7HW169 Research Dissertation Handbook 2025 | UOW

Published: 30 Sep, 2025
Category Assignment Subject Education
University University of Wolverhampton (UOW) Module Title 7HW169 Research Dissertation

7HW169 Research Dissertation Handbook 2025

Table of Contents

  • Welcome
  • Purpose of this handbook
  • About the module
  • Module team
  • Learning outcomes
  • Assessment components
  • Teaching sessions
  • Timeline of research
  • Tips for exploring and developing your research topic
  • Research topics and target populations
  • Reading references
  • Research Ethics
  • Research outside the UK
  • Tips to be successful in the module
  • Supervision and Expectations
  • Appendix A 7HW169 Research Project Progress Checklist
  • Appendix B 7HW169 Risk Analysis and Assessment
  • Appendix C University Performance Descriptors for Masters degree
  • Appendix D 7HW169 Supervision log

Purpose of this handbook

We have prepared this handbook to guide you through your dissertation module. Before you start this module, we hope that you will read and use this document to familiarise with the journey of completing your dissertation.

This handbook is written to guide you through the dissertation module and it will:

  • give you a perspective on the flow and timetable of the dissertation module so you can plan your time accordingly and ensure to maintain a healthy balance between learning and other engagements like family, work, and leisure time.
  • introduce you to the roles and responsibilities that you, your dissertation supervisor and module team have for enabling the successful completion of your dissertation.
  • help to get you ready to start the module so you will understand the timelines and assessments of the module and develop a research project.
  • offer you insights on how to work with your dissertation supervisor to benefit from your professional relationship the most.
  • detail what you are expected to submit at different point of time in your dissertation module so you can have sense of control that is important for the successful completion of your research project and dissertation write up.

About the module

The Research Dissertation module (7HW169) is one of three core modules in the Master of Research in Public Health programme, carrying 120 credits, or 70% of the total degree weight. Spanning 52 weeks, 7HW169 is a year-long commitment that runs across the academic calendar, requiring independent study on your part to successfully meet all the learning outcomes successfully.

Learning outcomes

1)Demonstrate consideration of, and adherence to, professional/ethical guidelines in research and/or practice consummate with your specialist area.
2)Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate the evidence base for your topic area to provide a clear rationale and answerable questions.
3)Collate and analyse data using appropriate principles and techniques to address the project questions.
4)Produce research which demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of skills and knowledge appropriate to your area of study.

To meet these learning outcomes, you will plan, design, implement, and evaluate an independent piece of research in the field of Public Health. Through this process, you will demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and practical application of research methods to complete the project ethically and successfully.

Stuck Your 7HW169 Assignment ? Deadlines Are Near?

Hire Assignment Helper Now!

Assessment components

This module includes three assessments, all of which you must pass to successfully complete the module.

Assessment

Type

Grade weightage

(100%)

Assessment 1

A research proposal of 1,500 words (± 10%)

10%

Assessment 2

A dissertation report in the form of a journal article and written in 6,000-8,000 words. (Total up to 10,000 words maximum to include abstract,

appendices and supporting information)

70%

Assessment 3

An oral poster defence of your work (20 minutes)

20%

Submission deadlines for the assessments will be provided during class sessions and are

available on Canvas. To pass this module, you must successfully complete the assessments. If

you fail any of the assessments, you will have one opportunity to retake.

Teaching sessions

In the first semester, this module includes six taught sessions on campus. In Week 7, you will use the knowledge gained in the teaching sessions to develop a feasible research project and record the topic on SharePoint as directed. In Week 8, you will then be assigned a supervisor to support you to develop your project and start your research project. In addition to the taught sessions, the module team will provide online module meetings to support your progress.

Timeline of research

Over the 52-week module, you will be required to design and develop a research project addressing a public health issue and implement this plan to conduct an ethical investigation. To support your progress, an indicative timeline is provided (see Table 1).

Table 1: Timelines of 7HW169

Timeline

Tasks

Week 1- 6

Attend lesson weekly and develop a research question for a public health inquiry.

