NURSING 7102EX - Research Literacy
External - Semester 1 - 2015
-
General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code NURSING 7102EX Course Research Literacy Coordinating Unit Adelaide Nursing School Term Semester 1 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s External Units 3 Contact Flexible delivery mode Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Restrictions Available to M.NursSc and M.Clin Nurs students only Assessment Portfolio and critique of research Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Judy Magarey
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Judy Magarey
Phone: +61 8 8313 6055
Email: judy.magarey@adelaide.edu.au
School Office
Phone: +61 8 8313 3595
Email: nursing.studentliason@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 3, Eleanor Harrald Building, RAHCourse Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
1 Introduction to course
Research evidence & searching the literature.
Research Paradigms
2 Research ethics
3 Introduction to statistics, descriptive statistics and correlation
4 Hypothesis testing and Inferential statistics
5 Statistics: different tests for different purposes
6 Descriptive designs
Mid-Semester Break
Mid-Semester Break
7 Experimental & quasi-experimental designs and epidemiology
8 Critique of empirical & analytical research
9 Interpretive & critical designs- managing qualitative data
10 Ethnography / phenomenology
11 Grounded theory/ critical research
12 Action research & participatory action research
13 Critique of Interpretive & critical research
-
Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1 Conduct an effective search of the published literature using health science data bases. 2 Explain the ethical principles relating to the conduct of research. 3 Explain the philosophical underpinnings of the various approaches used in health research 4 Distinguish between the empirical and interpretive and critical methods of research. 5 Explain the use of common statistical methods used for analysis in health research 6 Explain interpretive and critical approaches used in health research 7 Critique the research literature in order to assess its applicability to current professional practice. University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 2-6 The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1, 7 An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 7 A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 1, 7 A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1, 7 A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 7 An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 2 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
In addition to the Study Guide, you are encouraged to purchase the text. As you work through the course you will be directed to read chapters from the textbooks and articles from the readings. Some study activities are based on articles in the readings or exercises from the textbooks.
At the end of each week’s learning you will find a list of suggested supplementary readings, which are optional and for your interest only. These supplementary readings comprise two textbooks and a compilation of articles, which are available in the library. At the end of the study guide you will find some notes on statistics. These may help you in learning the language of empirical research.
Text
Schneider, Z, Whitehead, D, LoBionodo, G. Haber, J. 2013, Nursing & Midwifery Research, 4th edn, Mosby, Elsevier, Sydney.
Readings
The readings for this course are available electronically via MyUni.
Please note: it is your responsibility to organise printing should you prefer a hard copy of the readings.Recommended Resources
Burns, N & Grove, SK 2014, Understanding Nursing Research Building an Evidence-Based Practice,6th edn, Elsevier Saunders, St Louis.
Polgar, S & Thomas, S 2013, 6th Edition. Introduction to research in the health sciences, Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier Edinburgh.
Streubert Speziale, H & Carpenter, D 2011, Qualitative research in nursing advancing the humanistic imperative, 5th edn, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.Burns, N & Grove, SK 2011, Understanding Nursing Research Building an Evidence-Based Practice, 5th edn, Elsevier Saunders, St Louis.
Note: You are not required to buy recommended texts. However, they provide valuable supplementary reading on various aspects of the material covered within this course and you are encouraged to have a look at them.Online Learning
Virtual Classroom and Workshops
There will be two optional on campus workshops in Week 8 and Week 13/Swot Week. Off campus students may attend virtual classroom sessions or sessions will be recorded and be available on MyUni.
If you plan to attend the workshops or virtual classroom (VC) sessions you will need to respond to the email sent by the Course Coordinator one week before the session.
MyUni
All students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework nursing program have access to the School of Nursing – Postgraduate Coursework Student Centre on MyUni. If you would like the opportunity to network with other students, you can use the Communication features in the site. This site will also feature information about the latest news and events at the School of Nursing.
Unified
http://unified.adelaide.edu.au/
UNIFIED is your one-stop shop for email, calendar, MyUni and Access Adelaide. It even allows you to search the Library.
UNIFIED is available to all active students; with a single login you can access your student systems and personal information through a central website. Login with your Student ID ("a1234567") and Password.
For more information, including easy to follow instructions visit https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/web/mycampus/home.
Library Resources
Help for Nursing Students
The 成人大片 Library has a website to help nursing students use the library and its resource (www.library.adelaide.edu.au/guide/med/nursing).
Remote student library service
The 成人大片 Library provides a document delivery and loans service to non-metropolitan students who do not visit a 成人大片 campus to attend classes (www.adelaide.edu.au/library/docdel/external.html). -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course will be delivered through the Flexible Learning Mode.
