of text book, online
resouces, books, etc) to give students a broader exposure.

4.Attendance & Participation

 Attendance - Only Medical Certificate is accepted on the event student is unable to

attend the class. Regular class attendance is expected to avoid from losing marks.
Keeping absence to a minimum
  Students are NOT allowed to arrange other appointments during the scheduled class
time.

 Timeliness - Attendance will be taken at the during/end of class but this doesn’t
permit students walking in late for class (a time frame will be agreed upon and
everyone is expected to abide the ‘time’ frame)

 Students are NOT encouraged to walk in and out of class while the class is conducted.

 Active Participation - You are also encouraged to pose questions whenever you
deemed a certain topic or issues needs further clarification and explanation. Students
MUST participate in class discussion sometimes individually done, but most of times
are to be conducted in groups. Constructive feedback for peers and instructor (no
insults, respectful disagreement when appropriate)

 Blended - (Extensive reading i.e. journals/article/case study/Question & Answer is

necessary to increase knowledge and be kept updated and on the issues of the
industry) hence students will be required to do submissions on the decided platform
from time to time as and when necessary.

 Respect - Not engaging in activities irrelevant to the class (e.g. Facebook, texting,
side chat)

 Students participation / attitude/ conduct in class individually and in group work will
be considered in grading.

5.Tests

Students will undergo written examinations like midterm and final examinations. Questions
on these tests are mainly from major topics discussed in class which will encourage you to
think critically and will also measure your understanding. NO special examination/quiz will
ever be granted to a student without such valid reason. And in this case ONLY illness with
medical document within 3 days will be entertained. But, please be truthful and honest.

6.Consultation hours

You are welcome to see and talk to me any time when in doubt/ negotiate / consult with
regards to anything subject or non-subject related.
*Highly encouraged with appointment through email.
 PSY106 Qualitative Research
Report Brief

Assignment overview
This assignment is worth 25% towards your total mark for PSY106. That’s a lot of marks so make
sure you are clear on the assignment guidelines (i.e. read this document and the Course Outline like
it’s a final exam question. Spoiler alert: It’s not).
For this assignment, you are required to conduct a qualitative study on a topic of your choice in a
group of 6-7 members. The report should be about 15 pages in length. Please be aware that
planning, conducting and reporting a qualitative study is very time-consuming, and you are
recommended to begin as soon as you are able to i.e. Week 1. The PSY106 course this semester
has been structured in a way that will allow you to progressively do your assignment. That means
by the end of each lecture, you should be able to make some progress on your qualitative report
and I highly recommend you do so if you do not want to be drowning in work in Week 12. Your
assignment should be in 12-point font, double-spaced and follows the latest APA formatting
listed in the Department’s elearning page. You are to submit your individual research report,
transcripts and thematic analysis table of your research in a group.
For this study, you are limited to interviewing only your course mates. That is, you may only
conduct interviews or focus groups & observation with individuals also enrolled in PSY106 this
semester. Your sample size should be limited to 1 participant per group member. That means for a
group with 6 members, you can recruit 6 participants and a group with 7 members can recruit 7
participants. You are free to collect data via interviews or focus groups but please ensure you
understand the pros and cons of each method before deciding. Please only limit your research
topics to those that are not overly sensitive, personal or potentially distressing. Avoid relating to
grief and bereavement, sexual orientation, criminal activity, etc.

You will also need to submit a Turnitin Report for this assignment. Failing to do so will result
in a 5% deduction from your overall score. There is a 2% deduction for every 24 hours (1% for the
first 12 hours) if you hand in your assignment late (including Saturdays & Sundays). Assignments
will no longer be accepted 7 days after the assignment is due and you will be marked as having not
submitted this assessment. If you do not follow the instructions in the Course Outline regarding
Turnitin submissions

Suggested Outline
Your report should include the following sections.

