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Research Dissertation
Information Booklet
Welcome
This booklet is designed to help you prepare for the dissertation unit. We hope that
this information will help you and your dissertation supervisor, to start planning your
project. We encourage students to have a near final project proposal ready for when
the unit starts. Further information will be available on Blackboard once you are
registered onto the unit.
Please do not hesitate to contact the unit leaders’ if you have any queries.
For some of you this will be the first experience you have had of research related
activity and we will do all that we can to ensure that it is a positive experience. All
students should now be paired up with a dissertation supervisor, someone with
expertise in your area of research or chosen method. Please contact Dawn if you are
not sure who your supervisor is.
To allay one of your potential worries, the University provides guidance on language
skills and the process of writing a dissertation:
https://www.languagecentre.manchester.ac.uk/resources/online-resources/online-
skills-development/academic-english/academic-writing/writing-dissertations/
You will find this really useful as time goes on.
Course unit aims and outcomes
Aims
The aims of this course unit are to enable students to:
critically assess and analyse theories and evidence that underpin an area of
health or social care practice in order to develop research
questions/hypotheses.
demonstrate the knowledge and skills to design, manage and deliver a
research project, which complies with relevant ethical, governance and legal
frameworks and appropriately involves users.
identify and critically evaluate limitations, recommendations and implications
for practice and further research arising from the research project.
plan an effective strategy for dissemination of key findings from the research
project to stakeholders.
Outcomes
A. Knowledge and understanding:
o A1. Synthesise and critically analyse an evidence base in order to
formulate the aims and objectives needed to guide a research project.
o A2. Design an appropriate and achievable research project and plan
which will investigate or test a health or social care
problem/hypothesis.
o A3. Demonstrate a clear and coherent understanding of the chosen
research methodology and justify the application of this to the aims and
objectives of the study within an ethical/research governance
framework.
B. Intellectual skills:
o B1. Provide a rationale for their choice of the research methodology
used in an empirical investigation.
o B2. Defend their choice of methodology and approach through a
process of peer and tutor evaluation.
o B3. Justify their choice of methodology within an ethical/research
governance framework/Code of Conduct for Research.
C. Practical Skills:
o C1. Undertake, with an appropriate level of academic supervision, a
research project which investigates or tests a health or social care
problem/hypothesis.
o C2. Synthesise the evidence, collect, analyse and present data within a
specified timeframe, in a manner which is acceptable to a quality, peer
reviewed academic journal.
o C4. Describe and account for any actual or potential ethical
considerations encountered during the research process
D. Transferable skills and personal qualities: (These relate to the overall set of
transferable skills outcomes for the programme – may include all or some)
o D1. Plan, develop and evaluate methods and processes for gathering,
analysing, interpreting and presenting data and information
o D2.Develop the acquisition, organisation, provision and use of
knowledge and information
What is a dissertation?
A dissertation is a detailed piece of writing to develop further the students'
knowledge and expertise in their area of study. A dissertation often involves
examining a particular topic/question in depth, with evidence of an ability to
undertake sustained critical analysis. It provides an opportunity for students to
demonstrate their research/project skills and produce an important piece of written
work.
At a Masters level, the dissertation needs to demonstrate that the student can
understand how existing evidence/information relates to a particular question, and
how their own work adds to this. Independent thinking is required with an ability to
critique one's own work and that of others. Students need to be aware of the
implications of their work and defend the findings presented in the dissertation.
Your dissertation is not an attempt at solving all the problems of the world.
A good dissertation is often one that examines a tightly structured
problem/research question, is clearly focused, and takes a critical approach
with a relevant methodology/structure.
You might have lots of reasons for being passionate about a particular
topic/problem, but will need to convey the importance of this to the reader.
You will need to make appropriate use of previous work relating to the
problem been studied but taking a critical aspect.
Health and social care research is a pragmatic enterprise - so dissertations
can include discussion on the relevance of your findings, the 'so what' factor,
and what changes/recommendations you think would increase further
knowledge.
You will be expected to show how your work is relevant to health and social
care research.
What are my options for the dissertation?
i. A 15,000 word dissertation – write-up of an empirical clinical/health (MClin
Res) or health and social care (MRes HSC) research project utilising
qualitative methodologies.*
OR
OR
OR
NB. The normal expectation for all students will be that they undertake an empirical
research project (Option i or ii) which involves the collection and analysis of primary
or secondary data. For fulltime students or where there are evidenced factors
outside of the control of the student which mean that such a project cannot be
undertaken, a systematic review (Option iii) may be undertaken as an alternative.
This must be agreed between the supervisor and student in liaison with the
Dissertation Unit Lead/Programme Director and must adhere to standard
frameworks and criteria for a Systematic Review of the qualitative and/or quantitative
literature. For students who have previous research experience and evidence of
publications Option iv may be appropriate if considering PhD studies.
*For empirical work the academic supervisor is the Chief Investigator. It is the
responsibility of the Chief Investigator to ensure that appropriate policies and
procedures are adhered to, including:
- Risk assessments
- Data protection
- Current Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certification for all relevant people,
including the student.
Please refer to the references provided at the end of this document for further
details.
Gaining ethical approval
You will be required to gain research ethical committee (REC) approval for ANY empirical study.
Depending on the nature of your project you will require either NHS REC or University REC
(UREC) approval.
Your research proposal will have to be assessed by an NHS Research Ethics Committee if you
are proposing to work with/involve:
More comprehensive guidance regarding what research needs NHS ethical review can be
found here:
What is supervision?
Good ideas
If you do have any concerns about your supervision which have not been addressed
adequately by your supervisor then you need to contact the Dissertation Lead –
Professor Dawn Dowding (dawn.dowding@manchester.ac.uk)
Teaching/Learning hours and methods for
the course unit
Hours
Activity
allocated
Workshops 40
Independent study
As you will see from the hours above, there is a considerable amount of time
allocated to Independent study. It is important that you organise yourself to
undertake these additional hours as they are as important to your learning as direct
teaching.
Student Support during the course unit
Course unit leaders are available for academic support and advice during the Unit of
study and the best way to arrange an appointment is by contacting them, via
blackboard, telephone, e-mail or in person when you are in the University.
Please remember that academic staff are also engaged in many other activities
and therefore may not be available to see you immediately. It is preferable to
contact us in advance to arrange a mutually agreeable time.
Personal Tutor
Your personal tutor is also available for support. Please refer to the
programme handbook which outlines their specific role.
Peer Support
There will be a forum in blackboard where you can both offer and receive support
from your peers. This forum will not be frequented by academic staff.
Core learning materials
Bell J & Waters S (2018) Doing your research project: a guide for first time
researchers. (7th ed). Maidenhead, McGraw Hill Education
Breton E & De Leeuw E (2011) Theories of the policy process in health promotion
research: a review. Health Promotion International. 26(1):82-90.
th
Bryman, A. (2015). Social Research Methods (5 ed.). Oxford. Oxford
University Press.
Hek G (2006) Making sense of research: an introduction for health and social
care practitioners London Sage
Koch T, Kralik D, Loon A van and Mann S (2006) Participatory action research
in healthcare Oxford , Blackwell.
Web Resources
Community-based http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13648
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