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Department for Health, Unit Catalogue 2011/12


HL50105: Research design and methods

Click here for further information Credits: 12
Click here for further information Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Click here for further information Period: Modular (no specific semester)
Click here for further information Assessment: CW 100%
Click here for further information Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Click here for further information Requisites:
Click here for further information Description: Aims:
To provide an outline of the key approaches to designing qualitative, quantitative and mixed method research projects and give a comprehensive review and discussion of the key research methods used in practice based research in health.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit the student will be able to:
1. Describe and critically review the key issues in research project design (knowledge and understanding, intellectual skill)
2. Determine the appropriate research design to use in different contexts across the research continuum and critically discuss their use (knowledge and understanding, intellectual skill)
3. Describe, critically distinguish and review the key research methods used in health research (knowledge and understanding, intellectual skill)
4. Determine the appropriate sampling approach to use in different contexts and critically discuss their use (knowledge and understanding, professional practical skill)
5. Determine the appropriate data collection technique to use in different contexts and designs, and critically discuss their use (knowledge and understanding, professional practical skill)
6. Determine the appropriate data analysis technique to use in different contexts and designs, and critically discuss their use (knowledge and understanding, professional practical skill)
7. Evaluate the different sorts of quality criteria applied to research in health (knowledge and understanding, intellectual skill)
8. Critically discuss ethical implications which arise in research project design (knowledge and understanding, intellectual skill)
9. Critically reflect on the use of different research methodologies in the conduct of different types of practice based research (professional practical skill, transferable skill).

Skills:
See above and Transferable Skills:
* participate in online discussion and peer review, making appropriate use of the active learning approach and virtual learning environment
* undertake continuous review of personal development and learning needs whilst working on this unit and the programme.

Content:

* The research continuum
* Theoretical traditions underpinning research
* Approaches to research
-Historical approach
-Survey Approach
-Descriptive Studies
* Experimental designs
* Observational designs
* Sampling approaches
* Data collection techniques
-Observation
-Questioning
-Measurement
* Analysis and Interpretation
-complexity of analysing data
-Describe and discriminate between different approaches to data analysis and interpretation
-Descriptive statistics
-Discourse analysis, narrative analysis, ethnographic analysis, phenomenological approaches, interpretive approaches
-Mixed methods in health research (review)
-Triangulation
* Quality and credibility of research
-Reliability, validity, sensitivity, generalisability and objectivity
-Meta evaluation
* Ethical Issues.
Click here for further informationProgramme availability:

HL50105 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department for Health
  • RHHL-APD03 : DHealth Professional Doctorate in Health (Part-time)

HL50105 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology
  • TSPA-ADT16 : Modular Programme in Advanced and Specialist Practice (Distance Learning)
  • TSPA-ADM16 : MSc Advanced and Specialist Healthcare Practice (Distance Learning)
  • TSPA-ADC16 : PG Cert Advanced and Specialist Healthcare Practice (Distance Learning)
  • TSPA-ADL16 : PG Dip Advanced and Specialist Healthcare Practice (Distance Learning)

HL50105 is a Stage Required Designated Essential Unit on the following programmes:

Department for Health
  • THHL-ADM14 : MSc Research in Health Practice (Distance Learning)
  • THHL-ADC01 : PG Cert Research Methods in Health Practice (Distance Learning)
  • THHL-ADL15 : PG Dip Research in Health Practice (Distance Learning)

NB. Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.