Research Methods in the Health Sciences

This course will introduce students to both the theories and practice of research, with a specific emphasis on research in the health arena. Students will learn techniques for identifying a topic for inquiry, reviewing the literature using systematic search techniques, identifying evidence gaps and formulating an answerable research question. The course is designed to help students learn the practical skills of protocol development, including foundational knowledge of sampling, recruitment, data collection and analysis as well as evaluation. In addition, the role of theory, ethics and rigour in research planning and implementation will be introduced, with a particular focus on data management. Maintenance of ethical standards and rigour throughout the research process will be presented in detail. The value and limitations of research results as evidence will also be examined. Students will be introduced to the ways in which disciplinary knowledge is necessary to produce valued evidence, and how and when some research questions will require a transdisciplinary approach that is beyond disciplinary silos and associated models of research.