Outline

Overview

The unit of study introduces students to key research paradigms in health, and to the major approaches to designing and evaluating research in health. Students will be introduced to key concepts of qualitative and quantitative methodology including research ethics, research design and research methods.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Health Sciences
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	((HSBH1006 AND HSBH1009) OR HSBH1012) AND (HSBH1008 OR HSBH1013)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	BACH2140 or HSBH1007
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Rowena Forsyth, rowena.forsyth@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Justin McNab, justin.mcnab@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Peter Mahoney, peter.mahoney@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Assignment 4: final take home assignment Assignment 4: final take home assignment	30%	Formal exam period Due date: 15 Jun 2021 at 23:59	96+ hours
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorial attendance (CC), Discussion Board post/Quiz (RE) Please see details under attendance and class requirements	10%	Multiple weeks	N/A
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 1: Qualitative research project Research project proposal	30%	Week 07 Due date: 23 Apr 2021 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 2: Quantitative proposal presentation Assignment 2: Quantitative proposal presentation	10%	Week 10	6 minutes 40 seconds
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 3: Quantitative research project proposal Assignment 3: Quantitative research project proposal	20%	Week 11 Due date: 21 May 2021 at 23:59	1200 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assignment 1: Qualitative research project: This assignment is based on developing a qualitative research project, using a health-related topic. You must complete all the assessment tasks to pass the entire unit. Failure to complete any assessment item will result in you being awarded a fail grade, regardless of your cumulative marks in the unit of study.
Assignment 2 and 3: Quantitative research project presentation and proposal: This group assignment is based on a quantitative research project. In small tutorial groups students develop a research idea using appropriate quantitative research methods and deliver an oral presentation on their proposal. Students are asked to design a study and complete a research proposal. Students must use a health-related topic for the assignment.
Assignment 4: Final take home assignment: This assignment will test your knowledge and understanding of all the topics covered in this unit, including material covered in the lectures and tutorials.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

All assessment tasks must be submitted to be eligible to pass this unit of study. Failure to complete any of the assessments will result in an automatic Absent Fail [AF] grade for the unit. Late submission and penalties A date and time has been set for submission of your assignments. If you submit your assignment after the due time/date has passed, marks will be deducted according to the following late penalties (which are now common across the whole university). That is, for every calendar day that an assessment is submitted late (up to and including the 10th day), a deduction of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied. Work submitted more than 10 calendar days late will not be assessed and will be awarded a mark of 0.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to unit of study and research methods in health. Research Ethics and governance.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to unit of study and tutorial groups, Research ethics.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Research strategies and designs	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Study design and starting work on Assignment 1	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Qualitative Research: Methodologies and Strategies	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Assessing the relative strengths and limitations of qualitative research	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Qualitative research methods: Interviews and Focus Groups	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Interview and Focus Group methods	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Qualitative research methods: Observation and participatory methods	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Conducting participant observation	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Qualitative analysis	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Qualitative analysis	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Quantitative Research: Quantitative study designs 1	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Assessing the relative strengths and limitations of quantitative research, starting work on Assignments 2 and 3	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Quantitative Research: Quantitative study designs 2	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Quantitative study designs	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Quantitative Research: Quantitative data analysis	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Group presentations (Assignment 2)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Quantitative Research: Research findings and Epidemiology	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Quantitative data analysis	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Evaluation: Research Dissemination and Impact	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Research dissemination	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Unit summary and revision	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Exam preparation and revision	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Unit summary and revision	Lecture (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Unit of Study Outline Template

Attendance requirements

In Semester 1 2021 this unit runs in both online-only remote (RE) and in-person (CC) delivery modes.

Tutorials run in weeks 2-13. Students are expected to attend and actively participate in all tutorials. Students receive 1% attendance mark per tutorial/discussion board or quiz up to maximum of 10% of their overall course mark. Face-to-face (CC) students receive the mark for attending weekly tutorials in person. Online-only (RE) students receive the mark for completing the weekly discussion board or quiz. Students may miss 2 of the 12 tutorial/discussion boards or quizzes without the need to apply for special consideration. Students who miss 6 or more tutorials will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade for the unit.

Online-only students (RE)

Your attendance for this unit comprises of lectures, discussion boards and zoom tutorials.

Lectures

Students are expected to listen to each week’s recorded lectures (weeks 1-13), make notes and complete the assigned reading and tasks. All material covered in lectures is examinable.

Discussion boards

To receive the discussion board attendance mark you need to create one post per discussion board. You will not be able to see other students’ answers until you have posted. The boards will be monitored by the tutors. You can choose to add additional posts if you wish.

Discussion boards will close one hour before the zoom tutorial.

To receive the mark for attendance you need to post one comment on each weekly discussion board that is directly relevant to the assigned task. Irrelevant posts or posts that do not address the tasks will not count for attendance. You may choose to post more than once in any given week however only one attendance mark is recorded per week. If you do not post in the weekly discussion board then you will be marked as ‘absent’ for that week. You are able to apply for special consideration for absences as per the existing procedure.

Zoom tutorials

Zoom tutorials run in weeks 2-13 and you must attend you allocated class. The link to the tutorial is available in the Zoom menu in the Canvas site.

Face-to-face (CC) students

Your attendance for this unit comprises of lectures, discussion boards and zoom tutorials.

Lectures

Students are expected to listen to each week’s recorded lectures (weeks 1-13), make notes and complete the assigned reading and tasks. All material covered in lectures is examinable.

In-person tutorials

Your attendance at weekly tutorials as per your timetable will be recorded.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas. Many of the readings are from the following textbook which is available online through the Library:

Saks, M. & Allsop, J. (2013). Researching health: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods (2nd ed.). London: Sage

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Explain ethical and social issues relating to research, including ethical treatment of research participants, honest reporting of research results, and appropriate acknowledgment of information sources.
LO2. Describe the influence of the social context in which research is produced and in which the results of that research are applied on the research process.
LO3. Demonstrate knowledge of qualitative and quantitative study designs and research methods
LO4. Develop research questions and design and present (in written and oral form) simple research projects to answer these questions
LO5. Explain how evidence informs health care practice and utilise evidence appropriately through online literature searching, referencing sources

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The timing of some assessments has been altered since the last time this unit was offered.

Additional information

Student Administration Manual on the Faculty of Health Sciences

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

HSBH2007: Research Methods in Health

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect