MSc Specialist Practice (Cancer) / Course details

This unit has been developed to help the learner understand and use research to inform and transform their practice rather than to design and conduct a piece of primary research /evidence synthesis, as independent researchers. It helps serve as a platform for the dissertation unit where students are required to complete an adapted systematic review or a proposal for service transformation. Teaching is offered via two options 1) a blended model of delivery (synchronous face-to-face and asynchronous online teaching) or 2) online with synchronous and asynchronous delivery. The teaching team aim to energise students to engage with, understand and critically review research findings to inform and transform practice.

The unit aims to:

1. Furnish students with the knowledge to understand the research process and the steps   required to formulate a specific and answerable question with which to interrogate the literature.
    
2. Equip students with the skills needed to match study designs to answer outstanding questions regarding health and social care practice including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methodologies.
    
3. Equip students with the knowledge and skills to critically evaluate primary research and evidence synthesis to inform and transform their own health and social care practice and that of their colleagues. 

The unit has a blended approach incorporating both in-person and online learning. A session at the start of the unit helps orientate students to the unit content and teaching/learning approaches which will be offered throughout the semester. Teaching activities will be supplemented through the use of in-person/remotely delivered journal clubs.

• Describe in detail different types of research methodologies.
• Understand some basic statistical concepts required to interpret research/evidence synthesis.
• Identify strengths/weaknesses of different study designs.   
   

• Critically review the importance of the role of Patient and Public Involvement in the research process.
• Think critically about whether research studies are using the most appropriate study design. 
• Apply research findings in the context of their own health/social care practice and propose changes (or not) as a result of research findings. 

• Participate in robust debate regarding whether various approaches may be appropriate/inappropriate for their work based health and social care practice.   
• Practice the use of a variety of critical appraisal tools and assess the quality of each tool.
• Search for a diverse range of sources quickly and efficiently.
• Identify areas of uncertainty to formulate focused, answerable questions which are of relevance to practitioners and the patients/service users they work with.   
   

• Evaluate the impact of their work on their own and other professionals practice
• Demonstrate self-direction and originality in identifying, tackling and solving problems
• Communicate complex ideas in concise written formats

Students will be offered the opportunity to submit and thereby to receive feedback on formative work submitted prior to their (final) summative assessment. Online feedback on formative and summative work is provided via Grademark. Grademark is used across all postgraduate programmes within the School and it enables teacher to provide detailed and constructive feedback on each component and aspect of assessment such as areas of strength and aspects which could be enhanced. Provisional feedback based on internal marking of summative work will be made available prior to an Assessment Board on the basis that this is pending ratification of marks at an Assessment Board and therefore may be subject to change. There are also opportunities to discuss the assignment in class and through online discussion boards.

Students can evaluate the unit via forma University evaluation forms and an in-house evaluation at the end of the unit.

Centre for Society and Mental Health (2024). Research Methods for Society and Mental Health. [Available online: https://researchmethodstoolkit.com/]

NIHR Evidence - Informative and accessible health and care research. (2024, March 27). [Availabe online: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/]

Physiopedia (2023) Introduction and Overview of Evidence Based Practice. [Available online: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Introduction_and_Overview_of_Evidence_Based_Practice]

SCIE (2023) Using evidence in social services and social care in Wales - SCIE. (2023, September 27). [Available online: https://www.scie.org.uk/wales/using-evidence/]

Subramanyam, R. (2013). Art of reading a journal article: Methodically and effectively. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology/Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 17(1), 65–65. [Available online https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-029x.110733]