Unit name | Dissertation |
---|---|
Unit code | BRMSM0009 |
Credit points | 60 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
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 aims to teach students to design and conduct good quality research in a public health related discipline – primarily either through undertaking an epidemiological/quantitative/intervention study, an evidence synthesis project, or undertaking qualitative research.
Candidates will be able to select a topic from a central list or bring and design their own project in collaboration with personal supervisor and/or co-supervisor.
This unit aims to give the student an opportunity to practice and apply public health research methods using and developing further skills they have already learnt in the course.
Aims:
The dissertation should demonstrate that the student understands how to: frame research questions, critique, draw upon and develop appropriate conceptual and theoretical approaches, scope relevant literature, analyse data, interpret the findings and identify key strengths and limitations of the study. In addition, the student will present the findings in a research colloquium.
By the end of the course students will be able to:
Students will receive feedback for learning in the form of:
Project proposal and tutor allocation agreed with dissertation and assessment leads. (ILO 1)
Outline of project, 1-2 pages –for discussion with tutor(s). (ILO 2 – 4)
Oral poster presentation of their research project in a research colloquium with feedback from tutors and peers. (ILO 7)
Students will be required to engage with the above activities to successfully complete the unit. However, they will not be formally assessed and will not contribute to the overall unit mark.
Summative assessment: the dissertation will contribute 100% of total unit mark. Students will produce a project report in the form of an academic paper for a target journal (with appendices) 5,000 minimum and up to 10,000 words (the range reflects the longer articles or additional appendices some research studies will require). (ILO -4-7)
To be negotiated with supervisor