1. Cover Page
2. Content Page
3. Abstract : This would be an overview of the study, and give the reader a ‘big picture’ view
of your report, and some of the key findings from your study.
4. Chapter 1: Introduction : The introduction puts the study in perspective for the reader. The
introduction also acquaints the reader with the topic and the methodology used to study the
problem.
5. Background of the Study – The Why : Why is this topic being studied? Why is the problem of
pressing societal concern or theoretical interest? Information to be included is historical and
statistics.
6. Problem Statement – The What : The statement describes the societal situation and the problem
that the researcher will address by conducting the project. The problem statement illustrates
why the topic is appropriate, worthwhile, and feasible.
7. Purpose of the Study : The details what the researcher wants to accomplish in the study.
8. Research Questions : The questions are posed in a short declarative sentence and are written
prior to the beginning of the study with a question mark. State your central, overarching
research question that your qualitative study intends to answer. Your qualitative study should
be driven by one main research question. Be careful not to use terms such as ‘relationship’ or
‘correlation’ in your research question, which are more quantitative-type research questions.
9. Significance of the Study – The Who : The significance of the study addresses who will benefit
from the study and how they will benefit.
10. Chapter 2: Literature Review : The Review of the Literature established as the focus of the
study in Chapter One’s Statement of the Problem or the “what” of the study. The candidate
organizes the literature review according to topics, critically evaluates the literature, highlights
important unanswered questions, identifies methodological problems with past studies as well
as areas of controversy in the literature, and discusses the significance of past research and the
relationship to the study. The literature review is comprised of studies within the past three to
five years. This articulates specifically how the study will contribute to the existing literature
and/or qualitative findings within psychology.
11. Chapter 3: Method : Approach: State which qualitative research approach you have used for
your study. For this assignment, you are limited to a basic qualitative or phenomenology
approach. You also need to explain the method you have used to collect data for your present
qualitative study i.e. interviews, and explain why you used this method of data collection.
12. Interview/Focus Group Questions/Observation: List the interview questions you used to
collect data from your respondents. The list of interview questions you use can also be placed
 as an Appendix. Briefly discuss how you developed these questions i.e. past research,
conceptual understanding.
13. Sample: Explain how you sampled your respondents, i.e. state your sampling approach used in
your qualitative study. Also state then number of respondents sampled, along with brief
descriptions of the respondent demographics (e.g. age, gender)
14. Data Collection Procedures: Provide a detailed step-by-step account of how you collected the
data for your study. This section should include how you approached the respondents, steps
taken to ensure anonymity of responses, how you recorded the respondents’ accounts, how
long the interview/focus- groups took, and how you ensured that respondents provided as
detailed/rich information as possible. Also mention your ERB approval in this section. Detail
procedure during the interview should also be included.
15. Reliability and Validity: Explain the steps taken to ensure that your data is reliable and valid.
The concept of validity and reliability in qualitative research is different from that of
quantitative research, and you must make this clear in this section. Please note that ensuring
reliable and valid data in qualitative research takes place during and after data collection, and
this must be apparent in your report.
16. Analysis : Briefly describe your transcription process. Then, explain how you analyzed your
collected data. This should include firstly an overview of the data analysis strategy – e.g.
thematic analysis, and subsequently, details on how you coded your data, as well as how you
uncovered the themes from your data. Basically, this a step-by- step guide of your analysis
process.
17. Chapter 4: Results : A useful way to present the results of your analysis is to present your
themes in a table format. Remember that the results should be a representation of the main
themes emerging from your data analysis, and should show the different themes of responses
that help answer your research question. You can think of each ‘theme’ as a piece of the puzzle
which answers your research question. Given the word length of this assignment, 2-3 key
themes is sufficient in the reporting of your results. Format this section in a way that highlights
the flow of your findings, logically discussing themes in a way that makes it easier for the
reader to understand your key points.
18. You should also include interview/focus-group excerpts to illustrate your results. Excerpts are
selected quotations from your respondents that help illustrate your theme, and provide an
example of how your themes are related with interviewees’ responses.
19.Chapter 5: Discussion, Implications and Future Recommendations :Reflect on the findings
from your study, and explain how your results help answer your central research question,
research gap and the problem statement. You should also think of the implications of your
study – both from a theoretical and practical point of view. How does your current research add
to the understanding of your chosen topic and this area of research? What are some of the
practical steps that can be taken, changed or improved given the results of your study?
20.Conclusion : This must address what are your answers to your research question
21. Limitations of the study : This must address the elements over which the researcher has no
control. For various reasons, limitations of the study could be determined by such factors as
location and sample size.
22. Delimitations: This needs to present factors about the researcher can control during the study
such as who or what are included or excluded within the boundaries of the study.
23. References :List all your referenced sources here. Your references should be
formatted for consistency, alphabetized and follow the APA formatting guidelines.
24. Appendices
25. Attach all necessary documents with your report (i.e. informed consent example, interview
questions, etc). For the interview transcripts, you will need to attach a printed copy of
your individual interview transcript (i.e. the interview that you conducted and
transcribed individually) to the back of your report. Please attach only the “working”
transcripts that you used for coding and analyses i.e. with underlining, highlighting, etc.
The table of thematic analysis needs to e attached as well. As a group, you also need to
submit a CD with all 6-7 of your interview recordings on it. You DO NOT need to attach
all 6-7 of your group interview transcripts to your individual research report.
 You will have TWO writing workshops during the semester and these assignment guidelines will
become clearer during this time.

