Written Report – 80% of the mark for Assessment 1.
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT: Each person will develop a research proposal designed to answer their specific research question submitted in Part A. This is an individual assignment but you are welcome to discuss your ideas your peers. Students must adhere to the structure, (see below) and be no more than 2,000 words in length. The written report should be of the highest standard of written scientific English and should display evidence of critical thinking and rigorous scientific consideration of the topic and appropriate references.
Structure: The study design is written as a research proposal and should include the following sections:
1. Title of the project: The title should be no more than 20 words
2. Study duration: in months
3. Project Summary: The project summary is like an abstract and it should be no more than 300 words. It should summarise all the central elements of the protocol, for example the rationale, objectives, methods, populations, time frame, and expected outcomes. It should stand on its own, and not refer the reader to points in the project description.
4. Rationale and Background: The Rationale specifies the reasons for conducting the research in the light of current knowledge. It should include a well-documented statement of the need or problem that is the basis of the project, the cause of this problem and its possible solutions. It is the equivalent to the introduction In a research paper and it puts the proposal in context. It should answer the question of why and what: why the research needs to be done and what will be its relevance. The magnitude, frequency, affected geographical areas, ethnic and gender considerations of the problem should be followed by a brief description of the most relevant studies published on the subject (with references).
5. Study goals and objectives: Goals are broad statements of what the proposal hopes to accomplish. They create a setting for the proposal. Specific objectives are statements of the research question. Objectives should be simple (not complex), specific (not vague), and stated in advance (not after the research is done). Please refer to the SMART objectives provided on the LMS.
6. Study design and methods: The scientific integrity of the study and the credibility of the study data depend substantially on the study design and methodology. The design of the study should include information on the type of study, the research population or the sampling frame, who can take part (e.g. inclusion and exclusion criteria, withdrawal criteria etc.), and the expected duration of the study. This section should contain:
a. Study area
b. Sampling design
c. Sample size considerations (NOTE: you do not need to perform a sample size calculation)
d. Data analysis (NOTE: only Include what you have learned in this unit, we are not expecting complicated analysis). What measures of disease frequency will you use? What measures of association? Justify your choices. Remember this is dependent upon your choice of study design.
e. Ethical considerations
f. Study limitations – here you need to consider any potential error and bias
7. Study impact: What are the expected outcomes of your study? How do you anticipate the results will be used? For example, how will your results be used to inform current public health policy?
8. Project management arrangements: Who will be involved In the project? What organisations. Institutions and individuals will you need to Include to enable you to conduct the study? Ask yourself what disciplines, sectors or areas of expertise will you need to include.
Assessment 1C will be assessed according to the assessment rubric on the LMS
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