www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/rsd - john.willison@adelaide.edu.

au

Research Skill Development Framework A conceptual model to make explicit the incremental and cyclic development of student research skills

LEVEL OF STUDENT AUTONOMY

Level I Level II Level III Level IV Level V

Students research at the level of a Students research at the level of a Students research independently at Students research at the level of Students research at the level of an
closed inquiry* and require a high closed inquiry* and require some the level of a closed inquiry* an open inquiry* within structured open inquiry* within self-determined
degree of structure/guidance structure/guidance guidelines guidelines in accordance with the
discipline

A. Students embark on Respond to questions/tasks arising Respond to questions/tasks Respond to questions/tasks Generate questions/aims/ Generate questions/aims/hypotheses
Curious

inquiry and so determine explicitly from a closed inquiry. required by and implicit in a closed generated from a closed inquiry. hypotheses framed within structured based on experience, expertise and
a need for knowledge/ inquiry. guidelines. literature.
understanding

B. Students find/generate Collect and record required Collect and record required Collect and record required Collect and record self-determined Collect and record self-determined
Determined

needed information/ information/data using a prescribed
data using appropriate methodology from a prescribed
source in which the information/
methodology
data is clearly evident.
information/data using a prescribed information/data from self-selected information/data from self-selected information/data from self-selected
methodology from prescribed sources using one of several sources, choosing an appropriate sources, choosing or devising an
source/s in which the information/ prescribed methodologies. methodology based on structured appropriate methodology with self-
data is not clearly evident. guidelines. structured guidelines.

C. Students critically Evaluate information/data and Evaluate information/data and the Evaluate information/data and the Evaluate information/data and the Evaluate information/data and the
evaluate information/ the inquiry process using simple inquiry process using prescribed inquiry process using criteria related inquiry process comprehensively inquiry process rigorously using
Critical

data and the process prescribed criteria. criteria. to the aims of the inquiry. using self-determined criteria self-generated criteria based on
FACET OF INQUIRY

developed within structured experience, expertise and literature.

to find/generate this
guidelines.
information/data

D. Students organise Organise information/data and Organise information/data and Organise information/data and Organise information/data and Organise information/data and
Organised

information collected/ manage the research process manage the research process manage the research process by manage the research process using manage the research process
generated and manage according to a simple prescribed according to prescribed structures. adapting provided structures. self-determined structures that fit using self-determined protocols in
structure. provided guidelines. accordance with the discipline.
the research process

E. Students synthesise and Synthesise and analyse information/ Synthesise and analyse information/ Synthesise and analyse information/ Synthesise, analyse and apply Synthesise, analyse and apply
Creative

analyse and apply new data to reproduce existing data to reorganise existing data to construct emergent information/data to fill recognised information/data to fill self-identified
knowledge knowledge in prescribed formats. knowledge in standard formats. knowledge. knowledge gaps. gaps or extend knowledge.
Ask questions of clarification/ Ask relevant, researchable Ask rigorous, researchable
curiosity. questions. questions based on new
understandings.

F. Students communicate Use mainly lay language and Use some discipline-specific Use mostly discipline-specific Use the language of the discipline Use the language of the discipline,
knowledge and the prescribed genre to demonstrate language and prescribed genre language and appropriate genre and appropriate genre to address choosing appropriate genre to extend
Persuasive

processes used to required knowledge and to demonstrate self-selected to demonstrate knowledge and knowledge and understanding gaps knowledge and understanding, from
knowledge and understanding understanding within a field from
generate it, with an understanding for lecturer/teacher from several perspectives for a self- diverse perspectives for a range of
from a stated perspective and for a a scholarly perspective and for a
awareness of ethical, as the audience. specified audience. specified audience. selected audience. audiences.
social and cultural
issues

* closed = lecturer specified. open = student initiated. Lecturers and teachers determine scope of inquiry and standard required; student achievement determines the Level their research actually attains. For example, the provision of an open inquiry within
structured guidelines (Level 4) in the First Year University context will see some students providing evidence of Level 1 attainment for a specific facet, with others demonstrating Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4, depending on their degree of rigour.
Concept by John Willison and Kerry O'Regan, design by Peter Murdoch and Nik Cornish, Centre for Learning and Professional Development. Facets derived from ANZIIL(2004) standards, reworked using the Bloom, et al (1956) Taxonomy and implementation trials by Eleanor Peirce and Mario Ricci. The University of Adelaide, October 2006.