TASK DESCRIPTION

Summative Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines:

Write a report of 1500 words in which you critically review two pieces of research that you found during your literature search. One should include quantitative research methods and the other qualitative research methods.

Write a 500 word reflective evaluation of your own learning during this course. Complete all activities identified in the website.

Planning your report:

Start by making a note of the number of words you have to write and divide between the various activities

i.e. 2000 words in total:

500 words for the reflection 1500 for the critique

Starting with the 1500 worded critique think about the main components of the report, usually everything starts with a clear introduction. Keep this very clear but short, don’t use up too many of your words for this part of the Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines.

What should a good Introduction include:

Keep short, (150 words no more), the introduction is important but will gain very few marks by comparison with the main body of the Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines.

A possible structure for an introduction may be:

A simple introduction to an Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines has four parts

1. Introduces the topic

• States why the topic is important

• States that there is a difference of opinion about this topic (an in this case different ways of looking at the topic)

Describes how the Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines t will be structured (that is what the reader can expect)

Main body of assignment

Split the words equally between the two sections of the report, that is the quantitative and the qualitative approaches to research articles.

Ensure that you have used a validated critical appraisal tool and that you can reference this,( include in the introduction.) You will use this tool to analyse the research article, in order to do this you can use the CASP critical appraisal tools that I introduced you to in a previous tutorial, or you could use the chapter called ‘Critical Analytical Thinking’ from Stella Cottrell, which explains how to read research evidence and what to look for very well. I will add some additional articles to help also.

Split your reports into paragraphs (usually about 200 words per paragraph) and decide upon the focus of the paragraph, so for each study this may be:

• Overview/ background to the study (critique the context for the study )
• Research methods used and participants included in the study (critique the approaches taken by the authors)
• Results, discussion and claims of the study.(critique the findings and how they relate to the methods used etc)

Using your critiquing tool and your knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods analyse the approaches used by the authors. You will find the book by Mek and Moule very helpful here so that you are clear about the different kinds of research. Any research methods for Health and Social Care book will be helpful however.

Having analysed the articles then tell the reader in a clear way what you have decided in relation to whether you feel that this is a piece of evidence that will influence your professional practice.

For example your writing may look rather like this:

Barker (2009) states that when selecting participants to be included in a qualitative study it is usual they have had experience of the phenomenon being studied. In the study by (your study) the participants were (describe them ) and they all shared experience of (the phenomenon). However the experiences varied and in some cases the experience was of greater duration than others (give an example). Therefore I feel that this affects the quality of the study.

You are not expected to understand statistics but do try to read the numbers and make judgements about whether they make for strong evidence.

Remember that you are NOT comparing research methods, but analysing their uses as a way of looking at your topic in different ways. Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines

Write a good conclusion:

Writing conclusions

Just as your introduction is the first impression your reader will have of your writing, your conclusion is the last. A good conclusion will show that you have successfully answered the question or completed the task set.

Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines

• A good conclusion should:

be more than just a summary. It should be a thoughtful end to a piece of writing; for example, by applying what you have written to the outside world.

emphasize or reinforce your main ideas, but with your ideas restated in a fresh way: don’t use the same language again. You should refer back to your introduction, either with key words or parallel concepts and images.

fit in with the rest of the Academic Prep Assignment Guidelines. Different types of writing require different types of conclusion. A short piece will probably not require extensive restatement of your main points, whereas a longer piece probably will.

perhaps include a provocative question or two; evoke vivid images or use quotations if appropriate.

if appropriate, suggest results or consequences or make a call for some sort of action. make predictions or suggest solutions, again if appropriate.

• A good conclusion should NOT:

include completely new ideas. If they’re important, include them in your main text.

be apologetic! Be confident with what you say: avoid phrases such as: “I may not be an expert

..” or “At least this is my opinion” focus on minor points.

qualify the impact of any previous points.

Many tutors would argue that the conclusion is the most important part of your writing. It is where you can demonstrate once and for all that you are in control of your ideas and material and that you have thought of the implications and issues involved. Don’t worry if writing your conclusion leads you to re-writing other parts of your text. Prep Assignment Guidelines This is in fact a good sign!

Don’t forget your reference list. Go To Home Page

Reflection piece

Do not try to evaluate the course in this section. You should try to talk about yourself and your development over the time of the Academic Prep course. Consider, what how you felt at the beginning, what you have learned, what has helped /hindered your learning, and how you will transfer your learning to future courses.

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