Professional and Research Skills
| Module title | Professional and Research Skills |
|---|---|
| Module code | HPDM048 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Jon Locke (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 5 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
This module aims to prepare you for undertaking either of the Research Project (60 or 30 credit) modules. You will be taught how to approach and conduct a literature review, establishing and critiquing current knowledge with respect to a specific research question. You will be taught how to approach analysing data using appropriate statistical methodology. You will practice the skill of disseminating your research to non-scientific (lay) and scientific audiences, in oral and written forms. In summary, the module will cover the skills necessary to carry out scientific research and disseminate its findings.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will develop the skills necessary for you to carry out scientific research. We will provide you with a list of research topics and you will use this to write a grant application which will form the summative assessment. You will learn how to gather and appraise published research which will help with writing literature reviews and data project write-ups. You will learn how to analyse data and understand the fundamentals of simple statistical tests. A scientific writing workshop will help you develop a writing style appropriate for target audience. You will have the opportunity to present your research proposal to a lay audience, which will enable you to appreciate the increasing importance funders place on Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) in defining and revising important research questions. You will also learn how Health Research Authority (HRA) approval seeks to ensure within-NHS research studies are of a high quality, safe and ethical.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. The nature of this module means that all module ILOs are also discipline-specific, see discipline-specific ILOs below.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics and use of simple statistical tests to describe a sample or make inferences about a population.
- 2. Learn efficient and methodical ways to gather and appraise published research.
- 3. Evaluate the various methods available to communicate scientific messages to different audiences, including patients and public
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Communicate accurately and effectively with peers, tutors and the public.
- 5. Critically reflect on personal practice and make connections between known and unknown areas, to allow for personal development, adaptation and change.
- 6. Respond to innovation and new technologies and be able to evaluate these in the context of best practice and the need for improved service delivery and/or improved research performance.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
- Formulating a clear research question
- Efficient searching of the literature
- Methodical approaches to critically appraising published research
- Designing studies of suitable statistical rigour; power/sample size calculations, non-parametric/parametric data, paired data, outliers, subgroup analysis, correlation, regression, probability, confidence intervals
- Scientific writing; the message vs title of the paper, brainstorming, paragraph structure, storyboards, referencing, active vs passive voice.
- Regulation of health research within the NHS; Health Research Authority (HRA) approval including the role of Research Ethics Committees (RECs)
- Writing for a lay audience; readability statistics
- Methods for communicating scientific messages to different audiences; social media
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 2 | Student presentations. . Presentations (e.g. PowerPoint-based presentation to group in face-to-face setting) may be replaced by PowerPoint-based presentation to the group using Teams/Zoom. |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 18 | Workshops/seminars. Small-group discussion in tutorials and seminars may be replaced by synchronous group discussion on Teams/ Zoom |
| Guided independent study | 8 | Reading of provided project proposals and selection in advance of contact day 1 |
| Guided independent study | 12 | Preparation of powerpoint presentation for contact day 3 |
| Guided independent study | 31 | Writing of project grant application |
| Guided independent study | 75 | Online resources and independent guided literature research |
| Guided Independent Study | 4 | Editing of PowerPoint presentation following lay and peer feedback |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation feedback from lay panel and peers | 5-15 slides (8-12 minutes) | 1-6 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant application | 70 | 2000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Oral presentation | 30 | 5-15 slides (8-12 minutes) | 1-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant application (70%) | Re-write of grant application (2000 words) | 1-6 | Typically within six weeks of the result |
| Oral presentation (30%) | 5-15 slides (8-12 minutes) narrated | 1-6 | Typically within six weeks of the result |
Re-assessment notes
Please refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: http://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Greenhalgh, T. (2019). How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine 6th edition. Hoboken, New Jersey, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Matthews, J.R. (2014). Successful Scientific Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Biological and Medical Sciences 4th edition. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press
Field, A. and Hole, G. (2003). How to Design and Report Experiments. London, Greater London: SAGE Publications
Browne, M.N. and Keeley, S.M. (2014). Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Ltd
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6150
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 31/05/2017 |
| Last revision date | 30/07/2020 |