Lectures will be available on MyUni as Podcasts or PowerPoint presentations and optional virtual classroom sessions and on campus workshops will be held during the semester. It is expected that you will listen to the lectures and if you have any queries contact me via email or phone. If you have difficulty accessing the lectures please contact the Student Liaison Officer.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
It is expected that you will need to spend about 12 hours of study a week to successfully complete this course. This includes reading, completing activities, attendance at the optional workshops and listening to podcasts. Thus some weeks it will be more and others less. It is recommended that you plan your time commitment to the course at the beginning of the semester.Learning Activities Summary
This course is designed to familiarise students with the methodologies used in health research. Students will learn how to search the literature and evaluate the evidence they find relating to their practice. In addition the ethical issues relating to research will be considered. The various approaches to health research will be presented. These will include empirical methods such as clinical trials and epidemiology. In addition critical and interpretive approaches such as phenomenology and ethnography will be discussed. This will give students the knowledge and skills required to evaluate research they locate in the literature in order to decide whether to apply the findings to practice.
Lecture topics:
1 Introduction to course
Research evidence and searching the literature
Research Paradigms
2 Research ethics
3 Introduction to statistics, descriptive statistics and correlation
4 Hypothesis testing and Inferential statistics
5 Statistics: different tests for different purposes
6 Descriptive designs
7 Experimental and quasi-experimental designs and epidemiology
8 Critique of empirical and analytical research
9 Interpretive and critical designs - managing qualitative data
10 Ethnography / phenomenology
11 Grounded theory / critical research
12 Action research and participatory action research
13 Critique of Interpretive and critical research -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcome(s) being addressed Search of the literature (250 words) Formative 0% 1 Critique of quantitative research (1000 words) Summative 30% 1-7 Weekly online activities quizzes and statistical calculations (1,750 word equivalent) Summative 40% 1-7 Critique of qualitative research (1000 words) Summative 30% 1-7 Assessment Detail
Assessment 1: Search of the literature
Weighting: 0% formative assessment
Length: 250 words
Write a simple research question related to your practice. Briefly justify your choice of topic. Conduct a search of the literature using one of the data bases on the nursing website. Briefly discuss how you conducted the search including, justification for selection of the data-base/s and decisions regarding search terms used and focusing the search. In addition discuss what criteria you should use to decide which papers to retrieve when multiple papers are located. This activity must be referenced. Do not reference the Study Guide or course notes. You need to demonstrate you can use the University library data bases to search the literature. The word count excludes the reference list. Please note you need to provide evidence of why you conducted the search in the chosen manner (using the literature). The activity is designed to assess your searching technique, rather than what you actually found. Please do not list the references you found.
Assessment 2: Critique of quantitative research
Weighting: 30%
Length: 1000 words
Topic
You are required to critique an empirical research paper. You will find the paper on MyUni in the folder titled ‘Assessment 2’. You must use the table provided in this folder to structure your critique. You do not need an introduction or conclusion. You may use dot points, but you must justify your comments using the literature and reference your work. Do not reference the study guide. We need to see you can search the literature effectively to find references to support your arguments. Reference lists are not included in the word count. You need to make sure that you do not simply summarise the paper, but critique the research according to the given criteria. For example, to critique a randomised controlled trial, make sure that you read the literature about how this type of study should be conducted and reported. For example, have they randomised the subjects to a control and intervention group? If so did they describe how this was done? You will need to ensure you are succinct as you have a word limit of 1000 words. Submit through TurnItIn assessment 2.
Assessment 3: Weekly quizzes and statistical calcualtions
Weighting: 40%
Length: Equivalent to 1,750 words
It is suggested that you complete these weekly. Note there are quizzes for weeks 2-7 and 9-12. None for week 1 or week 8.
At the end of most week’s learning there are online quizzes. These will be a include statistical calculations. The lectures, your prescribed texts and readings will assist you to complete these activities. They will be marked online.
Assessment 4: Critique of qualitative research
Weighting: 30%
Length: 1000 words
Topic
You are required to critique an interpretive or critical research paper. You will find the paper on MyUni in the folder titled ‘Assessment 4’. You must use the table provided in this folder to structure your critique. You do not need to write an introduction or conclusion. You may use dot points but you must justify your comments using the literature and provide references. Do not reference the study guide. We need to see you can search the literature effectively to find references to support your arguments. For the critical and interpretive approach, ask yourself are the methods congruent with the chosen approach? For example if the researchers have stated that the study was a phenomenology, is the study designed to describe or interpret a particular ‘lived experience’? You need to search the literature around the chosen research method to support your discussion. You will need to ensure you are succinct as you have a word limit of 1000 words. Submit through TurnItIn assessment 4.
Do not reference the Study Guide or course notes. You need to demonstrate you can use the University library data bases to search the literature. Reference lists are not included in the word count.
Submission
Assessments, unless otherwise stated in your Study guide, are to be submitted electronically via Assignments in MyUni on the due date identified in this Study guide. Instructions for assignment submission are available for all students under Tutorials at www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/.
An assessment submitted via MyUni must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf file. If submitting a PowerPoint presentation for marking, the .ppt or .pptx must be submitted as .pdf file. It is also important to submit your file under your name, such as surname.firstname. MyUni stamps all the other details against your filename once you submit your assessment.
