HLTH464-19S1 (C) Semester One 2019

Research Approaches for Health

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 18 February 2019
End Date: Sunday, 23 June 2019
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 1 March 2019
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 10 May 2019

Description

This course will provide students with specialist knowledge and skills to support postgraduate research and/or health industry led projects. Philosophical, ethical and methodological issues influencing health research design will be examined and applied to researching health related issues.

Group A – 180 Master of Health Science and Master of Sports Science students
The course requires students to demonstrate the application of their knowledge and understanding in relation to a specific methodology as utilised in health or sports science research. Students will take an active role in applying this knowledge for the benefit of a wider audience.  The course requires students to analyse and write up a data set and present their findings to a community of interest for critique. In doing this, students are demonstrating a critical awareness of current and emerging issues in an area of health or sports science practice; demonstrating their leadership in analysing research data and communicating results back to the community of interest; and demonstrating the application of highly specialised knowledge to the relevant literature. In essence this is a capstone course which provides an opportunity for students to draw on their particular backgrounds, knowledge and expertise in order to identify, plan and implement a small-scale project of relevance to a particular health or sports science community.

Group B - Master of Health Sciences Thesis track students.
The course requires students to demonstrate the application of their knowledge and understanding in relation to a specific health issue or opportunity, and to take an active role in developing an investigation for the benefit of a wider audience.  The course will require students to plan for their thesis and present the findings to a community of interest for critique. In doing this, students are demonstrating a critical awareness of current and emerging issues in an area of health practice; their leadership in planning a research project and communicating design decisions back to the community; and the opportunity to demonstrate the application of highly specialised knowledge. In essence this course provides students with an opportunity to draw on their particular backgrounds, knowledge and expertise in order to identify, plan and eventually implement a research project of relevance to a particular health community.

Learning Outcomes

GROUP A:
-          Critique important philosophical perspectives on research and justify the implications of these for their research design.
-          Critically analyse different research traditions and design strategies that affect knowledge development for health / sports science research and practice.
-          Utilise experiential learning from workshops for research design decisions.
-          Evaluate the ethical and cultural considerations related to research in New Zealand.
-          Analyse and write up a data set that is philosophically, methodologically and ethically congruent for a specialised health / sports science context or issue.
-          Present the outcomes of the analysis to an identified community of interest for peer critique and review.


GROUP B:
- Critique important philosophical perspectives on research and justify the implications of these for the research design.
- Critically analyse different research traditions and design strategies that affect knowledge development for health research and practice.
- Utilise experiential learning from workshops for research design decisions.
- Evaluate the ethical and cultural considerations related to research in New Zealand.
- Plan a research project that is philosophically, methodologically and ethically congruent for a specialised health context or issue.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Head of School of Health Sciences.

Timetable Note

(W, Th, F):  27, 28 February and 1 March
(W, Th, F):  1, 2, 3 May

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Alison Dixon

Lecturer

Kate Reid

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Assessment 1 08 Apr 2019 35% Group A. Critical appraisal of a methodological approach utilised in health research. Group B. Critical appraisal of the literature and development of research question.
Assessment 2 01 May 2019 20% Groups A & B. Experiential workshops.
Assessment 3 04 Jun 2019 45% Group A. Analysis of data. Project may involve qualitative or quantitative data. Written report and power- point presentation. Group B. Research proposal and power-point presentation.


Assessment 1:
Group A - Methodological critique
Date:   8 April 2019 at 7pm
Word Limit: 3500 words (excluding references)

Instructions:
Can either use the SAGE or a relevant sports science data base to identify a research approach (excluding focus group) with relevance to your area of interest. i.e. A methodology and then find 1 health or sports science related research article that has utilised this methodology. Or, can find a research article of interest from a search and identify the article’s methodology. Write an in-depth essay that demonstrates your understanding of this methodology, including its epistemological and ontological position. Explain how this methodology informed design decisions in your research article.  Please cover ethics, participant recruitment, data gathering methods and analysis, and design rigor. Was the design congruent with the stated methodology and were the research outcomes relevant for influencing health / sports science practices or not?

