MMB724491 Advanced Research Methods Assessment Guidance 2025/26
MMB724491-Advanced Research Methods Assessment Guidance
Assessment Strategy
Advanced Research Methods supports introductory and advanced study of research methods relevant to the health sciences. The module covers quantitative and qualitative approaches to research; literature reviewing; ethics; and research design and planning. At the end of the module, you should be able to formulate research questions, identify appropriate research methods, understand ethical implications, conduct literature reviews, and design and plan a small-scale research study or structured literature review suitable for completion by a novice researcher.
The assessment strategy falls into two parts: formative assignment and summative assessment. The formative assignment occurs in week 7 of the module, and is designed to help ensure you are on the right track. There are two summative assessment components, which determine whether you pass the module and further detail of these can be found below. Both summative assessment components must be passed in order to pass the module.
Formative assignment
To successfully complete both summative assessment components you must identify a topic of interest that relates to your practice/area of study and formulate a highly focused research question. This question should be suitable to form the basis for a masters dissertation.
For your formative assignment, you will take part in peer review feedback within your tutorial class to review another student’s research question and ideas for their protocol. You will be guided on the process for this during your tutorial class and a template will be provided to assist you in providing feedback and feedforward to your peers.
As a formative assignment, there is no formal ‘mark’ for this element, but it will provide an opportunity for you to receive feedback, and ensure you are progressing in the right direction towards your summative assessments.
Summative Assessment 1- Presentation
The first assessment component for the module is a recorded presentation which will be uploaded through Turnitin. The pass mark is 50% and the presentation is worth 30% of your overall mark for the module.
You will receive additional support and guidance on creating your presentation throughout the module. The audience for the presentation is other health professionals from your discipline of study. For the presentation, you will further develop the research question and topic used in your formative assessment. Summative assessment 1 should be submitted to Turnitin by 1 PM on Monday 17 November 2025.
The presentation should contain the following information.
- A title for the presentation, your name and programme of study.
With reference to current literature, policy and legislation, you should
- Introduce your topic of interest and provide key definitions in relation to your topic of interest, for example defining a condition or job role
- Briefly explain the scoping searches you have carried out to scope out your topic of interest/ensure no other identical, up-to-date review or study is already available
- Through exploration of the current evidence base, critically discuss the rationale for the research topic and present a highly focused research question
- Identify the limitations of previous research by presenting a critique of two sources of evidence (see below) and how this supports the need for your proposed study
- Introduce the research approach you are planning to explore, for example qualitative or quantitative and whether this will be an empirical study or a structured literature review
- Summary of key points
- Reference list using Cite Them Right Harvard referencing style.
You should provide an audio clip that is a maximum of 10 minutes in total and you will be provided with guidance on how to add your audio clip to your PowerPoint slides. The audio presentation should be your own performance.
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Critical literature review
In the critical literature review section you should verbally present two sources of evidence (articles) that justify the need for your research question and present your assessment of their rigour and validity, with reference to what you have learned on the module to date regarding study design, sampling, ethics, etc.
Adding the 10-minute presentation to your PowerPoint slides
Once you have produced your slides:
- Open your presentation in PowerPoint
- Go to slide show
- Click ‘record slide show’
- From the drop down box select ‘Record from current slide’
- ‘Record’ your 10 minute presentation.
- If you want to re-record your presentation select ‘clear recordings’ and start again
Take care to present in an academic style, avoiding informal language. Make sure you proofread and spell-check your presentation content carefully to correct any typing and grammatical errors before submission. You will receive further guidance on creating and recording the presentation in weeks 5 and week 6.
Learning Outcomes being assessed
- Distinguish between different research methodologies and critically evaluate components that comprise each method.
- Demonstrate an ability to effectively utilise information retrieval skills.
- Critically appraise and evaluate published research that relates to relevant subject areas.
- Formulate research questions and where appropriate set relevant hypotheses.
Marking Criteria
Your presentation will be marked using the rubric available to you on the GCU Learn module site and in the module handbook. Please take some time to familiarise yourself with what your marker will be looking for. Your marker may be your group facilitator, another member of the module team, or a member of the wider school faculty.
