THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Health in Social Science : Clinical Psychology

Postgraduate Course: Research 1 (CLPS12036)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Health in Social Science CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 12 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryThis course is mandatory for all DClinPsychol first year postgraduate students. Research 1 provides the trainees with the skills necessary to develop a doctoral thesis proposal, covering quantitative and qualitative research methods, common statistical methods and ethical principles for conducting research within the NHS.
Course description Research 1 is a 40 credit course over the first year of training. The teaching is spread over blocks 1 and 2. The teaching for this course focuses on the skills required to develop a detailed research proposal, which is submitted in July of first year and will form the basis of your thesis project. This is a compulsory course for all trainees in their first year of training. The teaching provides an introduction to the areas in which the academic team will supervise research projects, psychometrics, quantitative and qualitative research methods, research ethics, managing projects and data and literature searches using University of Edinburgh library facilities. Teaching is delivered through lectures, workshops and online materials. There is also an emphasis on learning through group discussion. Teaching may be face to face or via online elearning technology. By the end of the course, trainees will be familiar with quantitative and qualitative research methods, have identified a thesis project area, a thesis supervisor, developed a research question, identified an appropriate methodology for testing the project's research questions and have devised a detailed proposal for the project, which can be easily adapted and submitted to the appropriate body for ethical approval. Information about session times and lecture notes can be found online.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2020/21, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 400 ( Lecture Hours 24, Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 10, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 10, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2, Other Study Hours 1, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8, Placement Study Abroad Hours 5, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 340 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Trainees will be required to submit a detailed written proposal of around 5000 words for a doctoral level thesis. This will include a rationale for the study with appropriate reference to the wider literature, a consideration of the ethical issues.
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different quantitative and qualitative research methods and be able to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for differing research questions.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of common statistical tests and be able to choose an appropriate test for different types of data.
  3. Demonstrate an awareness of and ability to reflect on the ethical issues in conducting psychological research with human participants and of conducting research in the NHS specifically, and how these issues can be addressed.
  4. Apply the above knowledge and skills to the development of a detailed research proposal for a doctoral level thesis project.
Reading List
General Research Methods
Barker, C., Pistrang, N. & Elliott, R. (2002). Research methods in clinical psychology: an introduction for students and practitioners (2nd edition). Chichester: Wiley.

Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (4th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Miles, J. & Gilbert, P. (2005). A Handbook of Research Methods for Clinical and Health Psychology. Oxford.

Morgan, G.A., Gliner, J.A. & Harmon, R.J. (2006). Understanding and evaluating research in applied and clinical settings. London: Erlbaum.

Quantitative Research
Brace, N., Kemp, R. & Snelgar, R. (2009). SPSS for psychologists (4th edition). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Clark-Carter, D. (2004). Quantitative psychological research: a student's handbook (2nd edition). Hove: Psychology Press (available electronically).

Dancey, C.P. & Reidy, J. (2011). Statistics without maths for psychology (5th edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Field, A.P. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS (3rd edition). London: Sage.

Hayes, A. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: a regression-based approach. New York: The Guilford Press (available electronically).

Lang, T.A. & Secic, M. (2006). How to report statistics in medicine (2nd edition). Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis (available electronically).

Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidell, L.S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics (6th edition). London: Allyn & Bacon.

Blunch. N. (2013). Introduction to structural equation modelling using IBM SPSS statistics and AMOS


Qualitative Research
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: a practical guide through qualitative analysis. Sage.

Flick, U. (2007). Managing quality in qualitative research. London: Sage.
Lewins, A. & Silver, C. (2007). Using software in qualitative research. London: Sage.

Smith, J.A. (2008). Qualitative psychology: a practical guide to research methods. London: Sage.

Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding that is generated through personal research or equivalent work that makes a significant contribution to the development of the subject/discipline/sector.
2. Apply knowledge, skills and understanding: In a range of standard and specialised research and/or equivalent instruments and techniques of enquiry, and, In designing and executing research, investigative or development projects to deal with new problems and issues
3. Develop original and creative responses to problems and issues, whilst, applying a constant and integrated approach to critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas, information and issues.
4. Communicate at an appropriate level to a range of audiences and adapt communication to the context and purpose, and, at the standard of published academic work and/or critical dialogue and review with peers and experts in other specialisms/sectors.
5. Demonstrate substantial authority and exercise a high level of autonomy and initiative in professional and equivalent activities.
KeywordsClinical Psychology,Research,Statistics,Thesis Proposal,Ethics,NHS
Contacts
Course organiserDr Paul Morris
Tel: (0131 6)51 3956
Email: P.G.Morris@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Timothy Abbot
Tel: (0131 6)50 8498
Email: Tim.Abbot@ed.ac.uk
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