You are required to:
• Attach the research article’s abstract at the beginning of your assignment
• Attach your literature search as an appendix
• Use the APA 6th Edition referencing
• Submit the work, as a WORD document, to ‘Turn-it-in’ via the HLTH464 UC LEARN site on or before the due date.


Group B - The Research Question:  location and justification
Due Date: 8 April 2019 at 7pm
Word Limit: 3500 words (excluding references)

Instructions:
Identify the research area of interest. Undertake an advanced literature search. Write this up, demonstrating the refinement process and the justification for the research question. i.e. what gap in the literature will it address? Locate the research question against an appropriate research methodology, with the rationale for this choice (1-2 paragraphs only)

You are required to:
• Use the APA 6th Edition referencing
• Attach your literature search as an appendix
• Submit your work, as a WORD document, to ‘Turn-it-in’ via the HLTH464 UC LEARN site on or before the due date.



Assessment 2
Groups A & B - Simulated Quantitative and Qualitative Workshops: Team work and peer teaching
Due Date:   1st & 2nd May 2019

Quantitative workshop: QUESTIONNAIRE DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATION (20 minutes plus 5 for feedback)
For the Quantitative workshop on either the 1st or 2nd of May, students will be in small groups which will be allocated in Block 1.   The students in each group will work together to design a questionnaire, which each group will present to their peers and academic staff in the afternoon. There will be time in the morning to meet as a group to finalise your preparation. Each presentation is for 20 minutes, with another 5 minutes for comment. Each student will be responsible for presenting at least 1 of the points as listed. The presentations will be assessed against the quantitative marking rubric:

•         What is the research question?
•         Why use a questionnaire? Pilot? Validated?
•         How will participants be selected?  What are the ethical considerations?
•         How will the questionnaire be administered? (Mail, face-to-face, telephone, online) and justify this choice
•         What methods will be used to encourage a high response proportion?
•         Justify the design of the questionnaire (types of questions eg: open/closed/Likert scales/demographic data)
•         How will the results be analysed? What sorts of tests?
The power point presentation will include notes and cover in some depth the key aspects of the group’s questionnaire design. The group is required to make any changes to the presentation in response to feedback and email to academic staff for loading on the HLTH464 UC LEARN site.
The group is required to:
• Use the APA 6th Edition for referencing
• Submit the power point to academic staff by Wednesday 8th May 5pm. These will be loaded on the UC LEARN site as a resource.
• Document and all sign the collaborative group work plan agreement, hand to academic staff before presentation.

Qualitative Workshop: PRESENTATION (20 minutes, plus 5 for feedback)

For the qualitative workshop on either the 1st or 2nd May the students will be in small groups which will be allocated in Block 1. The students in each group will work together to design their allocated presentation which will be presented to peers and academic staff. There will be time in the morning to meet as a group to finalise your preparation. Each presentation is for 20 minutes, with another 5 minutes for comment. Each student will be responsible for presenting at least some aspect of the presentation. The presentations will be assessed against the qualitative marking rubric:
The topic areas to be covered are:
• Group 1: Focus Group methodology. Include all design issues and compare / contrast with Ethnography.
• Group 2: Include all design issues by comparing and contrasting Phenomenology with the descriptive qualitative approach.
• Group 3: Include all design issues by comparing and contrasting Grounded Theory with Narrative Research.
• Groups 4 and 5: Qualitative Data Analysis. Outline 2 different ways to analyse qualitative data (2 groups, so 4 different ways in total).

The power point presentation will include notes and cover in some depth the key aspects of the group’s allocated topic.
After the different qualitative approaches presentations, Group 1, with academic and student support will lead a simulated Focus Group, demonstrating the application of the group’s topic to a research situation. The data from the Focus group will then be analysed, with support from the Data Analysis group members after their presentations.
The group is required to make any changes to the presentation in response to feedback and email to academic staff for loading on the HLTH464 UC LEARN  site.
The group is required to:
• Use the APA 6th Edition for referencing
• Submit the power point to academic staff by Wednesday 8th May 5pm. These will be loaded on the UC LEARN site as a resource.
• Document and all sign the collaborative group work plan agreement, hand to academic staff before presentation.


