FOUNDATION LEVEL CASE STUDY

Upon successful completion (minimum 75% quiz result) of the multiple-choice assessment quiz for the three (3) compulsory and two (2) elective modules, registrants will be invited to sit and successfully complete a final case study assessment before receiving accreditation as an ARM(F).

There will be two (2) opportunities during the calendar year to sit a case study (typically May and October). These periods are subject to change at the discretion of the Accreditation Council and/or the ARMS Executive Office.

Case Study assessments will be reviewed by authorised Case Study Assessment Assessors on the following basis:

  • Merit Pass – Awarded to an individual who demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the subject matter and provided responses to the question sets over and above the minimum standard. A Merit Pass is only awarded to the top 10% of registrants.
  • Pass - Awarded to an individual who demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and provided good responses to the question sets completed.
  • Re-sit Assessment - Assigned to an individual who did not demonstrate an adequate understanding of the subject matter and provided responses to the questions below the minimum standard. A person with this score will be offered the opportunity to discuss their results with an authorised senior representative of ARMS and to re-sit another case study assessment.

In the event that an individual fails to pass the case study assessment on their second attempt, it may be necessary to attend and re-sit such modules as the Accreditation Council deems appropriate prior to a third and final attempt.

In the event that an individual fails to pass the assessment a final time, she/he will be required to re-sit all modules including the multiple choice assessments and re-sit another case study.

REGISTRATION FOR CASE STUDY

ARMS maintains a list of participants that have recently successfully completed their five (5) modules and will invite individuals to participate in the next case study round. Invitations are emailed to participants approximately four (4) weeks prior to the start of the case study.

REGISTRATION FEES FOR CASE STUDY

There are no associated fees to participate in the case study assessment.

COMPOSITION OF CASE STUDY

Registrants will be provided with a case study based on a fictitious plot. This case study is not based on actual events but is designed as a composite of situations that a research manager/administrator may face in the course of their duties. There are no “trick” questions – the case study aims to:

(a) Draw out the Registrant’s understanding of issues involved in research administration; and

(b) Ensure that their responses would accord with legislation, guidelines, policy or established practice.

Registrants will be provided with approximately six to ten (6-10) questions (subject to variation) which, as much as possible, take into account the candidate’s national or geographical jurisdiction. Questions consist of both compulsory and elective questions.

Candidates will also be advised to provide brief responses that clearly demonstrate an understanding of the issues involved in each question. It is recommended that one to three paragraphs for each question will be sufficient. There is a maximum word limit of 1500 words (excluding references) in total for the assessment. An excess word count may jeopardise the review and scoring of the submission.

SELECTION OF CASE STUDY ASSESSORS

The Accreditation Council has sought the assistance of a number of experienced research management professionals across the sector, typically at the Director of Research Office level (or equivalent) to act as case study assessors. It is the Accreditation Council’s responsibility to identify and endorse all case study assessors. All authorised case study assessors will be provided with a set of guidelines and instructions which include recommended standard responses to each of the questions in the case study. They will also be required to attend a virtual meeting at the commencement of the assessment period where the questions and answers will be discussed in more detail. This is a quality assurance measure to ensure standard and consistent assessment across all assignments. The results of all case study assessors are collated by the ARMS Executive Office, reviewed, and then endorsed by the ARMS Accreditation Council. At least two case study assessors review and score each submission. Should there be any conflicting results, i.e., Pass/Fail or Merit Pass/Pass, a third adjudicating assessor shall be drawn from the pool of approved assessors at the discretion of the Accreditation Council.

RECORDING OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS

The ARMS Executive Office will maintain a register of all module enrolments, amendments and results of the multiple-choice assessment quiz and case study assessments results. Results of quizzes will also be recorded in the Member’s portal under Online Courses and printable training certificates can be found under Certificates.

TIMEFRAME FOR COMPLETION OF THE FOUNDATION LEVEL ACCREDITATION PROGRAM

Modules may be completed over a three (3) year period, commencing from the delivery date of the first module.

An additional twelve (12) months is permitted to complete the case study assessment. Registrants may only have one deferral of the case study assessment over a twelve (12) month period. However, special dispensation may be granted under special circumstances such as parental responsibilities or illness etc. Please consult the ARMS Accreditation Program Administrator for further clarification or to submit a case.

Registrants will be offered two opportunities to sit a case study assessment each year. These are typically in May and October (although subject to change at the discretion of the Accreditation Council and/or the Executive Office). The case study will be assessed by case study assessors that have been authorised by the ARMS Accreditation Council.