Unit information: International Health Project in 2018/19

Unit name	International Health Project
Unit code	COBM31025
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Ellis
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Bristol Medical School
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Students will have an opportunity to explore a global health topic that interests them in more detail presenting their findings and critical analysis either as an 8,000 -10,000 word report or as a manuscript for written for a specific journal. The project could take the form of a literature review or a more applied piece of work. Students may choose their own topics as long as their suggestions are practical and achievable and suitable supervision can be identified.

Aims:

The aim is to give students an opportunity to gain in depth knowledge and understanding of a topic that particularly interests them and to encourage the development of independent critical judgement and analytical thought.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of the unit should enable students to:

• Demonstrate intellectual rigour in the presentation of a coherent discussion of the relevant literature and evidence

• Understand the importance of clear conceptualisation of the research issues

• Show ability to critically appraise the relevant evidence

• Be able to draw up relevant conclusions backed-up by firm evidence.

Teaching Information

This unit is mainly self-directed. The students will all have a project supervisor with whom they will be required to meet on a regular basis for tutorials. Students will be expected to show progress through a presentation at the end of the Spring semester.

Assessment Information

• Option A is a traditional 10,000 word dissertation (100% of Unit Credit)

• For option B students are invited to to write up their project or literature review in the form of a manuscript for a specific and pre-defined journal (80% of Unit Credit.) The number of words will depend on the instructions for that particular journal. In addition they are required to write a 1000 word background (20% of Unit Credit, ) putting their research in context and explaining the rationale for journal choice.

Reading and References

Levin P (2011) Excellent Dissertations, Open University Press

Winstanley, C Writing a dissertation for dummies, Chichester, John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Greetham, B How to Write your Undergraduate Dissertation (Palgrave Study Skills), Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillin

Cottrell, Stella. (2011) Critical thinking skills: developing effective analysis and argument, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan

Hart, C. (2001) Doing a Literature Search, London, Sage.

Becker H (1986) Writing for social scientists (University of Chicago Press, Chicago)

Cuba L and Cocking J (1997) How to write about the social sciences (Longman, New York)

Turabian KL et al (1996) A manual for writers of term papers, theses and dissertations, 6th edition (University of Chicago press, Chicago)

Woods P (1999) Successful writing for qualitative researchers (Routledge, London)

Levin P (2005) Excellent Dissertations (Open University Press)