Assessment 3
Group A - Data Analysis project work
Due Date: 4 June 2019 by 5pm

Identify a research question to apply to your chosen data set. Analyse the data using the appropriate resources for your method of data collection. i.e. from a quantitative or qualitative design perspective. Write a research report of the analysis, including the method(s) of analysis. Link the findings to the literature in a discussion section, including any implications for health care or sports studies practices.  The marking template for this assessment provides a structure that is consistent with what information is expected for this assessment. It should be very succinct with sufficient information to assess the analysis and the ‘so what’ for health or sports studies practices.

You are required to:
• Use the APA 6th Edition referencing
• Load a small (maximum 6 slides) power point of your findings by Tuesday 10th June 2019 on the LEARN site for HLTH464. These will be critiqued by your peers from Group A by Friday 14 June 2019. All students in this group are expected to provide feedback on a limited number of presentations (2-3) and share these critiques with the wider group. This is a Terms Requirement to pass this course and worth 5%.
• Submit your work, as a WORD document, to ‘Turn-it-in’ via the HLTH464 UC LEARN site on or before the due date.


Group B - The Research Proposal
Due Date:   4 June 2019 by 5pm

Develop the research question from assessment one into a research proposal. The marking template for this assessment provides a structure that is consistent with what information is expected in a research proposal. It should be very succinct with sufficient information to assess the research aim and design. A review panel will not want to read pages of unnecessary information. Since you plan to complete a thesis this proposal should reflect your future intent.  Filling out a draft ethics application identifies any weaknesses in your design so this is a useful process to undertake when thinking about your design.  see http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/humanethics/hec/index.shtml

You are required to:
• Use the APA 6th Edition referencing
• Present a PowerPoint (maximum 10 slides) of your thinking in action for peer critique Friday 3th May. This is a Terms Requirement to pass this course and worth 5%.
• Submit your work, as a WORD document, to ‘Turn-it-in’ via the HLTH464 UC LEARN site on or before the due date.

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Creswell, John W; Research design : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches ; 4th ed; SAGE Publications, 2014.

Gerrish, Kate,1955- , Gerrish, Kate, Lacey, Anne; The research process in nursing ; 6th ed. ; Blackwell Pub, 2010.

Richardson-Tench, Marilyn et al; Research in nursing : evidence for best practice ; Edition five; Cengage Learning, 2014.

Tolich, Martin. , Davidson, Carl; Getting started : an introduction to research methods ; Pearson, 2011.

There is no set text for this course. Rather, students are expected to access appropriate resources to develop their knowledge of research methodologies. Besides the University of Canterbury library, the universities (Otago; Canterbury; Victoria; Auckland; AUT) and polytechnics (EIT; WINTEC) with postgraduate Masters of Health programmes usually have their theses collections on line.  The design chapters will illustrate the application of various methodologies to the research process. These are excellent sources for research application.  

Recommended:

Creswell, J.W. (2014) Research Design (4th Edition). CA, USA. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Gerrish, K; Lacey, A. (2010) The Research Process in Nursing (6th Edition). Singapore. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Richardson-Tench, M; Taylor, B; Kermode, S; Roberts, K. (2014) Research in Nursing Evidence for Best Practice (5th Edition). China. Cengage Learning Australia Pty Ltd

Tolich, M; Davidson, C. (2011) Getting Started: An Introduction to Research Methods. Wellington. Pearson New Zealand

SAGE Research Methods database, University of Canterbury Library.

http://www.statisticsdonewrong.com/

NZResearch has quite a few theses and journal articles that might be useful secondary sources.

Notes

Indicative Course Outline

- What is research? Epistemological and ontological positions
- Choosing a research topic and framing the research question
- Advanced literature searching
- Ethics in health research
- Māori and community consultation
- Exploration of design issues, including analysis
- Aligning methodologies with their ontological and epistemological basis
- Presenting a range of approaches from the different research traditions
- Simulated quantitative and qualitative workshops / Thinking in Action for critique

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $2,150.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Health Sciences .

All HLTH464 Occurrences

  • HLTH464-19S1 (C) Semester One 2019