units

HSC4101

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 23 December 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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12 points, SCA Band 2, 0.250 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational UnitSchool of Health Sciences, South Africa
OfferedSouth Africa First semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Prof Geoff Setswe

Synopsis

This unit aims to develop students' understanding and skills in the quantitative and qualitative research methods that underpin contemporary global public health and health science research, including the analysis, interpretation and reporting of data from such research. The unit introduces students to the theoretical, methodological and ethical issues underpinning contemporary global public health and health science research. It provides direction and guidance in identifying a meaningful research question and in developing the skills and knowledge needed to design and write a research proposal. It reintroduces students to quantitative and qualitative research frameworks and data analysis techniques needed both to undertake the study and to write a research report.

Outcomes

  1. Produce a research report to meet the standard required at honours level by developing an outline and plan of a research process suitable for the research project;
  2. Critique the outline and plan for a research project.
  3. Explain the characteristics of research questions and formulate a research question relevant to the research project
  4. Demonstrate a good understanding of the range of quantitative and qualitative research frameworks utilised in public health and health science research. In doing so:
    • Identify the research frameworks used in a range of research projects;
    • Select the most suitable research framework/methodology for given examples of research projects; and justify the research framework/methodology chosen for the research project;
  5. Link research paradigms or methods to research questions;
  6. Demonstrate a good understanding of data analysis methods associated with the various research frameworks. In doing so:
    • Identify the most appropriate data analysis methods for different research frameworks;
    • Select the most suitable data analysis methods for the research project; and,
    • Justify the data analysis methods chosen for the research project;
  7. Identify future research activities in which they would be interested to participate.

Fieldwork

Students may be allocated to visit a community site on a fieldwork to learn methods of community entry and how to conduct research fieldwork in different communities. This will be a supervised fieldwork visit done with the lecturer/researcher.

Assessment

Class Test (20%)
Class Presentation (20%)
Methodology Chapter (60%)

Chief examiner(s)

Prof Geoff Setswe

Workload requirements

Seminar and/or Online Learning Activity (3 hours)

Off-campus attendance requirements

+ Pre-Lecture & Self-directed Learning Activity (3 hours)
+ Post-Lecture Discussion Question (1 hour)
+ Unit Assessment/Assignment (4 hours)

Prerequisites

Completion of the 144 credit point, three year Bachelor of Public Health degree or equivalent

Co-requisites

HSC4102 Contemporary and global public health issues

Prohibitions

HSC4001 Health science research project 1