At the end of semester, you will be required to produce an individually written research report that comprises an introduction with an evidence-based rationale, methods, results, and discussion of the small-group research project undertaken during the practical sessions.
This is designed to assess your ability to conceive and design a research study underpinned by theoretical knowledge of research design and data analysis techniques, and to present and discuss the findings according to appropriate scientific conventions. The question for the small-group project will be given to you, but you will need to determine the
evidence-based rationale for the question from relevant literature, design an appropriate method to address the question, select and apply an appropriate data analysis technique, report the results of that analysis using appropriate scientific conventions and discuss the results considering the research question. Only study design and data collection will be carried out in a group. The research report will be produced individually.
MARKING CRITERIA
Research report components and weighting:
Introduction 15%
The introduction requires a brief review of relevant literature to demonstrate the importance of the topic and highlight current knowledge and gaps / limitations in knowledge that need to be addressed – this constitutes the evidence-based rationale for the study.
The introduction section should culminate in your research question, for example, “the purpose of this study was to examine…”. The question must be clearly stated. The research question is then followed by a statement of the experimental hypotheses (if appropriate). Both the research question and the hypotheses must be based on gaps and limitations in the literature reviewed.
Methods 25%
The method section must include a detailed and clear description of the procedures performed to acquire the data. In simple words, a straightforward representation of what you did when collecting the data sets. This should contain the following: Research Design (Quantitative / Qualitative), Sampling, Materials and Methods, Data/Statistical Analysis, verification processes, Ethical Considerations.
If you have chosen a qualitative assignment, then sampling and data collection will still be required.
Results 15%
The results section must include a description of the results obtained after the data collection. If you have chosen a quantitative project, this consists of a presentation of the statistical test outcomes together with a small amount of text. Where qualitative data is used, this section will be more expansive and descriptive in nature, where the findings from the qualitative data sets are presented e.g., major themes with some supporting evidence (do not overpopulate the results with several quotes as this will impact upon word count) well selected quotes may be used that illustrate how a theme has been developed.
Discussion 40%
The discussion must explain the results in more detail and discuss the reasons for them. This will link to relevant literature highlighted in your introduction as well as appropriate theory as the findings from your results should be discussed in relation to the existing literature and with comparisons between previous findings and your own. Consider also what the significance of the findings are to relevant populations e.g., discuss generalisability or transferability of your findings.
General style, referencing, written presentation 5%
A clear citation of sources of information used in the report is important. Statements or previous findings must be supported by reference to an appropriate source. An accurate list of references used must be included in the University accepted format (APA Style – see student handbook). References should be predominantly from scientific studies found in peer-reviewed journals. Textbook references and review articles should be used sparingly as they constitute secondary source information.
A successful research report will demonstrate:
- clearly defined research question, aims, context and rationale for the study based on relevant peer-reviewed literature.
- appreciation of research design, procedures, and data analysis techniques appropriate to quantitative or qualitative conventions including ethical considerations.
- Well organised and clearly presented results in accordance with appropriate scientific and methodological conventions which may include visual representation of key trends, interpretation and summary or inferential statistics.
- well-structured discussion of results that explains findings in the context of previous literature and relevant theory, offers mechanistic explanation and includes study limitations, insightful recommendations for further study and succinct and logical conclusions.
Detailed grade descriptors can be found on the module eLP site.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Support materials for sessions will be available to you on the eLP; including the lecture slides, suggested weekly readings, access to journal articles and online materials, detailed guides to writing research reports and performing data analyses, and other useful resources such as a discussion board. For further support on taught sessions, you can access the tutors for one-to-one discussions and tutorials via the online tutorial booking system.
Formative preparation for assessment(s) will be given during the practical workshops and end-of-module troubleshooting workshops.