HSC 4050 Research Methodology for the Human Sciences

SubjectCat-NbrClassTermModeDescriptionUnitsCampus
HSC4050104801, 2002EXTResearch Methodology for the Human Sciences1.00TWMBA
Academic Group:FOSCI
Academic Org:FOS004
HECS Band:2
ASCED Code:060399

Contents


STAFFING:

Examiner: Cathy Rogers-Clark
Moderator: Lorna Robertson



RATIONALE:

Nurses and midwives need to be able to read and critique research. They therefore need to develop the ability to be a critical consumer of research and to be able to apply this to their own areas of practice. It is particularly important that nurses and midwives base their practice on research evidence and can provide health care consumers with research evidence when they seek to make informed decisions.


SYNOPSIS:

This course will develop students' abilities to be critical consumers of research. Studies will focus on extending students' knowledge about the purpose of research, research design and various methodologies including empirical, interpretive, critical and feminist approaches. Through examination of past research students will distinguish the hallmarks of effective research design including ethical considerations. They will learn about evidence based medicine and write a critical literature review for their own area of practice.


OBJECTIVES:


On completion of this course students will be able to:

  • Critically analyse the current methodological debates taking into consideration the different philosophical bases of different scientific approaches to research;

  • Explain the varying ways the term "theory" is used in each of the research paradigms;

  • Discuss the centrality of theory to research and describe how each paradigm claims to demonstrate the theory-evidence link;

  • Discuss the benefits and limitations of the evidence-based practice movement in health care;

  • Discuss ethical considerations which arise in research design and conduct;

  • Demonstrate the ability to take an area of research concern and refine it by framing a researchable problem or question; and

  • Demonstrate the ability to analyse and critique the literature in a field of specific interest.



    • TOPICS:


    DescriptionWeighting (%)
    1. Methodological Debate - What is Science? - What is Research?
    		 30.00
    2. Theory-Practice-Research - Meanings of theory in each paradigm - Evidence-based practice
    		 15.00
    3. Research Design - Selecting an appropriate method - Review of quantitative methods - Evidence-based practice - Overview of qualitative methods eg. - semi-structured interviewing
    		 30.00
    4. Research Ethics - Informed consent - Safety - The researcher/participant relationship - The impact of the researcher
    		 5.00
    5. The Critical Practitioner - Conducting a literature search - Selecting an appropriate tool for critique - Critically reviewing the literature
    		 20.00

    TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

    Books can be ordered by fax or telephone. For costs and further details use the 'Book Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au by entering the author or title of the text.

    Talbot, L.A. (ed) 1995 Principles and Practice of Nursing Research, Mosby, St. Louis.




    REFERENCE MATERIALS:

    Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

    Bainbridge, W.S. 1989 Survey Research: A Computer Assisted Introduction, Wadsworth, California.

    Bordens, K.S. & Abbott, B.B. 1991 Research Design and Methods: A Process Approach, 2nd edn, Mayfield Pub. Co., California.

    Brewer, J. & Hunter, A. 1989 Multimethod Research: A Synthesis of Styles, Sage, Newbury Park.

    Cobb, A. & Hagemaster, J. `Ten criteria for evaluating qualitative research proposals' Journal of Nursing Education, vol 26, no 4, pp. 138-143.

    Colquhoun, D. & Kellehear, A. 1993 Health Research in Practice: Political, Ethical and Methodological Issues, Chapman and Hall, London, NY.

    Cozby, P. 1993 Methods in Behavioural Research, 4th edn, Mayfield Publishing, California.

    Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (eds.) 1994 Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage, Thousand Oaks.

    Dey, I. 1993 Qualitative Data Analysis: A User-Friendly Guide for Social Scientists, Routledge, UK.

    Feyerabend, P. 1993 Against Method, 3rd edn, Routledge Verso, NY.

    Foddy, W. 1993 Constructing Questions for Interviews and Questionnaires: Theory and Practice in Social Research, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Fonow, M. & Cook, J. (eds.) 1991 Beyond Methodology:Feminist Scholarship as Lived Research, Indiana University Press, Bloomington.

    Habermas, J. 1974 Theory and Practice, Beacon Press, Boston.

    Hakim, C. 1987 Research Design: Strategies and Choices in the Design of Social Research, Allen and Unwin, London.

    Kaplan, R.M. 1987 Basic Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences, Allyn and Bacon, Boston.

    Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. (eds) 1988 The Action Research Planner, 3rd edn, Deakin University Press, Victoria.

    Leeder, S. (ed) 1988 Research on Health in Human Populations, : The Menzies Foundation, Melbourne.

    Marshall, C. & Rossmas, G. 1995 Designing Qualitative Research, 2nd edn, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California.

    Miles, M. & Huberman, M. 1989 Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2nd edn, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California.

    Omery. A., Kasper, C. & Page, G.G. 1995 In Search of Nursing Science, Sage: Thousand Oaks.

    Poplar, S. & Thomas, S.A. 1995 Introduction to Research in Health Sciences, 3rd edn, Churchill Livingstone, Melbourne.

    Reason, P. & Rowan, J. (eds.) 1981 Human Inquiry: A Sourcebook of New Paradigm Research, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.

    Reinharz, S. 1992 Feminist Methods in Social Research, : Oxford University Press, New York.

    Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. 1990 Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques, Sage, Newbury Park.

    Tesch, R. 1990 Qualitative Research Analysis Types and Software Tools, Falmer Press Bristol.




    STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

    ACTIVITYHOURS
    Assessment12
    Directed Study50
    Private Study110
    Telephone Tutorials2


    ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

    DescriptionMarks Out ofWtg(%)RequiredDue Date
    ASSIGNMENT 1 - PART A100.0010.00Y04 Mar 2002 (see note 1)
    ASSIGNMENT 2 - COMPLETE STUDY100.0025.00Y04 Mar 2002 (see note 2)
    ASSIGNMENT 1 - PART B100.0055.00Y04 Mar 2002 (see note 3)
    RPT - ONLINE GRP DISCUSSION10.0010.00Y04 Mar 2002 (see note 4)
    NOTES:
    1.
    Further details about the due dates are detailed in the assessment section of the Course Specifications.
    2.
    Further details about the due dates are detailed in the assessment section of the Course Specifications.
    3.
    Further details about the due dates are detailed in the assessment section of the Course Specifications.
    4.
    Further details about the due dates are detailed in the assessment section of the Course Specifications.

    OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

    1. Attendance Requirements: It is the students' responsibility to actively participate in all activities scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximize their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
    2. To obtain a passing grade students must gain at least 50% of the marks available for Assessments 1 and 3.
    3. Assignments: The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must dispatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the dispatch date, if requested by the Examiner. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced within five days if required by the Examiner. In accordance with University's Assignment Extension Policy (Regulation 5.6.1), the examiner of a course may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. This policy may be found in the USQ Handbook, the Distance Education Student Guide and the Faculty of Sciences' Orientation Handbook for on-campus students. All students are advised to study and follow the guidelines associated with this policy. An assignment, submitted after the due date without an extension approved by the Examiner, will attract a penalty of 20 percent of the assigned mark for each day (or part thereof) that the assignment is late. 4 Grading: Final grades for students will be determined by the addition of the marks obtained in each assessment item, weighted as in the Assessment Details and by considering the students' level of achievement of the objectives of the course.