Understanding & Synthesising Psychological Evidence

Postgraduate | 2026

Course page banner
area/catalogue icon
Area/Catalogue
PSYC 5038
Course ID icon
Course ID
204648
Level of study
Level of study
Postgraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
5
Study abroad and student exchange icon
Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
No
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
No
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
No
alt
Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

Psychology graduates working in industry, government, research and private practice often need to know and comment on the 'evidence base' for a psychological treatment, intervention or theory. This course provides students with the technical knowledge to construct and understand different kinds of reviews and repositories of evidence, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, meta-syntheses, and open datasets. Processes and challenges underlying evidence-based psychological practice will also be discussed.

Course learning outcomes

  • Explain different approaches to summarising, evaluating and publishing psychological evidence.
  • Execute a systematic literature search using electronic databases.
  • Critique findings from meta-analyses and meta-syntheses.
  • Communicate the implications of psychological evidence for public policy and psychological practice.
  • Generate research questions that effectively address gaps in an evidence base.

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A