| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Qualitative Health Research |
| Unit ID: | HEALT7000 |
| Credit Points: | 30.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060301 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit will enable students to explore and discuss qualitative research and the specific paradigms associated with contemporary qualitative research. The theoretical standpoints that qualitative researchers adopt according to the nature of the research question to be answered will be identified including interpretative, postmodern, constructivism, and critical approaches. Students will explore the processes involved in planning a qualitative research project. Students will learn about a variety of research designs that describe and give meaning to life experiences such as phenomenology, ethnography, and grounded theory. Research methods that include qualitative sampling, data collection methods and data analysis techniques will also be explored and consideration given to the place of qualitative theory within the mixed method research paradigm. The principles and practices of establishing trustworthiness and/or rigour in qualitative research will be identified and discussed. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | |  | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Evaluate the core philosophical principles that underpin the various standpoints that are common to qualitative research |
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| K2. | Appraise critically the theoretical consistency between an identified research question and the selected philosophical standpoint inclusive of research originating from a mixed method paradigm |
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| K3. | Justify the links between a qualitative research design and establishing rigour in qualitative inquiry |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Implement critical thinking skills and inquiry strategies for the analysis of quality, trustworthiness and rigour within qualitative research informing the health sciences |
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| S2. | Critically examine the methodologies associated commonly with the qualitative research paradigms used to investigate questions of significance to health sciences |
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| S3. | Synthesize ethical issues in qualitative research and define the particular ethical principles that apply to research within the practice-based health sciences |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply an advanced understanding of the complex philosophical foundations that underpin qualitative research to and an ability to expressing them lucidly in writing and orally, |
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| A2. | Synthesize a research proposal informed by qualitative principles that demonstrates an advanced level understanding of theoretical consistency between research question, research design and philosophical standpoint for implementation, |
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| A3. | Critically appraise the findings, strengths and weaknesses of published qualitative research in practice based health sciences |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: Purpose of qualitative research in health sciences Theoretical foundations of contemporary qualitative research paradigms inclusive of how these foundations inform mixed method research Principles of establishing rigour and / or trustworthiness in qualitative research Qualitative sampling techniques and data collection techniques Approaches to data analysis and the synthesis of qualitative findings Establishing philosophical consistency between research question, qualitative paradigm and research design Developing qualitative research proposals for implementation Communicating qualitative research findings in the health science sector |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 | Critical appraisal of selected pieces of published qualitative inquiry from a relevant area of health sciences research from a variety of theoretical paradigms inclusive of the mixed method paradigm. | Critical Appraisal Research Methodology | 20 - 40% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 | Develop a research proposal for application underpinned by a qualitative theoretical principles to inform a piece of research / scholarship in a specific area of health sciences. | Qualitative Research Proposal | 60 - 80% |
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