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Service-Related Research for Professional Practice

Module description

This module allows you to put the research knowledge and skills you are learning into practice by undertaking a small quality improvement project (or similar) within your work environment, or a small piece of research related to your professional clinical practice. The module is intended to demonstrate applied skill in qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation in professional practice. This includes the application of skills including research design, feasibility, ethics and governance in applied settings, appropriate methodology, development of practice relevant research questions and appropriate research designs, implementation of methodology in applied settings, teamwork and collaboration in research, consultancy skills.

This module comprises one of the necessary modules for the Research component of the Professional Clinical Doctorates offered by Exeter University (including the DClinRes, DClinPsy, DPPClinPrac, DForenPsy and DClinPrac(Res)).  It has been benchmarked against standards for professional doctorates provided by the British Psychological Society for training programmes including Clinical Psychology and Forensic Psychology.  Alongside the Academic and Applied/Clinical modules, Research modules form the basis of training in the knowledge, skills, values and competences required to practise as doctoral level clinical professionals, and complies with HCPC and University Regulations for PGR Programmes see Chapter 10 of the Postgraduate Research Handbook https://www.exeter.ac.uk/about/governance/tqa/pgr/ 

Module aims - intentions of the module

The principle aim of this module is to develop your research knowledge through teaching, and applied practice of conducting quality-improvement (or similar) based research in applied settings. 

We aim to train highly skilled, ethical practitioners who are able to lead and challenge practices to promote equality, equity, anti-discrimination and inclusion in all areas of their research work, and who are able to involve effectively service users, carers, members of the public, commissioners, clinicians and other interested peoples to develop quality meaningful research.

Typically, the module will address the following questions:

1. How does research governance work in your area of practice?
2. How do you develop a quality improvement project then design, plan and apply it in your area of professional practice?
3. How do you negotiate with clinical services around the best approach to quality improvement/evaluation, and ensure the work is feasible?
4. How do you meet the competing needs of partners, clinicians and commissioners in applied research (e.g. requirements of the context, and professional standards/feasibility)?
5. How do you involve partners, clinicians and commissioners in the process?

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Assess and critically evaluate complex research relevant to your professional work to a high level
• 2. Apply research to solve complex problems in your professional area to an excellent standard.
• 3. Develop and apply a piece of evaluation or quality improvement work in a professional context to professional doctorate level that is relevant to your discipline.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Apply the core clinical/professional research methodologies and designs
• 5. Apply the broad principles of good research practice as specified in discipline relevant research frameworks and policies and negotiate complex research processes effectively.
• 6. Demonstrate ability to conduct a literature review using approaches appropriate to quality improvement or similar forms of applied research, including a high standard of evidence critique.
• 7. Involve service users and other partners, clinicians and commissioners (e.g. supervisors, other disciplines, collaborators) throughout the research process in a highly skilful and respectful manner.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Show good innovation, independence and confidence in undertaking research relevant to professional practice
• 9. Collaborate effectively with all partners, clinicians and commissioners (e.g., clients, service users, ethical bodies, providers of services) throughout the research process
• 10. Demonstrate excellent ability to act in accordance with the Research Governance Ethics frameworks, analyse and manage the implications of ethical dilemmas and work proactively with others to formulate solutions
• 11. Manage effectively participating in a research group culture, where appropriate, demonstrating an ability to take a leader role and participate in effective group working, to facilitate the work of the group, including handling conflict.
• 12. Function independently and self-critically as a learner, using a wide range of learning resources to guide and support the learning and development of others.

Syllabus plan

The syllabus is likely to include

• Introduction to a range of service-related evaluation, audit, and quality assessment methods and techniques
• Understanding the consultation process
• Managing working with competing agendas and needs to create useful and informative projects
• Understanding governance of research and related activities in service related research
• Engaging services in research and audit
• Assessment of feasibility
• Managing timelines in applied contexts
• Presentation of work using techniques accessible to people from a range of professional and non-professional backgrounds
• Leading challenging prior methods to promote equality, equity, anti-discrimination and inclusion in all processes of service-related research and evaluation.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

A tutorial with your supervisor is recommended prior to resubmission and you should contact them to arrange this.  Resubmission should include an amended version of the report with changed tracked  or highlighting showing changes, along with a letter to the marker outlining how the initial feedback has been addressed in the amended report.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic/suggested reading:

• American Psychological Association (2019) Publication manual (7th ed).  American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-guide.pdf
• Barker, C., Pistrang, N., & Elliott, R. (2015). Research methods in clinical psychology: An introduction for students and practitioners (3^rd ed.). Wiley.
• Bryman, A. (2015). Social research methods. Oxford University Press.
• Clark-Carter, D. (2010). Quantitative psychological research: The complete student’s companion (3^rd ed.). Psychology Press.
• Field, A. (2019). Discovering statistics using SPSS (6^th ed.): Sage.
• Harper, D., & Thompson, A. R. (Eds.). (2011). Qualitative research methods in mental health and psychotherapy: A guide for students and practitioners. John Wiley & Sons.
• Lepper, G, and Riding, N. (2006). Researching the Psychotherapy Process. A practical guide to transcript-based methods. Palgrave.
• Rohleder, P. and Lyons, A.C. (2015). Qualitative research in clinical and health psychology. Palgrave.
• Robson, C. (2002). Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner researchers (2^nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Other resources/ Web or electronic based resources:

• ELE – you can find methodology references, lecture PowerPoints (usually with references on the final slide) and guides to research on the programme ELE pages.
• Research methods presentations and tutorials.  Psychology Research Ethics Committee ELE site, e-Learning resources. 

Key words search

Small Scale Research Project