Course Catalogue

LJMU Partner Taught

This module aims to critically extend the students understanding and deployment of the research process through the planning, production, analyses and report of a piece of independent research conducted in a responsible, safe and ethical manner.

Outline Syllabus:Lectures will establish the project requirements (e.g., ethical approval, risk assessment, technical training, data presentation, feedforward activity) and monitor progress throughout the year. Tutorials with the project supervisor will discuss and feedback on relevant features of research process and to monitor progress throughout the project. Practical hours are allocated to data collection and analysis.

Additional Information:Through a piece of research, the student will attempt to gain a critical appreciation of the research process within an area relevant to their programme of study. Students are required to demonstrate their progress on their project, gain ethical approval (if required) and undertake the relevant training and competency assessments. Tutorial support from the project supervisor will facilitate critical exchange about the research process. The progress mark will reflect the student's ability to meet the requirements needed for the project to begin. The dissertation mark will reflect the quality of the written research product and reflect the student's skills in the management of the research process and the competencies of the student in undertaking the research. The presentation will assess the ability to communicate and defend the project in a scientific manner. The Association for Nutrition (AfN) competencies covered in this module include: CC1l - Ability to plan, conduct, analyse and report on investigations into an aspect of nutrition in a responsible, safe and ethical manner. CC1m - Ability to carry out sample selection and to ensure validity, accuracy, calibration, precision, replicability and highlight uncertainty during collection in accordance with the basic principles of good clinical practice. CC1n - Ability to obtain, record, collate, analyse, interpret and report nutrition-related data using appropriate qualitative and quantitative research and statistical methods in the field and/or laboratory and/or intervention studies, working individually or in a group, as is most appropriate for the discipline under study. CC1o - Prepare, process, interpret and present data, using appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques, statistical programmes, spreadsheets and programs for presenting data visually. CC1p - Health research methods, dietary nutrition methodologies and nutritional epidemiology for either human or animal systems. CC3g - Design and implementation of intervention projects and programmes, methods for monitoring and evaluating effectiveness and efficiency. CC4g - Ability to recognise strengths and weaknesses in dietary, nutrition and health research methods, in order to understand the limitations of the scientific basis of nutritional knowledge for either human or animal systems.