Research Methods in Health and Social Care

Task details and instructions

Task details and instructions:

1. Using one electronic database, conduct a search using key terms to identify a body of literature related to a specific topic of interest, and relevant to your area of professional practice.

2. Identify a minimum of two primary research papers from that search. Consider one or more aspects of the research methods reported in those papers and critically discuss them in relation to the wider body of research literature.

3. That discussion should explore the principles of the chosen research method(s) and how they have been applied in your chosen paper(s).

4.Databases You should conduct your search on a discipline appropriate electronic database accessed via the library gateway. Suitable databases to use include: Medline, CINAHL, Assia and Psychinfo .

5.Your search should include several terms for each concept of interest and you should apply a range of search tools, e.g. Booleans operators, truncation and wildcards as part of your search.

6.Guidance on these is readily available in the help sections of many databases so choose one with a help section and make use of that resource to develop your understanding of the search process.

7.You should use screen captures to evidence your search and include these as an appendix to your assignment. Possible broad topic areas

8.This task enables you to pursue your own areas of interest and begin to explore current research evidence related to your chosen area.

9.To ensure currency of evidence, the articles you select should have been published in the past five years.

10.The following lists of broad topic areas are examples. They should be considered indicative rather than definitive and you are encouraged to choose a topic of interest to you:

• A specific health condition and aspects of its management

• An aspect of professional practice and its application within the context of health and social care provision.

• An organisational aspect of health and social care provision

• The impact of a piece of specific health or social care legislation.

11.Types of possible methods Research methods are the techniques and processes that we use to conduct a piece of research. When designing a study, researchers have to make a number of decisions about the methods they will use when they are planning their project.

These include decisions about recruiting recruitment of study participants, collecting collection of data and then analysing analysis of that data. The specific research methods they decide to use and how they apply those methods will determine the quality of the study and the value of the evidence it generates.

Databases

12. The focus in this assignment is on research methods.

13. You can select papers that have used different methods to determine a study population, collect data, or analyse that data to answer their research question. For example, you could explore the use of individual interviews and focus group discussions, or the use of surveys and individual interviews, for data collection.

Alternatively, you could focus on a single data collection approach by selecting papers that have used the same method for that aspect of their study. For example, you could focus on surveys and explore ways in which they are administered, or you could focus on an approach to statistical analysis.

14. It is common for researchers to report the findings from larger studies and mixed methods studies in more than one publication. You can select papers that report different studies, or papers that report different aspects of a mixed methods study.

15. In all cases, you should discuss the chosen methods and critically consider how they have been used in your selected studies. You should also consider the ethical aspects of the research and how those have been applied in the studies you focus on.

This should be reflected throughout your discussion. For example, if you focus on an aspect of recruitment, you should consider the ethical issues related to selection and recruitment of the study population.

Module Learning Outcomes:

1. Objectively appraise the literature using effective electronic search strategies related to a contemporary issue relevant to your area of practice

2. Explore the selected topic and organise your findings to summarise what is known and how collectively this has advanced your understanding of the topic.

3. Evaluate how the skills of critical enquiry might positively contribute to your area of practice.

4. Critically discuss the professional, ethical and practical factors that are relevant to the topic area and develop your self-awareness in relation to your engagement in research activities.

Guidance to grid:

Subject Knowledge and Understanding To complete this element successfully you need to ….. Demonstrate your subject knowledge of the research methods including the techniques and processes used to conduct the research within your chosen research papers.

You will need to consider the strengths and weakness of chosen research method and what does that mean in relation to your research paper.

You will demonstrate that you have used the research core text to underpin your critical discussion on how the research methods are used within your selected research papers.

Intellectual Skills:

including understanding, judgement, analysis, evaluation and synthesis To complete this element successfully you need to …… Demonstrate that you have an understanding of the knowledge base, through debating and evaluating the research methods from your chosen research papers.

You will need to consider whether or not the research method was the appropriate for the research that was undertaken within your paper and what does this mean for the body of research as a whole. This evaluation needs to be supported by the research core text and contemporary research base.

Subject specific skills and application to practice To complete this element successfully you need to ….. Demonstrate how the research methods from your chosen papers are relevant to your practice area. Research ethics need be considered and discussed to demonstrate how these have been applied and considered within your chosen research papers.

You will need to consider whether or not the research methods used are ethically sound and appropriate for your area of practice and what ethical consideration will need to be taken into account when conducting research within your chosen profession.

Transferable skills:

including communication, presentation and organisation, dissemination To complete this element successfully you need to …. Ensure that your work has a clear and logical structure, which has followed the guidance provided and adheres to the APA referencing standard.

The various sections of your work should clearly identify the key points you wish to present and these should be well explained. The information you present should be professionally articulated in a clear and balanced way