6HL014: Research for Health Project
Assessment type: Research proposal
Weighting: 100%
Word Limit: 4000 ± 10%
Assessment due date:
Electronic Submission ONLY via CANVAS
Overview
This module provides you with the opportunity to develop theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of research methods of relevance to your degree discipline. This knowledge will then be drawn upon to create a research proposal for a project addressing a current health priority.
Accordingly, the assessment is a research proposal which will require you to demonstrate skills in literature searching, synthesis, and critical thinking – with the aim of identifying a research gap. You will then devise a research question and provide a detailed methodology to answer this question. Evidence-based practice is at the heart of being a health practitioner, and demonstration of the skills required to complete this assessment will ensure you are able to exemplify critical thinking and evidence-based practice in your future career. Regular 1-to-1 support will be provided from your supervisor to help structure your proposal and navigate your journey through the various stages of your research proposal.
Module Learning Outcomes
|
LO1 |
Demonstrate a critical understanding of the application of research in the student’s area(s) of study. |
|
LO2 |
Compile, analyse and utilise a literature review for the design of a data collection instrument. |
|
LO3 |
Identify a suitable sampling strategy aligned to the appropriate research method. |
|
LO4 |
Produce an appropriate data collection instrument, which is underpinned by current academic literature that substantiates the chosen data collection instrument. |
Assessment brief and links to learning outcomes (LOs)
Your research proposal should follow an academic writing style and be correctly referenced (using Harvard format) throughout. Specifically, your proposal should be written in a report style, in the third person, with headings and subheadings where appropriate. Your proposal should contain information under the following headings in sequence:
Title (not included in the word count)
Your proposal must have a title of no more than 15 words. It must convey a clear and accurate idea of what the study is about within the constraints set by the word limit.
Abstract/Synopsis (not included in the wordcount)
An abstract or synopsis provides a summary of your research proposal. The abstract or synopsis always appears at the beginning of the proposal to help the reader quickly ascertain the purpose of the proposed study. The abstract/synopsis should include the following subheadings: background, aims, methods, conclusion and should be no longer than 250 words. Do not provide references in the abstract.
Contents page (not included in the word count)
Introduction and rationale (300 words)
The introduction should briefly describe the broader context or field of study that your project sits within. It should clearly state the problem/issue that your research aims to address and provide a rationale for why this research is needed (LO1).
Literature review (1500 words)
The purpose of the literature review is to appraise the relevant background literature (LO2). It must convey to the reader what knowledge and ideas have already been established on the topic. It should include a synthesis of academic literature relating to the topic and be presented in the form of an argument which locates your proposed study within the existing literature and serves to highlight any gaps in knowledge (LO1).
Research question, hypotheses and aims (100 words)
Your research question will be formulated from the gap in knowledge you have identified, whilst the aim will provide a concise statement setting out the purpose of the proposed study and desired end accomplishment. If you are proposing a quantitative study, then you will need to provide a research hypothesis.
Methods (1600 words)
The methods section should describe in detail how the study will be performed. Ideally, after reading your methods section another researcher should be able to conduct your study. Remember when writing the methods section, it should be clear how your methods will answer the research question and refute or support your hypothesis.
The methods section should include the following subheadings (where appropriate):
Methodology: The methodology section should identify the methodology you would use to answer the research question. You will discuss whether you have chosen a qualitative or quantitative approach and provide a rationale for your choice (LO1, LO3).
Research design: The research design (e.g., experimental, case study, cross-sectional, or action research) should be described clearly and accurately and should be aligned with the chosen research methodology.
Participants and sampling strategy: Describe the participant eligibility criteria (i.e. who will take part in the study). You should discuss how many participants will be involved and provide a rationale as to why that number was chosen (e.g., power calculation). You should discuss how participants will be identified (sampling strategy) and recruited into the study, ensuring that it aligns to your chosen research method (LO3).
Materials/equipment: In this section you should list the tools, instruments, or equipment that you will use (e.g., blood pressure monitor, tape measure, stopwatch). For each item, you should explain its purpose (i.e. how it will be used in your study) and state why they are appropriate for use in your study.
Data Collection Instrument: Here you need to specify your outcomes of interest (i.e. what are you investigating) and how you plan to record/measure them. You will need to provide a participant information sheet, which describes the study to the participants, an informed consent form, and some questions to capture the demographics (e.g., age, sex, BMI, etc.) of your participants.
For a qualitative study, you could produce an interview schedule (i.e. semi-structured interview schedule) or a topic guide for use in a focus group. You should consider how many questions you are going to ask, and ensure that by asking those questions, you will be able to answer your research question.
For quantitative studies, you will need to select a valid and reliable questionnaire/survey that is suitable to measure the outcomes you are interested in. You should provide a rationale for why you have selected that questionnaire over others, and provide information (e.g., validity and reliability statistics) which support your choice.
Whichever approach you choose, you will need to include a copy of the data collection instrument(s), and you must justify your choices using appropriate academic literature (LO4).
Data collection procedure: Here you should describe in detail exactly how your research will be conducted. You should include information about where (i.e. specify the location or setting) and when the research will be conducted (i.e. outline the timeline or schedule). You should also provide details about the process; it should be explicitly clear how the research will be conducted (e.g., describe the process of conducting interviews, distributing questionnaires, or performing experiments).
Analysis plan: This is where you will outline the procedures you will follow to analyse your data. For example, you may report the procedure for statistical tests (e.g., correlations, t-tests) if you have a quantitative project, or for qualitative analysis, you should describe the methods you will use to analyse interview/focus group transcripts (e.g., thematic analysis).
Ethical Considerations: You should state the key ethical considerations for the proposed study and specify how these will be addressed.
Discussion (500 words)
Here you should discuss the strengths and limitations of your proposed study. There is a chance to compare and contrast your proposal with existing studies, and to discuss any practicalities which may influence the viability of the study (LO4).
References (Not included in your word count)
You must reference your work throughout the assignment (excluding the abstract) and provide a reference list at the end of your proposal. Your in-text citations and reference list must follow the University of Wolverhampton’s Harvard referencing system. It is recommended that you use citation manager software (such as RefWorks Citation Manager or Mendeley), which are freely available through your university account, to help you manage your references and ensure that they are formatted correctly.
For help with Harvard referencing please click here to access the Skills for Learning Referencing pages.
Appendices (not included in your word count)
Here is where you should present your data collection instrument. You will need to provide your informed consent document, participant information sheet, demographic questionnaire and either your quantitative survey(s) or qualitative interview schedule (LO4).
Component weighting and how your grade will be calculated
Each section of the dissertation is weighted when being used to calculate the mark. Each section is graded according to the level six grade descriptors, and the weighted average is combined to calculate the overall grade. Weights are presented in the table below.
|
Component |
Weighting |
|
Introduction and rationale (300 words) |
10% |
|
Literature review (1500 words) |
20% |
|
Hypothesis and aims (100 words) |
5% |
|
Proposed Methods (1600 words) |
30% |
|
Discussion (500 words) |
15% |
|
Data collection instrument (appendices) |
10% |
|
SPAG |
10% |
Your data collection instrument has an independent weighting, so it is important that these are presented in the dissertation’s appendices:
- For a quantitative study, this could include a questionnaire to collect participant demographics, a series of validated questionnaires, or an overview of objective measurements (and the procedure) that you intend to collect (e.g., weight, blood pressure, physical activity measurement, etc.).
- For qualitative studies, this could be a schedule for a structured or semi-structured interview/focus group (this could include questions/prompts/justification for questions), a survey with open-ended questions, or a journal or diary for participants to complete
