Description

Research Toolkit

Description - summary of the module content

Module description

This module aims to provide you with a bespoke research ‘toolkit’ that will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to carryout postgraduate level research within Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. It is designed to help you navigate the research journey, beginning with the conception of a research problem and ending with disseminating your work via a conference presentation and academic journal. The module will provide an excellent foundation for those wishing to undertake further research (e.g. research assistant, PhD) in Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module will develop your ability to undertake a literature review, develop a research question and decide which methods and approaches are needed. The practicalities of managing a research project, including the collection and storing of data, will be covered. The requirements and processes involved in disseminating your project’s findings through a conference presentation and written journal article will be addressed. The current landscape for funding research projects in the UK and how to write a competitive research grant proposal will be examined. Finally, the module will end with a focus on how to build a career in research aligned to Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.

Graduate attributes: As part of this module you are expected to develop the following skills:

• Ability to navigate the research landscape in sport, exercise and health sciences
• Identifying research priorities and defining a research question
• Undertaking and interpreting systematic reviews
• Designing research and managing a research project
• Writing scientific work for publication and critically reviewing scientific work
• Presenting at a scientific conference 
• Writing a research grant
• Identifying a research career pathway

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Justify and formulate a research question with clearly defined aims
• 2. Identify appropriate experimental designs and methods
• 3. Plan a write a coherent research grant proposal in accord with defined guidelines

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Plan and deliver an oral presentation related to a scientific project within Sport and Health Sciences
• 5. Critically evaluate scientific work and provide appropriate feedback
• 6. Describe project and data management procedures

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Communicate complex scientific information in either written or verbal form
• 8. Identify, retrieve and synthesise complex evidence
• 9. Develop an action plan and needs analysis for building a career in research

Syllabus plan

Syllabus plan

• Introduction to research in sport, exercise and health sciences
• Using and managing literature to develop a research question
• Synthesising the evidence base: systematic review
• How to design research (e.g. identifying and selecting a sample, allocation to groups, interval validity)
• Issues related to project and data management
• Presenting your work at academic conferences
• Getting your work published and navigating the peer review process
• How to fund your research and write a research grant proposal
• Building a career in research
• What do you need to know? Lesson learn from current PhD students

Learning and teaching

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Assessment

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Re-assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to retake the assessments you have failed. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.

Resources

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Neil, R., Hanton, S., Fleming, S. and Wilson, K. (2014). The Research Process in Sport, Exercise and Health Case Studies of Active Researchers. Abingdon: Routledge
• Jones, I. (2015). Research Methods for Sports Studies. Abingdon: Routledge
• Gratton, C. and Jones, I. (2004) Research methods for sports studies. Abingdon: Routledge.
• Thomas, J. R., Nelson, J. K. and Silverman, S.J. (2011). Research methods in physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• Exeter Learning Environment (ELE): http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
• Postgraduate Researchers’ Programme: http://as.exeter.ac.uk/rdp/postgraduateresearchers/
• University of Exeter Research Toolkit: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/toolkit/

Module has an active ELE page

Key words search

Experimental design, project management, research funding