BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) / Course details

All BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) students are required to design a research project. The project gives students the opportunity to focus on a clinical question which particularly interests them, and to develop a research protocol capable of answering that question. It is also an opportunity to show that the student can plan research that would be of value to the NHS and is ethically sound. During semester one of year 3, students will conduct a literature review of their chosen research area. In semester two, students will develop their research idea into a full research protocol. They will complete a number of tasks (see below) which will culminate in an oral presentation and submission of a research portfolio. Full details are provided in the research project handbook distributed at the start of the academic year.

The unit aims to:

• To design a clinical research project that addresses a gap in the evidence-base, is viable and appropriate for research ethics approval and external grant funding.

Students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Identify a research question that fills a gap in the current clinical evidence base.
• Complete a 3000-word critical review of the literature in the chosen research area.
• Develop a research protocol capable of answering the research question.
• Identify and address the ethical and research governance issues associated with the proposed study.
• Produce a summary of the proposed study suitable for a lay reader, and a participant information sheet suitable for distribution to study participants.
• Compile a Research Portfolio consisting of the above items.
• Give a PowerPoint oral presentation on the research project.

Intellectual skills

• Scholarly conduct (including academic reading, critical thinking, and persuasion through rational argument).

Practical skills

• Project management (including independent study, time management and organisation and planning).
• Use of library and electronic resources.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

• Project Management.
• Argument Formulation.
• Use of library and electronic resources.

• Literature review.
• Research protocol.
• Discussion of ethical and research governance issues.
• Lay summary.
• Compilation of research portfolio.
• PowerPoint presentation.

One-to-one research supervision and 3 hours of group tutorials delivered by the unit co-ordinator.

1. Literature review (semester 1, 3000 words, 40%)
2. Research portfolio (semester 2, 45%)
3. Oral presentation (semester 2, 15%)

Students will receive written feedback on one draft of their literature review and one draft of their research portfolio from their research supervisor. They will have the opportunity to rehearse their oral presentation and receive feedback from the research project co-ordinator.

An updated version of the research project handbook will be distributed in semester 1. See PCHN20002 for research and statistics core texts.

References specific to each project will be identified under the guidance of the research supervisor.