Week 7

Develop a feasible research project and add the details to SharePoint

Week 8

Contact supervisor to initiate supervision process to complete this module

Week 8  11

Working on research proposal.

Week 12

Formative assessment for Assessment 1

Week 13-14

Familiarisation with the research ethics application form and relevant documents

Week 14  16

Summative Assessment 1

Week 15-17

Prepare relevant research documents such as the data collection tool, Participant Information Sheet, Informed Consent Form, Cover letter for online surveys, etc.

Week 18

Formative assessment for research ethics documents. Share the research ethics

application and relevant documents with supervisor

Week 19

Review and improve research ethics documents

Week 20

Final research ethics documents submitted to Faculty Research Ethics Board

Week 21-23

Drafting Section 1 of Assessment 2 (Introduction which includes background, rationale, gaps, research questions or objective of the study)

Week 24

Formative assessment for Section 1 of Assessment 2

Week 25  26

Drafting Section 2 (Methods) of Assessment2

Week 27  28

Groundwork preparation for recruitment and data collection

Week 28

Final ethics outcome

Week 29

Formative assessment for Section 2 of Assessment 2

Week 29  38

Recruitment, Data collection

Week 39  41

Data analysis and interpretation

Week 42  44

Drafting Section 3 (Results) and Section 4 (Discussion) of Assessment 2

Week 45

Formative assessment for Sections 3 and 4 of Assessment 2

Week 46  48

Putting together the report, including an abstract of 250 words and a conclusion

Week 49-50

Develop poster and preparing for defence

Week 50

Formative assessment for Assessment 3

Week 51

Revise poster as per feedback

Week 52

Summative Assessment 2 and Assessment 3

We have provided Appendix A 7HW169 Research Project Progress Checklist to help you monitor your research progress. A completed checklist should be submitted as appendices with your second assessment.

Tips for exploring and developing your research topic

You will need to provide a research topic to start this module. Here are some tips to start the process:

  • Do you have a topic area or a public health issue that you are interested to investigate? This could be a gap that you observed in your work or as a community member. Avoid any topic area that is considered sensitive and involving patients and/or vulnerable population groups/individuals as listed below.
  • To decide if the identified topic can be developed into a researchable project, answer six questions in Table 2.

Table 2: Questions to explore a research project

Questions to explore a research project

Details

1. What is the topic of interest?

 

2. Why is it important that we research the topic/issue?

 

3. Who is the study population? Do I have access to the target population? How many participants/respondents would I need for my project?

 

4. Where do I intend to conduct the research?

 

5. When would the study take place? Consider the length of time that we would need to recruit participants and collect data.

 

6. What is the study design? Consider which methodology - primary study (quantitative, qualitative) or secondary study - is the appropriate

study design.

 

  • Review and refine your project using existing literature. Is your research project bridging a gap in the current literature or practice? Conduct a preliminary search on Google Scholar to explore if others have investigated the topic (in what specific area, population, location, methodology)
  • Develop a research question for your study.
  • Brainstorming with your module team to further develop a research question that is answerable and manageable.
  • Develop an in-depth understanding of the research topic using existing literature.

Research topics and target populations

We are unable to accommodate any dissertation subjects that involve:

  • Research involving vulnerable participants
  • research that may be considered offensive
  • research involving covert procedures
  • research that requires access to, or creates data about, individuals of a highly confidential nature
  • research that requires the administration of certain substances
  • research that would require the approval of another ethics committee
  • research that would involve individuals below the age of 18
  • research involving the National Health Service (NHS) Research Ethics Committee

Reading references

To develop your research knowledge and skills, you are expected to carry out independent study. Below is a list of references to support this development.

