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Starting Out in Health and Social Care Research

Get step-by-step guidance on every stage of the research process to kickstart your career in health and social care research, with this online course from Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Duration

8 weeks

Weekly study

2 hours

100% online

How it works

Unlimited subscription

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Lay the groundwork for your research

Stepping into the world of research can be daunting. So it’s worth doing your research before you begin.

On this course led by experts in health and social care research, you’ll be guided through each phase of the research cycle. From formulating a question to publishing your findings, you’ll gain the knowledge you need to start out as a researcher.

Get advice on how to formulate a research question and take your first steps as a researcher

There are many ways to get involved with research. First, you need to decide what you’re interested in researching, and how much time you can devote to the task.

In the first half of the course, you’ll cover the basics of starting out as a researcher. You’ll learn how to manage your time, balance work and research commitments, and begin formulating that all-important research question.

Learn more about research funding and how to get approval for research projects

To turn your idea into a fully-fledged project, you’ll need to secure funding and apply for approval. In Weeks 5 and 6, you’ll delve into the nitty gritty of research funding, research ethics, and research governance.

Focussing on specific procedures within health and social care, you’ll be advised on how to get research approved and by whom.

Patient and public involvement and engagement is a vital part of health and social research today. In the final two weeks of the course, you’ll explore ways of involving the public in your project and ensuring its results reach as many people as possible.

From planning to publication, you’ll gain a detailed understanding of key milestones in the research process.

Free upgrade for UK NHS staff

A free upgrade of this course is available for NHS and NHS-affiliated staff. Details below.

Week 1
Getting started
- Welcome to the course
  During this first activity, you will be introduced to the course, find out about the course aims, learning outcomes and structure before, finally, being introduced to your educators.
- Preparing to study research
  You will be introduced to some key research concepts and policies, learn why research is important to health and social care, and explore the structure of a research paper.
- Reflection and close
  Listen to our early career research Jay's thoughts on what she has learnt this week, and Dr Tom Kingstone concludes week 1.
Week 2
Balancing work and research commitments
- Balancing professional commitments with research ambitions
  Explore strategies and tips for incorporating research into your current work commitments.
- Reflection and close
  Listen to our early career research Jay's thoughts on what she has learnt this week, and Professor Kay Stevenson concludes week 2.
Week 3
Getting involved in research
- The research process
  We introduce the week and you will explore the typical stages of a research project from start to finish. This will help to set the context when thinking about opportunities to get involved in research.
- Journeys into research
  In this section, you will have the opportunity to plan your own route into research. You will also hear from real-life health and social care professionals about their journeys into research.
- Reflection and close
  In this activity, we will reflect on and conclude week 3.
Week 4
Developing a research idea
- What's next for your research idea?
  In this activity we explore how to develop a research question and find out more about the different types of research.
- Research Tools
  In this activity you will be exploring some of the tools and techniques you can use to search for research content online.
- Reflection and Close
  Listen to our early career research Jay's thoughts on what she has learnt this week, and Claire Charnley concludes week 4.
Week 5
Finding and securing research funding
- Research funding
  Throughout this activity you will learn which are the main funding organisations for research in social care and health, how you can apply for funding and advice on how to best to complete funding applications.
- Reflection and Close
  Listen to our early career research Jay's thoughts on what she has learnt this week, and Professor Saeed Farooq concludes week 5.
Week 6
Obtaining approvals for research
- Research approval
  This activity will introduce you to the concept of research ethics, and research governance. You will also explore what is considered ethical good quality research.
- Research support services
  Here we focus on some of the services and initiatives that are available to help you to obtain the necessary approvals and enable you to deliver research in health and social care.
- Reflection and close
  Listen to our early career research Jay's thoughts on what she has learnt this week, and Frances Davies concludes week 6.
Week 7
Involving members of the public in research
- Members of the public and your research
  This activity will highlight the aims of involving the public in research, ways to support this within the research process and consider the impact of PPIE on the volunteers themselves.
- Reflection and close
  Listen to our early career research Jay's thoughts on what she has learnt this week, and Adele Higginbottom concludes week 7.
Week 8
Sharing research with others
- Article types
  Dr Paul Campbell introduces week 8 and we will explore the different types of publications.
- Getting your work published
  Throughout this activity, you will learn how to write a paper, how to get your paper published as well as explore how to disseminate your work.
- Reflection and close
  In this activity, we will reflect on and conclude week 8. We will also look back over the course and discuss your next steps into research.