Explore UCD

UCD Home >

PHTY40980

Academic Year 2026/2027

Introduction to Research for Health Professionals (PHTY40980)

Subject:
Physiotherapy
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Hamish Fleming
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module builds on the student's prerequisite undergraduate knowledge in research methods and critical appraisal, and increases the breadth and depth of this knowledge in relation to study designs, methodologies, measurement properties and research processes. An overview of ethics and data management principles in research, are also provided.

The module is underpinned by the best practice guidelines in the research arena, including the Medical Research Council's framework for testing complex interventions, the Preferred reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA), the Consolidated Standards for reporting trials (CONSORT), the Consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative research (COREQ) and others. Students will work together in groups to develop a feasible research protocol, examine the ethical considerations in relation to this protocol and engage in fieldwork for the data collection.

Students will justify, by oral presentation, the research question they pose in the context of the available existing evidence, the feasibility of conducting this research and the ethical considerations. Research questions may pertain to (but are not limited to) assessment or treatment techniques, healthcare pathways, knowledge or understanding, attitudes or beliefs amongst clinicians or students of specific aspects of healthcare, healthcare professional education and other areas. Students will have formal contact with a research mentor who will oversee the fieldwork relating to the data collection associated with their proposal. At the end of the trimester, each group will present a fieldwork diary that details a Gantt chart for completing a research project that relates to their proposal, a reflection on the ethical considerations identified, a data management plan, and a summary of fieldwork conducted including times, activities undertaken and the data collected. This module fundamentally provides students with an understanding of the processes behind evidence- based practice, and how research guides and shapes our Physiotherapy clinical practice. Providing students with these important skills allows for a greater translation and application of evidence-informed Physiotherapy.

Mapped to CORU SoP: 5.5, 5.6, 5.29

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

Understand the importance of research integrity
Demonstrate a broad knowledge of research methodologies and ability to critically appraise different research methodologies in the scientific literature
Develop a justifiable and feasible research protocol including their proposed analysis strategy to address a research question
Demonstrate appropriate consideration for ethical and data management concerns relating to clinical research
Present a research protocol to their peers and academics from the University
Defend their methodology of choice in a research protocol with reference to the contemporary literature, best research practice guidelines and ethical and data
management considerations.

Indicative Module Content:

Introduction to research for health professionals, research integrity in practice, ethical considerations in research and data management/data protection principles.
Research methodologies, appraisal of methodologies and best practice guidelines in relation to systematic reviews, qualitative, survey-based and quantitative strategies.
Measurement and data properties.
Introduction to data analysis and interactive data analysis workshop.
Certificate in research integrity training
Designing a research protocol lecture and interactive workshop

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

2
Autonomous Student Learning

90
Small Group

2
Tutorial

2
Computer Aided Lab

2
Laboratories

8
Online Learning

2
Total

108

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
lectures
tutorials
workshops
computer-based laboratory tutorials
online content
mentored fieldwork

AI/Academic Integrity:
Staff may utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the programme to support teaching and learning and it will be clearly indicated if and when AI is used. Students are prohibited from representing work as their own that they did not write, code or create. Submission of AI-generated content to this module by a student without explicit permission and attribution is not allowed and it may reflect unacceptable professional behaviour. This may result in the initiation of a student disciplinary procedure in accordance with the “University Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Group Work Assignment: Student groups will present a research protocol outlining the justification for the study with
reference to contemporary literature, methodology and timeline for the study using a
Gantt Chart.		 Week 8 Graded Yes
70
 Yes
Portfolio: Each student presents a research portfolio detailing work undertaken and skills learned, field work, ethics, data integrity training, and provides a draft introduction and methods section for a paper. Week 14 Graded No
30
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

A workshop for protocol development is included in the module. At this forum peer feedback and formative feedback is provided. During the protocol presentations constructive feedback directly related to the protocol is provided. provisional grades are provided after the assessment and groups are invited to a face to face feedback session, should they request it.

http://www.casp-uk.net
http://www.cochrane.org/training/cochrane-handbook
http://www.consort-statement.org/
https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/coreq
http://www.equator-network.org/resource-centre/library-of-health-research-reporting/rep
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC0033
https://www.ukri.org/councils/mrc/
http://www.prisma-statement.org/

Name Role
Ms Susan Boyle Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Caitriona Cunningham Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Gabriele Infante Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Olive Lennon Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Gráinne O'Donoghue Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Keith Smart Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mrs Alison Brennan Tutor
Mrs Denise O'Callaghan Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Fri 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Computer Aided Lab Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Mon 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 6, 8 Mon 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2 Thurs 13:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3 Thurs 13:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 6 Thurs 13:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 6, 7 Tues 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Computer Aided Lab Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Tues 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 4 Tues 15:00 - 16:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.