  • Andrews R. (2003) Research Questions. NY:Continuum
  • Aveyard H, Payne S, Preston N. (2016) A Postgraduate’s guide to literature review.
    England:OUP
  • Boland, A., Dickson, R., & Cherry, G. (2017). Doing a systematic review: A student's guide.
  • Bowling A. (2009) Research methods in health. OUP.
  • Dawson C. (2009) Introduction to Research Methods. UK: How to Books Ltd
  • McClean S, Bray I, d Viggiani N, Bird E, Pilkington P. (2020) Research methods for public health. Sage Publications
  • Ritchie J, Lewis J. (2005) Qualitative research practice. London:Sage Publications Ltd.
  • Vanderstoep SW, Johnston DD. (2009) Research Methods for everyday life. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Appendix A 7HW169 Research Project Progress Checklist

7HW169 RESEARCH PROJECT PROGRESS CHECKLIST

Timeline

Activities

Completed

Yes/No

Week 1-6

Attend lesson weekly and develop a research topic for a public

health inquiry.

 

Week 7

I have a research topic

 

Week 7-8

Contact supervisor to initiate supervision process to complete

this module

 

Week 8-11

Working on research proposal.

 

Week 12

Formative assessment for Assessment 1

 

Week 13-14

Completing the research ethics application form

 

Week 14-16

Summative Assessment 1

 

Week 15-17

Prepare relevant research documents such as Data collection tool, Participant Information Sheet, Informed Consent Form,

Cover letter for online survey etc.

 

Week 18

Formative assessment for research ethics documents. Share the research ethics application and relevant documents with

supervisor

 

Week 19

Review and improve research ethics documents

 

Week 20

Final research ethics documents submitted to Faculty Research

Ethics Board

 

Week 21-23

Drafting Section 1 of Assessment 2 (Introduction which includes background, rationale, gaps, research questions or objective of

the study)

 

Week 24

Formative assessment for Section 1 of Assessment 2

 

Week 25-26

Drafting Section 2 (Methods) of Assessment2

 

Week 27-28

Groundwork preparation for recruitment and data collection

 

Week 28

Final ethics outcome

 

Week 29-38

Recruitment, Data collection

 

Week 39-41

Data analysis and interpretation

 

Week 42-44

Drafting Section 3 (Results) and Section 4 (Discussion) of

Assessment 2

 

Week 45

Formative assessment for Sections 3 and 4 of Assessment 2

 

Week 46-47

Putting together the report, including an abstract of 250 words

and a conclusion

 

Week 48

Formative assessment for Assessment 2 (all sections)

 

Week 49

Refine and finalise assessment for summative submission

 

Week 50

Design poster and preparation for oral poster defence

 

Week 51

Formative assessment for Assessment 3

 

Week 52

Summative Assessment 2 and Assessment 3

 

*Please include this checklist in the appendices of your second Assessment submission.

Appendix B 7HW169 Risk Analysis and Assessment

Over-riding principles

The following are the principles that supervisors, project designers and Ethics Committees must consider when designing and approving student and staff research projects, which are to be undertaken outside the United Kingdom:

1.The health and safety of the person or persons undertaking the project and of the subjects of the research project should be a primary consideration.
2.Any legal liabilities and responsibilities that could arise out of the research project by reason of the local legal jurisdiction in which the project is to be conducted.

3.Researchers and Project teams must take account of cultural sensitivities and cultural differences and the extent to which these may impact on the research and its viability and validity.

4.Issues relating to the access to data sources must also be carefully considered. This is especially important for research projects that require access to children and vulnerable adults but must be considered in all situations where the data sources are human subjects. The issues to be considered by project teams include the circumstances in which data subjects might be coerced into participating in the project. Researchers and Project teams must also consider the question of informed consent and the way in which this is obtained from the data subject in jurisdictions, which, because of cultural differences, approach the matter of informed consent differently from the approach taken in the United Kingdom.

5.Language issues especially in relation to the collection, recording and reporting of data. It is important to emphasise that English is the language that must be used for reporting data. It is the responsibility of the researcher or project team to provide sufficient evidence, where the collecting and recording is in another language, of accurate translation. This may, for example, involve independent translation into English of consent forms, data collection instruments or other documentation used in the research. Ultimately it is essential for quality assurance purposes that the research supervisor and external examiners are able to verify all aspects of the research.

