| Unit name | Research Methods |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BRMSM0002 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Jones |
| 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?
The ability to understand, use and critically appraise research is an essential skill in public health and epidemiology. In Research Methods you will be introduced to some of the fundamental methods used to investigate public health research questions, providing you with an understanding of the role and importance of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. You will be introduced to survey and questionnaire design, randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, and qualitative research methods. You will learn how to formulate specific research questions and think critically about the strengths and limitations of different study types and particular methodological features. This unit will equip you with key skills to plan, conduct, interpret and critically appraise public health research.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit, together with Introduction to Epidemiology and Statistics, provides the methodological foundations of the programme. Your ability to formulate public health research questions and critically appraise studies will be further built upon in the Developing and Evaluating Public Health Interventions unit in TB2. Options for the Dissertation unit will include qualitative research and evidence synthesis projects (among other options), providing opportunities to apply specific knowledge and skills from this Unit.
An overview of content
This unit is divided into four distinct components:
You will also be introduced to the principles of research ethics and regulatory processes.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The ability to understand, use and critically appraise research is an essential skill in public health and epidemiology. By the end of the unit, you will have the key knowledge and skills to design your own research projects and critique published evidence, and the ability to ensure your work is evidence-based. These skills and abilities will directly prepare you for a career in public health or a further higher degree in this field, increasing your career options and employability.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this unit, students should be able to:
The learning methods on this unit reflect our overarching aim of enabling you to apply relevant technical skills and knowledge to real-world public health challenges and familiarising you with the collaborative nature of public health research. The unit therefore uses a mixture of lectures (in-person and online) and in-person individual and group-based practical sessions/problem-based learning exercises.
You will learn about core concepts through live lectures, where you will be given opportunities to ask questions. These sessions will be supplemented with small group work, where working in groups, you will discuss your ideas and understanding with others and work together to solve problems. You will be assigned homework to support and consolidate your learning. This will include reading, accessing web-based supplementary materials, quizzes and asynchronous lectures. For example, some of the asynchronous lectures are provided to establish a foundation before the in-person lecture or practical group work the following week. We also provide additional resources, for example optional additional asynchronous lectures, for those that want to extend their learning beyond the core unit content.
These ways of learning will prepare you for the summative assessment, which involves synthesising the information you have learnt in the unit and applying it to solve problems.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Practical classes and group work throughout the unit will consolidate your learning. You will work through exercises and tasks with tutor support, enabling instant feedback. In-person lectures further incorporate informal questioning to check and consolidate learning.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
There are three summative assessments for this unit:
Tasks 1 and 2 will be mid-way through the unit, and task 3 towards the end of the unit.
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. BRMSM0002).
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.
