Unit Code(s)

Unit Title

Level

Credit Value

QU026035

Research Skills for Health or Care

3

6

Tasks

You are required to plan, carry out and evaluate a research project on a relevant Health or Social Care topic. Your completed project is broken down into several parts;

• A research proposal (500 words)
• Maintenance of a ‘Research Diary’ (500 words)
• Report (1,500 words)
• Evaluation (250 words)

Your tutor will regular check in with your progress. They must approve your proposal before you may carry your research out.

Proposal

You must produce a detailed research proposal (2.2). Your proposal must establish your research aims (2.1) and you need to justify its relevance to your subject area (2.3)

Your tutor must approve this before commencing your study.

Research Diary

You must include this with your proposal to evidence specific timescales for the completion of your research (2.2)

Report

You must carry out your project. This must adhere to the research proposal, which will have ethically approved by your tutor. You must complete this within the time frame you have indicated within your research diary (3.1)

You must produce a report using the standard format (4.1) of:

1. Introduction
2. Literature Review- including an evaluation of different research methods used in your subject area (1.1)
3. Methodology- outlining how you will carry out the research and justifying your method
4. Results (Data)- this will be in tables/graph format
5. Evaluation of findings in relation to the research aims (4.2)
6. Conclusion

Throughout your report you must consistently reference sources used, using the accepted method of referencing in place at your place of study (4.3)

Evaluation

You must evaluate your proposal and its procedures (5.1) and evaluate the methods you used in your research project (5.2)

Grade Descriptors –
This assignment is graded using elements from the grade descriptors below

If you achieve all assessment criteria listed above at Level 3, you will be awarded a Pass. To gain a Merit or Distinction, your work must match the performance described in the following grade descriptors.

Grade Descriptor

To achieve a Merit:

To achieve a Distinction:

GD 1

Understanding the subject

To achieve a Merit:

The learner’s work or performance:

a)    Demonstrates a very good grasp of the relevant knowledge base

To achieve a Distinction:

The learner’s work or performance:

a)    Demonstrates an excellent grasp of the relevant knowledge base

GD2

Application of Knowledge

To achieve a Merit:

The learner’s work or performance:

a)    Makes use of relevant ideas and facts with

b)    Breadth or depth that goes beyond the minimum required to Pass and

c)    Very good levels of insight and analysis

To achieve a Distinction:

The learner’s work or performance:

a)    Makes use of relevant ideas and facts with

b)    Breadth and depth and

c)    Excellent levels of insight and analysis

GD3

Application of Skills

To achieve a Merit:

The learner’s work or performance:

a)    Generally selects appropriate methods and

b)    applies appropriate methods with

c)    very good levels of  confidence and efficiency

To achieve a Distinction:

The learner’s work or performance:

a)    consistently selects appropriate methods and

b)    applies appropriate methods with

c)    excellent levels of confidence and efficiency

GD4

Use of Information

To achieve a Merit:

The learner’s work or performance:

c) generally appraises the relevance and value of new information accurately

To achieve a Distinction:

The learner’s work or performance:

c) consistently appraises the relevance and value of new information accurately

GD7 Quality

To achieve a Merit:

The learner’s work or performance:

c) taken as a whole, demonstrates a very good response to the assignment

To achieve a Distinction:

The learner’s work or performance:

c) taken as a whole, demonstrates an excellent response to the assignment

Additional Guidance

To achieve a Merit:

To achieve a Distinction:

To achieve GD1 at a Merit you will select a topic area you are able to generally apply high levels of knowledge to. Where literature is limited, you will be expected to look deeper than the minimal knowledge expected for a pass.

To achieve GD2 at a Merit you generally compare outcomes from previous studies with the data you have collected

To achieve GD3 at a Merit you will generally be autonomous in making decisions/ selecting your approach to your study, choosing methods with limited input from your tutor

To achieve GD4 at a Merit, you need to use the information in your literature review generally well to inform your own study, and you need to reflect generally well on your own findings.

To achieve GD7 at a Merit, your project should be presented in a generally professional way, with minimal errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

To achieve GD1 at a Distinction you will select a topic area you are able to consistently apply high levels of knowledge to. Where literature is limited, you will be expected to look at the few studies with great breadth and depth.

To achieve GD2 at a Distinction you will consistently compare outcomes from previous studies with the data you have collected.

To achieve GD3 at a Distinction you will consistently be autonomous in making decisions/ selecting your approach to your study, choosing methods without input from your tutor.

To achieve GD4 at a Distinction, you need to use the information in your literature review consistently well to inform your own study, and you need to reflect consistently well on your own findings.

To achieve GD7 at a Distinction, your project should be presented in a consistently professional way, with evidence of attention to proof reading with minimal errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.