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 | Professor. Kipping |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Bristol Medical School |
Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
This unit introduces key qualitative and quantitative research methods as applied to public health. It aims to enable students to develop an understanding of the role and importance of both approaches to inquiry and when they might be appropriate. Students will gain a practical understanding of survey and questionnaire design and the main methods of qualitative data collection and analysis. The unit will provide an overview of the key principles of randomised controlled trial (RCT) study designs as applied to issues of public health importance and provide students the skills to judge the validity of conclusions that can be drawn from the results of a RCT. It will introduce systematic reviews of RCTs, with the aim of ensuring that students can recognise the implications of being non-systematic, non-comprehensive, non-rigorous or non-transparent in putting together evidence syntheses. The key evidence synthesis skills and knowledge acquired during this unit will be transferable to all epidemiological and public health research designs.
On successful completion of the unit, students will:
The unit will consist of 10 teaching weeks, plus reading and revision weeks. The unit is taught in teaching blocks 1 and is campus-based.
The format of the teaching weeks will be:
Directed and self-directed study: e.g. reading, e-learning, completion of assessments (150 hours)
Contact time: 20 lectures (20 hours) and 30 hours of tutorials. Informal progress checks of learning will be in-built based on exercises, quizzes, feedback from group discussions, and strategic questioning during lectures and practicals.
Formative assessment will support student learning by using informal questioning, quizzes and group exercises in lectures and practicals. Students will complete a short-answer critical appraisal of a published research study using social research methods. This forms an assessment for learning and will not contribute to the final unit mark (ILOs 1-4 and 9-11). Students will also individually complete a mini-project on systematic reviewing and in groups undertake a critical appraisal of an RCT (ILOs 1-8). This will be an assessment for learning will not contribute to the final unit mark. However, engagement with the systematic review mini-project is required for credit to be awarded. Feedback will be provided to prepare students and consolidate their learning for the summative assessments.
Summative assessment: The unit is assessed by closed-book exam (50% of total mark) and coursework (50% of total mark). For the coursework component students will produce a 1,500 to 2000-word research protocol for a primary public health study using social research methods (ILOs 1-4 and 9-11). The closed-book exam will be 1.5hours and will cover the RCT and evidence synthesis aspects of the course. It will contain short-answer critical appraisal questions and multiple-choice questions. (ILOs 1-8).
An overall score of 50% will be required to pass the unit, with the contributions from coursework and exam equally weighted.
There is no essential course text.
Recommended reading: