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2011/2 Provisional Module Catalogue - UNDER CONSTRUCTION & SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 Module Code: OHSM017 Module Title: RESEARCH PREPARATION
Module Provider: Postgraduate Medical School Short Name: RESPREP
Level: M Module Co-ordinator: EDGAR J Dr (PGMS)
Number of credits: 60 Number of ECTS credits: 30
 
Module Availability
SEM 1
Assessment Pattern
Module Overview
Prerequisites/Co-requisites
Accumulation of 120 credits at Level M. Post Graduate Diploma Occupational Health & Safety Programmes.    Attendance on the Research Preparation Module
Module Aims
To enable students to harness relevant theory and practice and undertake an original piece of research work in the area of occupational health and safety as appropriate and prepare a dissertation.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

a)       Define a research question in association with a critical review of the literature.
b)       Design a proposal and research plan using appropriate methods.
c)       Undertake, analyse and interpret results of the research and present a critical and lucid account    of their research.
d)       Demonstrate knowledge of the requirements for ethical approval
 
Ethical issues in research
 
  • Research methods: description of methods used - e.g. surveys, case studies, experiments
  •  Importance of pilot studies.
  • How to recognise and avoid bias
  • Analysis of the data: application of relevant statistics
  • Interpretation of data - importance of missing data
  • Epidemiology: disease rates, incidence and prevalence, morbidity and mortality
  • Demography: an outline of demographic variables and their effect on the health status of study population
  • Statistics: normal distribution, mean, mode, standard deviations probability, significance, and correlationsPreparation of a research proposal
  • Writing , presentation and dissemination of research
  • Data Protection Act 1998
 
            Cognitive Skills
 
  • Critically examine the application and use of appropriate methodologies relevant to their chosen area of research for the study of a given topic.
  • Examine the assumptions underlying research methodologies and methods and argue their relative merits.
 
Practical skills
 
  • Undertake a literature review using manual and electronic techniques
  • Develop and write a research proposal and plan to undertake a research dissertation.
  • Investigate the ethical processes required for undertaking research.
 
            Key skills
 
  • Develop a critical approach to evaluating the literature and use it as evidence to support arguments and statements
  • Develop evaluative skills for the audit of Occupational health and Safety practice, selecting and applying a broad range of valid and reliable approaches and methods
  • Become an evidenced based research-minded practitioner
Module Content

·         The stages of a research project – e.g., formulating the hypothesis, interpreting the results and rejecting or accepting the hypothesis.

 

·         Searching and Reviewing the literature from a variety of sources

 

·         Identifying, developing and refining a research question

 
Methods of Teaching/Learning
Formal lectures; guided critical evaluation of research papers; statistical/graphics computer package workshops; group work preparation and presentation of research proposals followed by discussion and critical evaluation; data analysis exercises. 
Selected Texts/Journals
Essential
 
University Resources:
 
Guidance on Ethical Approval; http://portal.surrey.ac.uk/registry/ethics
 A-Z Index of Library ;
Dissertation-a guide to writing your thesis or dissertation;
Dissertations to view;
English Language Support Available to all students;
 
 
Recommended
 
Clough P. and Nutbrown C.(2007) A students Guide to Methodology, 2nd Ed., Sage Publications, London.
Creswell W. (2007) Qualitative inquiry & Research Design, 2nd Ed., Sage Publications, London.
Creswell W., Plano Clark VL. (2007) Designing and Conducting: Mixed Methods Research, Sage Publications, London
Fink A. (2005) Conducting Research Literature Reviews: from the Internet to Paper, 2nd Ed., Sage Publications, London.
Geoffrey C. and Cook D.(2004)A basic Course in Statistics 5th Ed., Holder Education, London
Gillham B. (2008) Developing a Questionnaire, 2nd Ed., Continuum International Publishing Group, London
Hart C.(2004) Doing Your Masters Dissertation, Sage Publications, London.
Kumar R. (2005) Research Methodology: A step-by step guide for beginners, 2nd Ed., Sage Publications, London
O’Leary Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to doing Research, Sage Publications, London. Sage Publications, London.
Sapsford R J.(2006)Survey Research, 2nd Ed., Sage Publications, London.
Saunders M., Lewis P. and Thornhill A. (2008) Research Methods for Business Students, 5th
Ed.,Prentice Hall, London.
Upton G. and Cook Ian (2006) A Dictionary of Statistics, 2nd Ed., Oxford University Press, USA.
Last Updated
20th May 2008