Summative Assessment 2- Research Protocol (3000 words)
The second summative assessment component for this module requires you to write a research protocol for either an empirical project or structured literature review (SLR) on the topic and research problem that you set out in your summative assessment 1. This study will likely form the basis of your dissertation. The information below specifies the different sections required within your protocol and the issues which are to be examined therein. You should follow the guidance below for how to structure your essay and adhere to the word count guidance for each section. The pass mark for Summative assessment 2 is 50% and will make up 70% of your overall mark for the module. Summative assessment 2 should be submitted to Turnitin by 1 PM on Friday 12 December 2025.
Option 1: Qualitative or Quantitative Empirical Research Protocol
Title, Research Question and Aims (these are not included within the word count)
Provide a short, descriptive title based on your key research question or aim and which will briefly indicate the research perspective and design. Then state your research question and aims/objectives-this must be the same as the research question used in Summative assessment 1.
Structured Abstract (300 words)
This should give a clear summary of the information presented in summative assessment 1 and of the approach and methods to be used in your proposed study.
Perspective and Methodology (1100 words)
This section will include a critical summary of your chosen research perspective (qualitative or quantitative) in relation to your research question and a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen methodology (e.g the quantitative design/ qualitative approach you will adopt, for example thematic, phenomenological, randomised controlled trial, cross-sectional survey etc.).
Methods (1000 words)
Critically discuss how you will conduct your study, including your population, sampling strategy and frame, data collection tools and data analysis. Issues of rigour/validity/reliability must be considered throughout, considering the strengths and limitations of these methods. Provide a draft example of your data collection instrument (questionnaire, interview schedule etc.) in an appendix (this does not need to be fully developed but should give some indication of where you want this to go). It is essential that the proposed methods are feasible given the time constraints of an MSc dissertation, the resources available to you and relevant ethical considerations (i.e. involving NHS patients requires lengthy ethical applications).
Recruitment and Ethical issues (500 words)
Discuss key ethical issues pertinent to your study as well as practical issues affecting participant recruitment, including access to the relevant population, gatekeepers, participant engagement etc.
Timetable and Dissemination of results (100 words)
Produce a Gantt chart which accurately reflects a plan for completion of your project based on the expected constraints of Master’s study one /two semesters (Full/Part time). Briefly explain where and how you intend to publicise the results of your study.
It is essential that this work is underpinned by relevant theory and evidence throughout.
NB. The title, reference list and any data collection tools in the appendix are excluded from the word count.
Option 2: Structured Literature Review Protocol
Title, Research Question and Aims (these are not included within the word count)
Provide a short, descriptive title based on your key research question or aim and which will briefly indicate the research perspective and design. Then state your research question-this must be the same as the research question used in Summative assessment 1.
Structured Abstract (300 words)
This should give a clear summary of the information presented in summative assessment 1 and of the approach and methods to be used in your proposed SLR.
Perspective and Methodology (1100 words)
This section should provide a critical discussion of your selected type of review (qualitative or quantitative). Include a critical discussion of your chosen approach and why this will best answer your study question. Critically describe the methodologies (i.e. the quantitative designs/ qualitative approaches and study designs) that are best placed to answer your question.
Methods: Literature Search Strategy (700 words)
This section should detail your search strategy by explaining how you intend to conduct your search. Include a critical discussion of the processes associated with searching and selecting primary research studies. Critically discuss your proposed databases, search terms (subject headings and keywords), and delimiters (including dates). Describe and provide a rationale for any limitations of the review (e.g. restricting your search to English language papers only, or not conducting a search of grey literature resources). Briefly discuss how searches will be combined using appropriate Boolean operators (e.g. AND, OR, NOT)). In this section, you should also justify your study inclusion/exclusion criteria (your inclusion/exclusion criteria may be presented in a table) and describe the screening processes for selecting the papers to include in the review.
Methods: Quality Assessment (400 words)
Identify an appropriate quality assessment tool (provide the reference to the source). Critically discuss your chosen tool and explain how you plan to conduct the methodological quality assessment of primary research studies using this tool. Discuss whether papers will be included/excluded on the grounds of quality – and provide your rationale for this decision.
Please include an example of the quality appraisal tool that you intend to use in your review as an appendix.
