Course Description
This unit aims to develop learners’ understanding of the purpose of research in the health and social care sectors and the implications and ethical issues relating to this research. Learners will be able to explore different research methodologies, enable them to plan and conduct their own research relating to a health or social care issue and evaluate the success of the outcomes.
Course Objectives
This unit aims to develop learners’ understanding of the purpose of research in the health and social care sectors and the implications and ethical issues relating to this research. Learners will be able to explore different research methodologies, enable them to plan and conduct their own research relating to a health or social care issue and evaluate the success of the outcomes.
Key Topics
- LO1: Understand approaches to research in health and social care.
- LO2: Be able to plan a research project relevant to a health and social care setting.
- LO3: Be able to carry out a research project relevant to a health and social care setting.
- LO4: Be able to make informed recommendations.
Course Outline
| Week | Topics |
|---|
| 1 | Role and Purpose of Research in Health and Social Care |
| 2 | Research Methodologies and Paradigms |
| 3 | Data Collection Methods, Tools, and Techniques |
| 4 | Data Quality, Validity, and Reliability |
| 5 | Scoping the Topic, Aims, and Critical Literature Review |
| 6 | Ethics and Governance in Health and Social Care Research |
| 7 | Research Design and Project Planning |
| Midterm | Midterm evaluation |
| 9 | Data Collection and Fieldwork Implementation |
| 10 | Data Analysis and Presentation |
| 11 | Synthesising Findings, Critical Reflection, and Practice Recommendations |
| 12 | Applying Research Methods in Health and Social Care in practice: case studies |
| 13 | Assignment workshop: research, planning and referencing |
| 14 | Assignment workshop: drafting, feedback and improvement |
| 15 | Review and coursework completion |
| Final | Final assessment and submission |
Learning Outcomes
- LO1 Understand approaches to research in health and social care.
- 1.1 Explain the function of research in health and social care.
- 1.2 Evaluate types of research methodology.
- 1.3 Describe methods of gathering data.
- 1.4 Describe tools to analyse and present data.
- 1.5 Explain how to assess the validity and reliability of data in research.
- 1.6 Analyse the importance of the validity and reliability of data used within research.
- LO2 Be able to plan a research project relevant to a health and social care setting.
- 2.1 Determine a research topic in a chosen area of interest.
- 2.2 Develop the aims and objectives of the research project.
- 2.3 Explain ethical considerations that apply to the area of the research project.
- 2.4 Complete a literature review of chosen area of research.
- LO3 Be able to carry out a research project relevant to a health and social care setting.
- 3.1 Develop relevant research questions.
- 3.2 Formulate a detailed plan for the research project.
- 3.3 Determine appropriate research methods for the research project.
- 3.4 Conduct the research using identified research methods.
- LO4 Be able to make informed recommendations.
- 4.1 Analyse the data and present findings.
- 4.2 Formulate recommendations related to the chosen research topic
- 4.3 Reflect how own research findings substantiate initial literature review.
- 4.4 Make recommendations related to area of research.
- 4.5 Identify potential uses for the research findings within practice.