*Note: On submission day, you will submit your assignments in your group. For each
group, there should be 6-7 individual research reports – each report should have

(1) your complete research report,

(2) your Turnitin receipt,

(3) the printed copy of your transcript, and thematic table

(4) the assignment marking scheme (available at the end of this document – you only
need to attach the marking rubric on pages 4 and 5).

(5) As a group, you should also submit a CD containing your interview recordings. If
necessary, you can submit more than 1 CD.

I will not accept your assignment if you have only one of the items and it will result in
a late submission deduction if you submit after the due date.

** Note: Failure to adhere to the abovementioned rules will result in deduction of

marks.

PSY106 Qualitative Research Report Assignment

Report Marking Scheme

3.5(GOOD) 2.5(ACCEPTABLE) 1.5(WEAK) 0.5(POOR)

1 Introduction, Focused clearly the Stated the question in Implied a question No question is stated or
Problem question(s); stated a such a way that its and/or the question implied Explained
statement, question that is appropriateness is exceeds the realm of a irrelevant issue(s) or
Research appropriate for implied. Provided qualitative inquiry problem(s) or never
Question qualitative research and explanations of the project. Provided a attempts to explain
the context. issue(s) and/or vague or ambiguous Lacked any mention of
Provided a clear and problem(s) that are discussion of the significance/importance
concise explanation of easy and obvious issue(s) or problem(s). of the inquiry
the issue(s) and/or Explicitly described Implied a
problem(s) that offered the significance/ significance/importance
insight and thoughtful importance of the of the inquiry, but the
reflection Described the inquiry, but doesn’t reader must ferret
significance/importance richly develop the meaning out
of the inquiry project and ideas and illustrate the
illustrate the need for
 studying the issue
2 Literature Conducted a timely and
Review comprehensive search of
previous research that
painted a full picture of
the topic
Gathered information
from a variety of relevant
sources
Included information
from those critical
readings that provided a
foundation to support the
inquiry question(s)
3 Methods Drew upon theory and
experts in the field to
ground the decisions that
are made in choosing
methods of data
collection and methods of
data analysis. Designed a
logical and realistic plan
of action for
implementing the inquiry
project
Described in “thick
description” the
activities/actions.
4 Findings Conducted thorough
analysis of data
according to the methods
discussed in the
methodology section
Provided a clear guide to
each of the findings in
the paper Patterns or
themes were identified
and fully supported by
data
5 Discussion Speculated on the
findings in relation to the
research questions asked
in the initial stage and
referenced literature
Provided insights and
implications for future
practice
6 Organization Presented materials and
need of the study
Conducted a review Conducted a cursory Cited irrelevant sources
that provided a solid review and/or includes and/or uses unreliable
foundation for the an occasional irrelevant or invalid sources.
inquiry question, yet source .
could be more
comprehensive
Drew upon theory and Implied the legitimacy Wrote in a very