Data Extraction and Synthesis (400 words)
Identify and adapt or develop an appropriate data extraction tool (reference the source, if appropriate). Critically discuss your tool and any adaptations to it and explain how you plan to conduct data extraction using this tool. Discuss why particular data items have been chosen for extraction. Attach a template of your proposed data extraction tool as an appendix (this may be a draft of your final tool). Explain which approach(es) to synthesis you will consider and why these may be appropriate, supported by relevant references.
Timetable and Dissemination of results (100 words)
Produce a Gantt chart which accurately reflects a plan for completion of your project based on the expected constraints of Master’s study one /two semesters (Full/Part time). Briefly explain where and how you intend to publicise the results of your study.
It is essential that this work is underpinned by relevant theory and evidence throughout.
NB. The title, reference list and any data collection tools in the appendix are excluded from the word count.
Learning Outcomes being Assessed
- Critically evaluate the main differences between quantitative (inductive) and qualitative (deductive) approaches.
- Distinguish between different research methodologies and critically evaluate components that comprise each method.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the role and procedures involved in gaining ethical approval.
- Critically appraise the ability of different research methods to answer specific research questions.
- Devise and critically review data collection methods used in both qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Select and apply data analysis methods used in qualitative research.
- Select appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse quantitative data.
NB: not all learning outcomes (8, 9 & 10) will be assessed depending on the methods undertaken in the research protocol
Formatting
You should use a font that is neutral and easy to read. We recommend Calibri, Arial, Georgia or Gadugi. Font size should be 11 or 12, and your writing must use line spacing of 1.5 or double. Please number your pages, and only submit .doc or .docx files. Your essay should only be written in the 3rd person.
Word Count
Your word count includes everything from the first word of your abstract, to the last word of your timetable and dissemination of results section. It does not include your title and research question, reference list or appendices. Overall, there is a 10% leeway in word count so your final essay should fall between 2,700 – 3,300 words. For submissions that exceed the maximum word count, your work will incur a penalty of 10% of the final mark. There is no direct penalty for submissions that fall below the minimum word count. However, failing to use the word allocation you have been given limits your ability to fully engage with the research protocol.
Marking Criteria
Your essay will be marked using the rubric available to you on the GCU Learn module site and in the module handbook. Please take some time to familiarise yourself with what your marker will be looking for. Your marker may be your group facilitator, another member of the module team, or a member of the wider school faculty.
General Assessment Guidance
Submission through Turnitin
In accordance with the University’s Digital Assessment Policy and Online Similarity Checking Policy your summative assessment will be submitted online through Turnitin. Support and guidance on similarity checking on Turnitin and reducing the risk of plagiarism can be sought from your Learning and Development Centre courses and resources (see below), and also through this link. Where plagiarism is detected, this will be dealt with under the Code of Student Conduct.
There will be a Turnitin box available to submit your essay well in advance of the submission deadline. This box can be used as a draft similarity checker prior to submitting your final version. Turnitin can take up to 24 hours to produce a similarity report, therefore we caution against leaving it too close to the submission deadline if you want to use this facility. You may use Turnitin to check similarity as many times as you wish prior to submission. However, the Turnitin box will close on the submission deadline, and will not accept late submissions. Please, therefore, make sure you leave sufficient time to upload your final essay and plan ahead for potential computer, internet and/or life emergencies.
Feedback and Results
Feedback and your provisional (unratified) mark should be available to you within three working weeks of the submission deadline. For more information on feedback, please refer to the module handbook. Marks will be internally moderated, reviewed by the module external examiner, and ratified at the Programme Assessment Board.
Extension Requests
In the normal course of life you may occasionally experience minor illness, unexpected or adverse events which coincide with preparing summative assessments. These are part of normal life experience, and you are expected to manage and organise your university work in a way which anticipates that events will not always run smoothly. That said, there may be occasions when you face unexpected and exceptional difficulties which are beyond your control. In these circumstances you may wish to seek an extension to the submission date from the relevant deputy module leader for your programme (Ben Stansfield, Lisa Barr, Kate Mitchell, or Fiona McGrory). Extensions will usually be granted for no more than 5 working days, and the module leader may ask you for supporting documentary evidence with your extension request. All extension requests should be made by completing the extension request form and emailing it to ARMEnquiries@gcu.ac.uk in advance of the submission deadline. Further details are available in the University Assessment Regulations. Extension requests received too close to the deadline may not be able to be processed.