Newcastle University

Aims

The overall aim of this module is that you should become more knowledgeable about the process of research and that you develop the skills required to design a research proposal. The module reviews the approaches to critical appraisal of the evidence, consideration of research in (clinical) practice and research methodology. The objective is to increase awareness of research methods and to become more critical in your review and understanding of published work. Furthermore, to incorporate a critical approach into your own area of practice, whilst appreciating the external forces that impede the research process and prevent evidence from being implemented. This module will allow you:

•       To prepare for working on a project, which you will have to undertake in order to qualify for the MSc, and result in a dissertation.
•       To provide you with the skills required to critically review research, from an understanding of what is involved in doing research.
•       To enable you to think more deeply and critically about the evidence-base of your practice, and the ways in which practice may give rise to, and be informed by, research.

Outline Of Syllabus

The main aim of this module is to provide you with knowledge and understanding of the design and drafting process of a research proposal. As such this module will also allow identification of the nature of the research and your supervision needs. The summative assessment will not only meet the module outcomes, but also form the basis of developing the dissertation and much of the work for this assessment will be started during activities that will be covered each week.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

An advanced understanding of the research process and research methodology is essential to masters level study. This module is aimed to prepare students to devdelop a research proposal as part of preparation for the final dissertation. The content of this module can be appropriately delivered on- line and will build upon the student's existing accredited knowledge and experience.

Key learning outcomes are:

•       Ability to formulate and design a proposal for a research project
•       Ability to critically evaluate the evidence base of a particular subject field
•       Ability to critically analyse data collected or generated during the research project

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

3,500 word research proposal
In addition the students must supply a SWOT analysis of their own proposal and a detailed timetable and plan for their project.

The summative assessment is a direct assessment of the required skills to prepare a research proposal. The draft document is submitted as a formative assessment during week 10 and returned to the student with comments for action in revision prior to re-submission as a summative document. The learning activities during the second and third unit result in the production of work that can be included within the completed document and therefore this represents a broad assessment of all skills taught during the module.

The proposal submitted for the summative assessment is commonly then used as the project for the dissertation module.

The research proposal assessment will not only meet the module outcomes, but also form the basis of developing the dissertation. This module has been integrated into the programme at an early stage so that student’s requiring ethics approval can initiate this process at an early stage. It will allow the programme leaders to identify the nature of research projects and the supervision needs of students.