| Unit name | Research Methods |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHEDM4011 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6) |
| Unit director | Professor. Nick Townsend |
| 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 will introduce you to the core principles of research, including methods and designs that are central to identifying and measuring the health issues that governments and health agencies must tackle. You will learn how to interpret and critique qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods evidence, a skill that is imperative in designing policy approaches to improve population health. The unit will prepare you for your independent research project that you will complete later in the programme. It will also include training that will be useful for those who want to continue in research after the MSc, either in employment or further study.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
Understanding and being able to critically engage with the production of evidence by recognising, evaluating and applying fundamental concepts in research design, data collection, analysis and reporting are essential skills for your degree programme and beyond. Not only does this unit directly support deeper and more insightful reading and engagement across all of your units, it underpins your extended independent research project.
An overview of content
Epistemological underpinnings of knowledge and evidence production, basic statistics, epidemiology research, quantitative research, qualitative research, concepts of validity, reliability, measurement and research ethics are key themes of this unit, among others. Your learning about diverse research design, emerging tools, evaluation and communicating evidence will emerge from case study examples, including research collaborations between Global South and Global North, drawing on the Africa Charter for Research. Applications of appropriate statistical and qualitative analyses to various research designs are also explored.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will develop key academic skills including critical analysis, literature searching and referencing. You will be able to discern the different rationales for diverse research approaches and methodologies, identified where there is consistency between research aims, objectives and methods.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to:
Teaching will include synchronous lectures with breakout individual/small group work sessions as well as asynchronous narrated PowerPoint short lectures each week. It will also involve directed learning sessions through asynchronous activity either independent or in peer learning sets; academic readings and writing for research activity, as well as drop in or Q & A sessions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Short Essay 1000 words maximum - written feedback provided by Personal Tutor and verbal feedback discussed in small groups.
Also, formative feedback will be provided verbally through classroom discussions about: small group tasks, independently prepared critiques of academic readings; and during Q&A exchanges about the final assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Critical Review of two journal articles 4000 words maximum (100%)
This assessment meets all of the unit Learning Outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, unsuccessful students 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. PHEDM4011).
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.
