| Unit name | Research Club in Health Sciences Research |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BRMSM0075 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Tortonese |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Bristol Medical School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Completion and evaluation of robust, reliable research requires a thorough understanding of the scientific method. You will gain the skills to develop your own scientific criteria through objective judgement, i.e. by assessing whether the hypothesis of the study was tested by the experimental design, and the results warrant its conclusions. The unit will provide you in-depth training on how to review, assess, interpret, summarise and present research information in several formats that are important to your development as a researcher. You will progress your ability to select, read, interpret and evaluate relevant scientific literature. The unit will enable you to present, defend and critique scientific information in oral sessions for a specialised scientific audience and it will advance your scientific communication skills in various formats suitable for different audiences.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Research Club starts once the Foundations in Health Sciences Research unit is almost complete, so once you have gained knowledge in core research methodology. It runs during your first teaching block, as well as during your second teaching block while you are conducting your research project. This allows you time to develop and practice the skills learned in this unit and provides an opportunity to meet regularly with your student cohort for relevant discussion.
An overview of content
The teaching and learning will consist of three different types of sessions:
i) Selection, presentation and discussion of research papers (the first of these sessions will be given by the Unit Lead to provide a basic model / framework). You will select papers of interest to present and will write your own abstract of your selected paper (8 sessions).
ii) Attendance at 4 research seminars offered by different Schools of the Faculties.
iii) Poster presentation of your own research in the form of a background summary and progress update half-way through your project.
Accounts (in various formats) of the paper presentations, seminars and peer's research talks will be kept in the form of a reflective logbook.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will have valuable research-specific and transferable skills to enable you think critically, evaluate effectively and communicate scientific research successfully and with confidence.
Learning Outcomes
You will learn through an example journal club session given by the unit lead, so you are clear on the expectations for the sessions. Interactive group discussions of the scientific / clinical papers presented will consolidate learning from earlier units. Summarising, evaluating and reflecting on your own and peer presentations, and research seminars (in person or online) will develop your written and verbal communication skills.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Oral formative feedback on your participation in discussion and writing a formative account (in the form of a scientific abstract) of the first session presented by the Unit Lead will prepare you for subsequent sessions. Your logbook of accounts will be reviewed half-way through the unit to ensure you are meeting the requirements of the unit and verbal feedback will be given on this. Continuous formative oral feedback will be given on presentation and participation in sessions.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
If you do not pass the unit, you will normally be given the opportunity to take a reassessment as per the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes. Decisions on the award of reassessment will normally be taken after all taught units of the year have been completed. Reassessment will normally be in a similar format to the original assessment that has been failed.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BRMSM0075).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