experts in the field to of the methods chosen ambiguous fashion so
ground the decisions for data collection and the reader is unsure of
that are made in data analysis. Designed what will be done on
choosing methods of a plan of action that this project
data collection and causes the reader to
methods of data suggest ways to
analysis. improve the
Designed a logical and implementation of the
realistic plan of action Project. Gave a cursory
for implementing the discussion of the
inquiry project. activities/actions and
Described in general relationships of those
terms the activities/actions that
activities/actions and causes the reader to
the relationships of conclude the project
those activities/action has not been
enough so the reader completely thought
concludes the design through.
is complete
Conducted thorough Findings were not Findings were reported
analysis of data organized in a coherent in vague ways without
Provided a rough way. much support by data
guide to each of the Patterns were identified
findings in the paper but partially supported
Patterns and themes by data
were identified with
data. Partially related
findings.
Speculated on findings Repeated the findings Limited to summary of
but did not fully relate or was limited to a brief findings or did not
them to research summary of findings provide any
questions and Mentioned implications implications for future
referenced literature for future practice practice
Provided some
implications for future
practice
Presented materials Wrote such that the Organized and wrote
 explanations in a clear, and explanations such reader occasionally such that the reader
coherent, and logical that the reader has no needs to reread sections finds it nearly
fashion so the reader has difficulty or passages to maintain impossible to read the
no difficulty understanding the a train of thought in the paper
understanding the message. writing.
message. Used transitions Rarely used transitions
Developed transitions occasionally to signal Used the end of a
between ideas and changes of ideas and section as the end of
concepts that caused the concepts. the paper
reader to moves smoothly Ended the work by
from one idea to another summarizing the
Concluded the work in a purpose of the project.
fashion that drew the
piece together and closed
the conversation without
an abrupt ending

4 3 2 1

7 Format Wrote a paper that Wrote a paper such Wrote a paper such that Wrote with so many
(APA) matches the high that with a few minor major revisions would errors in mechanics that
expectations of revisions could be be needed for the paper is unreadable
professional publishing published in the field publication. Made
in the field of education of education. numerous errors in
Followed the conventions Followed the Standard English which
of Standard English and conventions at times detract from
few, if any, errors are of Standard English understanding the
made in syntax, and few, if any, errors message. Chose words
grammar, punctuation, are made in syntax, that reflect a simple,
and/or spelling grammar, punctuation, nonprofessional
Chose words that are and/or spelling vocabulary. Used
precise for their message Chose words that are simple sentence
and contribute to the precise, but are often structure throughout
reader’s understanding used repeatedly which creates a
Varied sentence structure Varied sentence monotone
to enhance the readability structure
of the paper.

