Overview

The move to senior career grades and Consultant Pharmacist posts indicates the need for doctoral level qualifications to be the norm for those seeking promotion in this respect. A professional doctorate provides a rigorous programme of advanced study and research, equally rigorous to the purely research oriented PhD. It is designed to meet the needs of a practising pharmacy practitioner wishing to attain the highest level of professional and academic achievement, that is clearly relevant to their professional practice, will support them in producing a contribution to professional knowledge, and will enable their career development.

The module is a core module for Year 2 of the DPharm programme. It will provide participants with the theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of research designs, methodologies and methods for conducting doctoral research and enable them to make an informed choice to develop produce an initial analysis of the literature relevant to the student’s likely area of research for Stage 2 of the DPharm, formulate relevant research question(s) and provide a justified account of the proposed, or potential, research design and methods that will address the research question(s).

Module aims

The module will provide participants with the theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of research designs, methodologies and methods for conducting doctoral research and enable them to make an informed choice to develop a framework for their DPharm research project that will inform their final proposal for formal ethical review.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module you should be able to:

• Demonstrate a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.
• Make a judicious choice of research designs and methods, including sampling and analysis, in respect of particular research questions/hypotheses.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of research ethics and governance.
• Develop a robust research framework that shows you have the general ability to conceptualise and design a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of your discipline.

Entry requirements

This module will be open to pharmacy practitioners who are registered on the DPharm.

Module content

The majority of the learning materials will be delivered principally using distance learning which will include a module reader, online interactive activities, reflective activities for your portfolio, and self-assessment activities. There will be two face-to-face study days at Keele or other venue to complement the distance learning materials and provide workshop activities that allow interaction with other students and staff to develop further understanding of key topics and application of learning from the distance learning materials, and to share ideas and progress.

You are also expected to read extensively beyond the reading provided in the module reader, and identify additional learning opportunities (including external short courses, seminars) particularly to develop your understanding about methodologies and methods that you may wish to use in your Initial Study for Part 1 of the DPharm programme, and beyond into Part 2. You will cover concepts such as:

• The principles of research: The research process, literature review, choosing a topic, research questions, hypothesis, aims and objective, keeping records.
• Research Methods: Qualitative and quantitative research, survey methods and questionnaire design, qualitative methods, interview technique, focus groups, sampling for qualitative and quantitative research.
• Analysing data: Approaching qualitative data, principles of statistical inference.
• Validity, reliability and allied concepts.
• Research governance and ethics.
• Dissemination.
• Writing a proposal for DPharm ethical review.

Teaching and assessment

All the learning outcomes will be assessed in a written essay, the contents of which will contribute to the final proposal for the student’s DPharm research that will be required for formal ethical review.

The essay will be structured to include an initial analysis of the literature relevant to the student’s likely area of research for Stage 2 of the DPharm, the formulation of relevant research question(s) and a justified account of the proposed, or potential, research design and methods that will address the research question(s).