BSc Public Health (on campus)

The Literature Review Project unit is an opportunity for you to explore an area of public health that you find interesting early in your academic career. Working with the evidence base is a core function of a public health professional and this unit is dedicated to practising a range of skills to write a coherent review of the evidence. In the unit you will use your growing knowledge of public health as the basis for your research question and make use of academic research to evidence what is currently known to identify recommendations for a public health strategy. 

Throughout the unit you will practice techniques to systematically follow a literature review process from start to finish, including critical appraisal of evidence, synthesis of findings and developing a systematic literature search. This challenging unit is designed to include a significant amount of independent work in a supported class environment. 

Previous students have found the interactive activities and discussions useful and found the unit rewarding as they can write about what they are interested in.
 

Consolidating your growing knowledge of public health, the unit aims to: 

• Develop an awareness of the systematic approach to finding answers to pertinent public health questions using the evidence base. 
• Encourage investigation into a student selected current public health topic. 
• Advance ability to conduct secondary research.
• Increase familiarity of research studies through in depth reading and appraisal.
  
   

Syllabus

• Consolidate wider public health knowledge and skills and incorporate into the process of a public health literature review.
• Formulate a public health research question for a literature review.
• Locate and identify appropriate and relevant public health literature.
• Apply critical appraisal to literature.
• Synthesise findings from the literature.

• Coherently communicate findings from literature in response to a public health research question. 

   

We want you to get the most out of the unit and to do that we use a variety of trusted learning methods:

• Whole group activities and discussions in seminars that may include smaller group working.
• Learning from your peers, sharing work and providing feedback.
• Online recordings or podcasts will be available to refer to following seminars. 
• Prior to seminars slides and materials will be available in the central learning environment.
• Online tasks to complete.

• Independent learning activities to include academic reading and preparation for seminars.

   

Ongoing guidance and support from the course unit lead.


 

Students will be able to: 

• A1 Investigate a current public health topic of interest using the relevant health evidence base. 
• A2 Justify the review of the health evidence base using relevant, credible data and research 
• A3 Demonstrate an understanding of the systematic process of a literature review in public health and when literature reviews might be used in a professional context.
   

Students will be able to: 

• B1 Recognise and appraise common research designs and different sources of evidence to inform public health policy and practice.
• B2 Reflect on public health principles and applications to generate recommendations based on finding from the public health evidence base.
• B3 Extend depth and breadth of independent reading of health evidence to increase familiarity with principles and theories in public health practices and research.
   

Students will be able to: 

• C1 Find existing sources of evidence relevant to a public health concern to respond to a research question.
• C2 Communicate the methodology, findings and recommendations accurately and in a logical and organised way.

Students will be able to: 

• D1 Access and appraise relevant evidence gained through systematic methods. 
• D2 Design and conduct public health research using the evidence base. 
• D3 Critique published research, synthesise the evidence and draw appropriate conclusions.
   

Continued feedback from the course unit lead will be available along with student led question and answer sessions to provide continued dialogue in a variety of formats to engage and support students. Interactions will be synchronous and asynchronous to benefit all.

Peer feedback methods will be facilitated. 

Feedback on final submissions.
 

Aveyard, H. (2019). Doing a literature review in health and social care: a practical guide. Fourth edition. London: McGraw-Hill Education.

Greenhalgh, T. (2019). How to read a paper: the basics of evidence-based medicine and healthcare. Sixth edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

For every 20 course unit credits we expect students to work for around 200 hours. This amount is only a guidance and individual study time will vary.