RESEARCH POSTER GUIDELINESS

Research posters summarize information or research concisely and attractively to help
publicize it and generate discussion. The poster is usually a mixture of a brief text mixed with
tables, graphs, pictures, and other presentation formats.
Where do I begin?
Answer these three questions:
 What is the most important/interesting/astounding finding from my research project?
 How can I visually share my research with conference attendees? Should I use charts,
graphs, photos, images?
  What kind of information can I convey during my talk that will complement my
poster?
What makes a good poster?
 Important information should be readable from about 10 feet away
 Title is short and draws interest
 Word count of about 300 to 800 words
 Text is clear and to the point
 Use of bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read
 Effective use of graphics, color and fonts
 Consistent and clean layout
 Includes acknowledgments, your name and institutional affiliation
Important points to note:
 Posters can be created either by hand or in software programs such as PowerPoint or
presentation, which can then be printed.
• The title of the poster, the name (or names) of the student(s) should appear at the top of the
poster.
• The main text of the poster should be legible from a minimum distance of 3 feet using a
minimum of 18-point font.
• Headings are a useful tool to delineate sections. Headings should be in 36-point font.
• The poster should not be a research paper stuck onto poster board. The poster should
visually represent and interpret information, not merely retell information.
• The poster should explain both visually and verbally the relevance and/or importance of
your research and should aim to catch the interest of your viewers quickly and effectively.
• The presented text should be clear and concise, explaining the purpose of the project, the
research conducted, and the results and conclusions.
• Text should be kept to a minimum with most of the information being presented by means
of graphics and/or visual images. This is one of the key components of any successful poster!
• Visuals include tables, charts, figures, drawings, and/or photographs.
• All visuals should be labeled with a caption that explains/interprets the content of the
graphic.
• The flow of the poster’s content should be visually and verbally clear. Information in one
section should logically integrate with other sections. Information should be arranged in one
of two ways:
1) in a manner that parallels reading, visually flowing from top to bottom and from left to
right, or
2) in a centralized visual diagram, with your topic at the center of the board surrounded by
four to six radiating fields offering information and interpretation.
 • The overall layout of the poster should be attractive. The poster should not be cluttered with
too much text or imagery. Fonts should be consistent throughout. Research has demonstrated
that viewers are best able to follow consistent text fonts, so we advise a maximum of two
different fonts.
• Background colors or images should complement, and not distract from the poster’s topic,
text, and graphics. Keep in mind what you are trying to convey with the poster.
• The poster should be free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Category 0—0.25 0.25-0.5 0.5-0.75 0.75-1 SCORE

Poster Content Connection not found Content presented The content was Strong material. Well
between poster was difficult to adequately summarized. Clearly shows
content and purpose of understand and did presented but development of study or
study, research not sufficiently support for the research. Material appears
hypothesis/question(s) convey a connection study, research to accurately support
, method, conclusions, to the study, hypothesis, or purpose of study,
or implications. hypothesis, research question(s) is hypothesis, or research
question(s), method, somewhat general. question. Strong conclusion
conclusion, and/or Conclusion and and implications presented.
implications. implications were
reasonable.
Research Purpose of the study However, purpose of Purpose of the Purpose of the study was
Complexity and analysis of results the study and results research and completely defined and
 not easily interpreted easily interpreted by results were results displayed in a
by the audience. the audience. difficult to interpret manner interpretable by the
by the general general audience.
audience.
Poster Not visually effective. Poster was Poster was Visually appealing and
Appearance/ acceptable but needs adequate but could strongly effective
Clarity work to improve improve presentation. Easy to read.
visual appeal through effectiveness Utilized creativity in use of
better utilization of through better use fonts, headings, colors, and
fonts, colors, of space through white space.
headings, and white font size, colors,
space. headings, and
white space.
Poster Unable to understand Topic of research is Topic of the Topic of research is clearly
Organization link between not clear. research is evident. Layout of poster is
information presented Information apparent. The logical, and provides
and topic of research. presented is presentation of sequential information from
somewhat confusing. information could intro to conclusion and
use refining. references.
Presenter’s Presenter was not Presenter did not Presentation and Presenter was confident and
Oral prepared. convey a sense of demonstration of professional. Established
Presentation Demonstrated confidence or ability understanding was eye contact. Clearly
problems in several to clearly discuss the acceptable. conveyed research problem,
areas (no eye contact, research problem, Demonstrated methods, conclusions, and
no clear discussion of methods, conclusion, some problems implications. Answered
research, lack of and implications. (speaking too questions well. Discussed
professionalism). Additional practice softly, use of research in layman’s terms
would be helpful. jargon, hesitation, or appropriate to judge.
inability to handle
questions, etc.)
TOTAL