An Assignment Coversheet must be submitted with each assessment (not each activity). The coversheet should be the first page of your assessment. A word version of the Assignment Coversheet is available to download at www.health.adelaide.edu.au/nursing/students/resources. The Plagiarism Statement must be signed and dated for your assessment to be marked (please note the details stated on the Assignment Coversheet). More information on avoiding Plagiarism is available at www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/plagiarism/.
If you have difficulty submitting your assignment, you can call the MyUni helpdesk from 8am to 6pm 08 8303 3335.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Plagiarism
Students are reminded that plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty constitute a serious offence and can result in disciplinary procedures. Students are advised to read the policy Academic Honesty and Assessment Obligations for Coursework Students Policy & Coursework Students: Academic Dishonesty Procedures policy, available at www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230/. The following definitions should be noted.
Referencing: providing a full bibliographic reference to the source of the citation (in a style as determined by the School).
Quotation: placing an excerpt from an original source into a paper using either quotation marks or indentation, with the source cited, using an approved referencing system in order to give credit to the original author.
Paraphrasing: repeating a section of text using different words which retain the original meaning.
Please note: changing just a few words does not constitute paraphrasing.
MARKING GUIDES
Portfolio of Activities
Structure and writing style 10%
Structure
• each section of the portfolio is structured in a logical sequence so that the content flows (headings may be used to develop the structure of the portfolio)
• where appropriate introduces/outlines/situates the activity/discussion
• where appropriate each section of the portfolio ends with a cogent, defendable conclusion that summarises the discussion within the body of the activity.
Writing Style
• the portfolio is written with clear sentence structure and the spelling and grammar are correct.
Content 80%
• demonstrates an understanding of the activities/discussions chosen by identifying the main components/issues/focus of the topic area
• where appropriate provides evidence of support from contemporary literature to support argument/points of view
• has grounded the topic within the clinical area but also includes the broad scope of nursing
• where appropriate for the activity demonstrates critical thought
• has completed activities/ discussion points as directed e.g. one from each week.
Referencing 10%
• the referencing style used throughout the paper is congruent with the School’s Student handbook and style guide
• the reference list is accurate (i.e. no missing page numbers, volumes, correct title etc), complete (i.e. no references in the body of the paper are missing from the reference list) and consistent with the School’s Student handbook and style guide
• the references cited are contemporary (i.e. less than 10 years old unless seminal papers)
• primary references are used where possible (i.e. the original reference has been cited rather than a secondary source)
• there is evidence in the paper that the student has searched widely for information related to the topic/issue
• the student has acknowledged all sources of information
• direct quotations are only used to make crucial points or to support the discussion/argument.
Critique of research (follow this guide for each paper, Use the template available on MyUni)
Structure and Writing Style 25%
Structure (15%)
• Introduces the paper
• Clearly describes the way in which the critique will proceed.
• The critique is structured in a logical sequence so that the content flows (headings may be used to develop the structure of the paper).
• The critique ends with a cogent, defendable conclusion that summarises the discussion within the body of the paper.
Writing Style (10%)
• The critique is written with clear sentence structure, clarity of argument and precision of expression and the spelling and grammar are correct.
Content and Critical Analysis 60%
• The student demonstrates a sound understanding of the chosen research approaches and a high degree of critical thought and insight.
• The following has been critiqued in a in a balanced unbiased manner (discussing both positives and negatives where necessary).
Qualitative
• The title and abstract, the chosen topic (phenomenon) and its relevance to practice.
• Use of the literature and underlying assumptions.
• The chosen theoretical framework and its presentation.
• The selection of participants.
• The method of data collection strategies and the relationship to the chosen methodology.
• How the researcher/s considered ethical issues.
• The analysis of the data (rigour –credibility, auditability, fittingness and confirmability).
• The presentation of findings, recommendations and implications for healthcare.
Quantitative
• The title and abstract, the chosen topic and its relevance to nursing.
• Use of the literature, definition of terms and underlying assumptions.
• Presentation of the hypothesis or research question. How the researcher/s considered ethical issues.
• Methods sampling method and size- data collection, rigour of the study -issues of reliability and validity.
Data analysis
• Presentation of limitations of the research.
• The presentation of findings, recommendations and implications for healthcare.
Referencing 15%
• the referencing style used throughout the paper is congruent with the School’s Student handbook and style guide
• the reference list is accurate (i.e. no missing page numbers, volumes, correct title etc), complete (i.e. no references in the body of the paper are missing from the reference list) and consistent with the School’s Student handbook and style guide
• the references cited are contemporary (i.e. less than 10 years old unless seminal papers)
• primary references are used predominantly (i.e. the original reference has been cited rather than a secondary source)
• there is evidence in the paper that the student has searched widely for information related to the topic/issue
• the student has acknowledged all sources of information
• direct quotations are only used to make crucial points or to support the discussion/argument.Final results for this course will be made available through .
-
Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Feedback regarding SELTs
Some of the comments related to inability to locate the podcasts. I will create folders on MyUni in materials to make this clearer.
It is not possible to create lecture notes for the podcasts as they are recordings. -
Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
-
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
-
Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.