Causality

MSc in Health Research Methods & MSc Health Data Science
Assessments – Fundamentals of Research Design module, HPDM092
Assignment 1. Short Written assignment

Module Title: Fundamentals of Research Design Module Convenor: Rob Anderson &
Julia Frost
Module credits 15 Assessment Type: Summative
% of Module Mark 20% Assignment Type: Short written assignment

DATE FOR SUBMISSION TO TURNITIN LINK: 2pm Monday 17th Oct 2022

Context: Every area of research methods or specialist knowledge has commonly used terms – or ‘jargon’ – which will often have particular meanings within that academic discipline or area of application. So, for example, when reading the results of a clinical trial, if we are told that the result is ‘significant’ it usually actually means it is ‘statistically significant’. In this context, this word has a particular meaning from within the field of medical statistics, which indicates how confident we can be that differences in outcomes measured in the trial represent true differences that could be expected in the whole patient population or settings in which the trial was based. Other terms that are more widely used in explaining phenomena or designing evaluations – such as model, theory, experiment, empirical or comparative – also have particular meanings within certain areas of study.
Therefore, a key learning goal of advanced (i.e. masters level) study is acquiring the essential vocabulary of applied health services research, and using relevant terms appropriately when you write about research in different contexts. So, whether formally (by writing them down) or informally (by having a very good memory!) as you learn and develop as a health services researcher you will effectively be growing your own personal Glossary of key terms.
So, this assessment aims to:
• Kick-start good habits in systematically developing your own Glossary of relevant terms
• Stimulate your awareness of when you come across unfamiliar words which seem important (or confusing), or familiar words which in the research context seem to have a specialised meaning
• Develop skills in searching for and expressing definitions of terms, and distinctions between similar terms, in a critical way.
Module ILOs to which this assessment relates:
1, 3, 5, 6
 
Task:
From the recommended readings or lectures of the module, choose two concepts or terms which seem important to understanding the methods and context of health services research, or more generally seem relevant to applied social science research in the health field.
NB. These cannot be any of the key terms which you have been asked to read and reflect on from Malcom William’s book on Key Concepts in the Philosophy of Social Research. (But you can choose other terms from within the book if you wish). Please also do not use Randomisation – as this is the example Assignment 1 Glossary definition provided
For each of the two concepts/terms:
1. Search for and obtain between 2 and 4 published sources which you think provide a clear and reliable definition of the term. These sources should ideally be:
a. Textbooks
b. Methods/subject-specific dictionaries
c. Journal articles
d. Authoritative web-based materials (e.g. Wikipedia, professional associations)
2. Write a one or two sentence definition of the concept/term, as if it were an entry in a Glossary for a book or research report.
3. Write an expanded one or two paragraph definition of the concept or term, appropriately citing the sources on which your definition is based, and mentioning the typical scope of use of the term (e.g. within which fields or disciplines of research, or associated with which methods, types of explanation or service settings).
As much as possible, try to express what the concept or term means in your own words, according to your understanding of it. If possible, use an example to illustrate the concept or term. If you perceive that there are variations in how the term is defined and used by different authors/disciplines, or in different research contexts, mention this. Mention any other key concepts or terms that the term relates to (e.g. similar/complementary or contrasting/opposite). If you wish to quote verbatim some parts of other’s definitions of the concept or term, do so using speech marks to indicate which parts are verbatim quotations (plus the reference citation of the source at the end of the sentence)*
4. Include a list up to 4 references that informed your understanding of each the concept/term and your Glossary entry of it. (i.e. up to 4 per term/concept)
*Follow the advice on Referencing and avoiding plagiarism within the University’s online course on Research Integrity and Plagiarism.
For later reflection in class – Keep a note of how and why you chose the two terms that you did, and how you judged the reliability or authoritativeness of the different sources that you found. NB. Do not submit these notes i.e. this will not contribute to your marks for the assignment
Word limit: For each concept/term the initial sentences and expanded paragraphs of the definition should be between 200 and 250 words long (excluding the reference list). That is, the whole assignment should have a word limit of 500 words (excluding the reference lists).
Referencing style:
Please use Harvard referencing. This means in-text citations are in brackets as follows (Author surname, publication year) before punctuation marks (, . ; ), and each of the two reference lists is in alphabetical order (of first author surnames). See CiteThemRight guidance here:
https://www-citethemrightonline-com.uoelibrary.idm.oclc.org/category-list?docid=CTRHarvard

Marking principles and criteria:
Marks will be awarded for:
1. Clarity and accuracy of the one to two sentence definition (5% of 20%)
2. Clarity and accuracy of the expanded definition (in one or two paragraphs). Appropriate use of examples, and/or mention of closely related or contrasting concepts/terms. Evidence of critical thinking and/or awareness of possible variation in meaning or use of the concept or term in different contexts. (10% of 20%)
3. Appropriate use and citation of relevant published sources (5% of 20%)

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