Research Methods in Health Care (5 cr)

Learning outcomes

The student is able:
- to search, assess and implement evidence in a confident and critical manner
- to compile and apply concepts, designs and methods of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research
- to assess and evaluate qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research as a research user
- to plan, implement and assess qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods in development and research projects

Materials

Relevant literature:
Bhattacherjee, A. 2012. Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices. Florida: Scholar Commons. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oa_textbooks

Critical Appraisal Skills Program CASP. Checklist:10 questions to help you make sense of a Qualitative research. https://casp-uk.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CASP-Qualitative-Checklist-2018.pdf Accessed 21 March 2020.

Elo, S. & Kyngäs, H. 2007. The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(1), 107-115.

Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK) 2019. The ethical principles of research with human participants and ethical review in the human sciences in Finland. Publications of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK 3/2019 https://www.tenk.fi/sites/tenk.fi/files/Ihmistieteiden_eettisen_ennakkoarvioinnin_ohje_2019.pdf Accessed 20 October 2019.

Graneheim, U.H. & Lundman, B. 2003. Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse education today, 24, 105-112.

Grove, S.K., Burns, N. & Gray, J.R. 2013 (or later). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis and generation of evidence. St. Louis Mo: Elsevier/Saunders.

Heale, R & Twycross, A. 2015. Validity and reliability in quantitative studies. Evidence-based Nursing. BMJ Journals, 18 (3), 66-67. Accessed 18 June 2020. https://ebn.bmj.com/content/18/3/66.info

Kellar, P.S. & Kelvin, E.A: 2013. Munro’s Statistical Methods for Health Care Research. 6th Edition. Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Lincoln and Guba's Evaluative Criteria. Accessed 20th May. http://www.qualres.org/HomeLinc-3684.html Accessed 15 November 2021.

Nowell, L.S., Norris, J.M. White, D.E. & Moules, N.J. 2017. Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 16: 1-13.

Research Reporting Guidelines and Initiatives: By Organization https://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/research_report_guide.html Accessed 20 March 2020.

Spencer et al. 2003. FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING QUALITATIVE EVALUATIONS. Government Chief Social Researcher’s Office. UK. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/498322/a_quality_framework_tcm6-38740.pdf Accessed 21 March 2020.

The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Revised Edition. ALLEA – All European Academies 2017.
https://allea.org/code-of-conduct/ Accessed 15 November 2021.

Teaching methods

The study unit starts in January 20th & 22nd in 2022 at Tikkurila Campus with data search and continuing in spring semester 2022 by completing online e-tivities according to scheduled program in Canvas.

Exam schedules

2022 20th January. 8:30 – 10:00 Introduction of study unit and thesis process
10:05 – 11:45 Quantitative research methods and their validity and
reliability (Teija-Kaisa Aholaakko).
12:30 – 13:45 Data operationalisation for survey questionnaire (T-KA).

14:00 – 16:30 Data search by MSc Monika Cseh
(Take your own computer for searches)

2022 22nd January. 8:30 - 16:30 SPSS-workshop at Tikkurila Campus (Satu Vuorela).
Upload the SPSS package according to the instructions in Student intra.
Prepare by completing e-tivity 1 and take your computer with you.

Program, continues in thesis workshops 9th Feb -22 at 14-18; 9th March -22 at 14 -18; 6th April -22 at 14 -18; 12th May -22 at 9-16.30. The times for autumn semester will be agreed together in January 2022.

Student workload

Compulsory presence at lectures and workshops. Lectures 5 hours, SPSS-workshop 8 hours, data search workshop 3 hours. Compulsory online e-tivities 117 hours.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Evaluation criteria presented in Canvas.

Content scheduling

The student is able:
• to search, assess and implement evidence in a confident and critical manner
• to compile and apply concepts, designs, and methods of qualitative, quantitative, and
mixed methods research
• to assess and evaluate qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research as a
research user
• to plan, implement and assess qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods in
development and research projects
Content:
• Health care research approaches and design and research processes
• Searching reliable data from academic data sources
• Reliability and validity / trustworthiness in health care research
• Completing a research plan
• Analysing research data
• Reporting research findings

Evaluation scale

H-5