| Unit name | Practical Research Methods |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHEDM0003 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Joey Murphy |
| 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 | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
This unit teaches you the knowledge and skills needed to develop relevant research questions for addressing a current public health issue. It allows you to acquire an understanding of the application and analysis of quantitative and qualitative methodology needed to create research proposals related to your research question. Furthermore, it increases your understanding of employing quantitative or qualitative analysis approaches to answer your research questions. This unit incorporates and builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired in all your earlier units.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Practical Research Methods takes place after you have understood the importance of physical activity and eating behaviour for health (i.e. Nutrition, Disease and Public Health and Physical Activity, Disease and Public Health units) and the theoretical underpinnings of research methods (i.e. Research Methods). This unit allows you to apply this knowledge to further understand the practical implications of conducting public health research. This unit is then followed by Physical Activity and Nutrition Interventions, where you can apply knowledge from the current unit to develop a deeper understanding of physical activity and nutrition intervention design and implementation.
An overview of content
This unit will teach you the knowledge and skills needed to develop relevant research questions for addressing a current public health issue. You will acquire an understanding of the application and analysis of quantitative and qualitative methodologies needed to create research proposals and to answer your research questions. You will also explore the ways in which we use software to aid with the analysis of quantitative or qualitative data. This unit will incorporate and build upon the knowledge and skills you acquired in all earlier units.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will develop an understanding of how to “practically” conduct public health research. You will gain skills that will help you to justify the need to conduct research focused on a specific public health issue, identify ways in which research questions can be answered and how quantitative or qualitative data can be analysed and presented. These skills will help you with your dissertation. Furthermore, the transferable skills gained include critical thinking, evidence-based arguments, data analysis skills and report writing, which will help you with your future careers.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
The unit will be delivered through blended learning involving a combination of lectures, group discussion and self-directed exercises.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Group activities are held throughout the unit to help prepare you for section 1 of the assessment. These include group discussions and brief informal presentations, allowing you to explore different research methods. This also provides opportunities for you to ask questions about specific research methods and how they can be applied to answer different research questions. The computer lab sessions involve the use of workbooks to complete tasks related to quantitative or qualitative analysis. Again, you are given the opportunity to ask the lecturer questions about the analysis software, and you can use the workbooks to help guide you when completing the assessment. This helps in preparation for section 2 of the assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Summative assessment is a 4,000-word maximum assessment comprising of:
When assessment does not go to plan:
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, you may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. If you are eligible to resubmit and where appropriate, you may submit a revised version of your previous assignment or complete an alternative assessment in the same format as the original assessment.
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. PHEDM0003).
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.
