Course structure
As a research degree, the research component is greater than the taught part of the course. The course is made up of four taught modules in the early part of the course and a supervised health-based research project.
The taught component involves a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops, and the research component is supported by a series of workshops and individual tutorials.
Areas of study
You will receive wide-ranging in-depth tuition in qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research design and analysis, and research ethics and governance in health.
In order to undertake and lead health-related research, one of the core modules focuses on areas such as public and patient involvement in research, the production of evidence to support decision-making by policy makers, the legislative requirements of undertaking clinical trials and the ethical and economic issues influencing health research.
Via a supervised research project, you will have the opportunity to undertake a piece of health-based research within your own area of practice. This allows the research undertaken to directly contribute to your current practice and feed directly into service provision.
Syllabus
Modules
- Quantitative Research Methods
In this module you will develop skills in quantitative research design and data collection so you can critique the research of others (eg, media, research articles) and use quantitative skills in your own research projects. You will gain a new understanding of the critical evaluation of statistical techniques and develop skills in how to formulate a good research question, information handling, report writing, data presentation and use of statistical packages.
- Qualitative Research
This module will introduce you to the approaches involved in qualitative research and critically explores the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research knowledge, its methodologies and methods, as well as the ethicopolitical issues involved. You will also examine the practical considerations of design and methods, data and analysis, and evaluate the quality, value and use of qualitative research.
- Mixed Methods Research
This module addresses the current legislative and regulatory frameworks and reviews changes to health and social care research. You will explore mixed methods research in order to produce research that is likely to drive these changes, and address issues surrounding Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research. The module also provides an opportunity to explore specialist techniques such as concepts of health economics and health evaluation and insider researcher reflexivity.
- Research Ethics and Integrity in Health and Social Care
This module will provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and analyse the ethical dimension of research. You will be encouraged to apply ethical principles to the design and operationalization of the research to be undertaken as part of your course. This will help you construct an ethics application that demonstrates comprehensive, critical appraisal of applied ethical principles in the health or social care sector.
- Dissertation (MRes Health Research)
This health-based research dissertation is the main component of the Health Research MRes and will integrate the research knowledge gained though the taught modules into the practical application of a piece of health-based research. This will prepare you to manage and deliver research in practice.
Health sciences postgraduate education
This course is part of our postgraduate education programme. The programme allows you to sign up for one module at a time and build your qualification as you go.
Research facilities
We have a vibrant research environment for staff and students which embraces research activities of allied health professionals.
We aim to produce research that is sustainable and improves the quality of life for the individual and society, while supporting and sustaining the health professions that we represent.
The human movement laboratory
The human movement laboratory is used widely for research and teaching within the school, as well as commercial consultancy activities. You will benefit from our state-of-the-art resources, which include:
Force plates or force platforms are instruments designed to detect forces and movements applied to their top surface. Traditionally they are used to assess forces during walking or running. They are a very versatile piece of equipment and can be used to measure a number of other effects such as balance. By using custom-made jigs, their usefulness can be further extended; for example they can be used to measure forces applied during manual therapy.
The Cartesian Opto-electronic Dynamic Anthropometer (CODA) is a three-dimensional movement-measuring system developed over the course of the last 20 years by Charnwood Dynamics Limited. The CODA has been used for a wide range of three-dimensional analysis applications and is now an accepted method of determining the spatial and temporal parameters of movement. The system allows rapid and accurate measurement of human movement using lightweight markers attached to the skin.
Fastrak is an electromagnetic tracking system suitable for measuring human movement. The system comprises up to four sensors whose position and orientation in space can be monitored in real time. Clinical and research applications include monitoring the range of movement of joints, evaluating sitting or standing posture and monitoring the transition between the two, for example the sit to stand movement.
Xsens is another instrument suitable for measuring 3D human movements and is based on inertial sensor technology, for example miniature accelerometers and gyroscopes. It is relatively small, light and very portable and can therefore be used outside the laboratory setting, such as in homes and offices.
Electromyography (EMG) is used to measure the activity of muscles. Electrodes are placed on the skin over the muscle to be measured and the electrical activity of that muscle is recorded. This data can be used to look at the time at which the muscle turns on and off, the amount of electrical activity it is producing and whether the muscle is becoming fatigued.
The isokinetic dynamometer can be used for muscle and joint function assessments for either performance or rehabilitation purposes. Having initially been developed for rehabilitation purposes, isokinetic dynamometry is one of the safest forms of exercise and testing. The isokinetic dynamometer measures muscular torque during isolated joint movements.
Ultrasound is used for the scanning of soft tissue structures within the body. Originally developed for foetal scanning, it is now used for scanning a wide array of structures including internal organs, muscle and joint structures and nerves. It utilises high-frequency sound waves which pass into the underlying tissues and reflect back to produce an image of the underlying tissue.
F-Scan Insole system is used for studying foot pressure.
Electrogoniometers are designed for the measurement of joint angular movements. The sensors are attached across the joint with double-sided medical adhesive tape. The joint angles can be stored or displayed using various pieces of equipment. The sensors and instruments are lightweight, allowing data of human activity to be displayed or recorded while leaving the subject to move freely in the normal environment.
GAITRITE is used for studying walking patterns.
The Vibrameter is used to assess the nerve conduction of specific sensory nerve fibres. It is often used in a clinical setting to test for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain injury (RSI). A probe is placed on the area to be tested and a vibration stimulus is produced, the subject is asked to let the operator know when they first feel the sensation of vibration. The vibration stimulus is then turned down and the subject is asked to report when the sensation disappears.
Electronic algometer – pressure algometry is well documented in scientific literature as an efficient, objective physical component for evaluating point tenderness, pain syndromes and patients’ pain perceptions. JTECH algometry systems enable you to objectively quantify pressure pain thresholds and tolerances for establishing a diagnosis, evaluating efficacy of pain-relieving modalities and medications, tracking progress and evaluating pain perception.
The laboratory also has equipment required for conducting cardio-pulmonary investigations including Cosmed metabolic system and spirometry.