Surveys and Qualitative Methods

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2014:

120 hours

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

This is a compulsory subject in the Master of Public Health. Public health practitioners need to be able to use and interpret a range of published research in order to gather evidence for practice, identify gaps in evidence and evaluate current practice. There is increasing awareness in public health practice of the important role that qualitative research can play in understanding public health problems, and commonly qualitative and survey designs are combined.

This subject will introduce students to surveys and qualitative methods - both the principles underlying design and the strengths and weaknesses of each method. It will cover surveys, individual interviews, group interviews and textual analysis. Each element of research design will be covered, from recognising research paradigms and sampling strategies through to the different types of analysis. Students will learn how to evaluate both survey and qualitative research as sources of evidence in public health.

On completion of this subject students will be able to:

• Describe the contribution of surveys and qualitative methods to public health
• Describe various research paradigms and reflect on how they impact on the design and conduct of research
• Understand the ethical principles underpinning public health research, and the particular ethical principles applying to research with indigenous communities.
• Select the appropriate survey or qualitative method for answering diverse public health questions
• Critically appraise the findings, strengths and weaknesses of published survey and qualitative research in public health

A short-answer written assignment of 1500 words due week 7 (35%), a written assignment of 3000 words due during the examination period (60%), and a critical reflection on achievement of course objectives through classroom and assessment activities (500 words, 5%) due during the examination period

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This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Upon completion of this subject students will have developed skills in:

• Critical thinking and analysis
• Problem-solving
• Finding, evaluating and using relevant information
• Written communication
• Persuasion and argumentation