This course aims to facilitate the acquisition, integration and synthesis of research skills, promoting high quality clinical, academic and research standards within a supportive environment.

This will include seminars, tutorials, and field work.

Regular contact with research supervisors will occur on a weekly basis:

1. Research supervisors will provide direct supervision of the research/ audit project in relation to patient care.

2. Research supervisors will ensure adequate time is available for the research project.

a) Phase 1: identification of research interest, 0-3 months

b) Phase 2: start write up of literature, 4-6 months

c) Phase 3: finalise material and methods and data collection protocol, 7-9 months.

d) Phase 4: conduct investigation, complete write up of material and method, 10-16 months

e) Phase 5: data analysis, write up results, 17-19 months

f) Phase 6: complete write up of discussion, 20-23 months, submit Thesis for assessment, 24 months

All other courses are excluded. Fixed curriculum programme

Assessment

Assessment of submitted research protocol (10%). End December, Year 2.

Submission of 15,000 word dissertation (50%), in the form of: audit; research; or literature review, with viva voce oral examination (10%). End June, Year 2.

Case report (30%) End June, Year 2

Reassessment

In accordance with the University's Code of Assessment reassessments are normally set for all courses which do not contribute to the honours classifications. For non honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students, and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions are listed below in this box.

To facilitate the acquisition, integration and synthesis of research skills, promoting high quality clinical, academic and research standards within a supportive environment.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate critical understanding of the range of design solutions used in quantitative research and audit.

2. Critically review the importance of methodological rigour in testing hypotheses and evaluating research quality.

3. Critically understand concepts of sample size, significance criterion, population effect size, and statistical power and the relationships between these constructs.

4. Evaluate the principles of confidence limits around the mean, measure of effect and size of effect.

5. Recognise the principles and procedures involved in the analysis of differences between two groups and between three or more groups/conditions.

6. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the basic principles of establishing reliability and validity of measurement.

7. Communicate with peers on the basic principles of regression analysis and analysis of variance.

8. Use a variety of specialist statistical programmes for evaluating data for the purposes of regression analysis and correlation analysis.

9. Communicate, using appropriate methods, to a range of audiences with different levels of knowledge/expertise.

10. Produce a well structured dissertation exhibiting familiarity with the literature, robust materials and methods, clear results, and satisfactory critical analysis of the data.

As this is a clinically related course thereby centred upon dental professionalism, students are required to attend all teaching/ clinical sessions, submit all course requirements and achieve the necessary summative and formative assessment requirements.