6.All data collected in relation to the research project must be secured at all times to ensure confidentiality. This is especially important during periods when the data or the media on which the data is stored is in transit.

It is recommended, that any research study incorporating research work outside the United Kingdom, that involves human subjects should only be considered after a risk analysis and assessment has been performed, with support from the supervisor. This document must accompany all research protocols that entail research outside of the United Kingdom. A template is provided below

Appendix C University Performance Descriptors for Masters degree

Grade Band

L7 (Masters Level)

90-100%

 

 

Outstanding

This work is outstanding and is of a standard which could be considered for future publication in a

professional journal. The work demonstrates engagement in a focused academic debate which presents a range of evidence underpinning a deep understanding of all the issues studied and a totally justified position. The work demonstrates a high level of originality with challenges to current theory and/or practice and specific, focused examples of contestability. There is evidence of a high level of synthesis of theoretical exemplars, underpinning principles, and practical interpretation. No obvious errors in referencing or grammar or syntax as appropriate.

 

80-89%

Excellent

The work is of an excellent standard and has the potential for future publication in a professional context. The work demonstrates engagement in an academic debate which presents clear evidence of a considered understanding of the professional issues studied, the approach adopted, and the position taken. The work enhances current theory and/or practice and displays a range of examples of contestability. There is evidence of clear synthesis of theoretical issues and practice. A critical analysis of theoretical models and/or practical applications has resulted in a distinct level of originality. Very few errors in referencing or grammar or syntax as appropriate.

 

70-79%

Very good

There is evidence of analysis and critique of concepts, models of key authors, rival theories, and major debates together with some evidence of synthesis. The work fully considers the complexity of the context in which it is situated and the impinging external factors; it takes cognisance of differing perspectives and interpretations and recognises dilemmas. Ideas are presented in a succinct manner and conclusions are well reasoned. The work shows an ability to critique the underlying assumptions upon which current views are based and to challenge received opinion. Few errors in referencing or grammar or syntax as appropriate.

 

 

60-69%

Good

The work demonstrates a capacity to express views based on sound argument and solid evidence in an articulate and concise way, and, where relevant, to put forward and make use of criteria for the judgement of theories and issues. There is evidence of effective engagement in a critical dialogue relating to professional practice, a clearly presented overview of an area of concern, and a comparative review of key authors, rival theories and major debates. The work demonstrates a willingness to question and to explore issues and to synthesise theoretical perspectives and practical application within a given professional context. Some small, repeated errors in referencing or grammar or syntax as appropriate.

 

50-59%

Pass

The structure and focus are evident and relevant to the assignment task. There is evidence of engagement with pertinent issues. Key authors and major debates are clearly presented and there is evidence of suitable basic reading. The work explores and analyses issues but is not strong on presenting synthesis or evaluations. The work is mainly descriptive but has achieved all the learning outcomes. Some repeated errors in referencing or grammar or syntax as appropriate.

 

 

40-49%

Fail

Whilst some of the characteristics of a pass have been demonstrated, the work does not address each of the outcomes for the specified assessment task. There may be little evidence of an ability to apply the principles of the module to a wider context. The work may be an overly descriptive account demonstrating only minimal interpretation, and very limited evidence of analysis, synthesis, or evaluation. No counterarguments or alternative frames of reference are generated or considered. There is evidence of sufficient grasp of the module’s learning outcomes to suggest that the participant will be able to retrieve the module on resubmission.

30-39%

Fail

The work has failed to address the outcomes of the module. There are fundamental misconceptions of the basis of the module. The work is mainly descriptive and shows little or no understanding of relevant theory. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that the author will be able to retrieve the assignment without retaking the module.

 

20-29%Fail

This work shows little or no understanding of relevant theory. There is little reference to appropriate

literature and no evidence of independent thought or criticality. Overall, the work is unduly descriptive and presents only a superficial grasp of the essential issues.

10-19%Fail

This work is not coherent and shows severe faults in referencing or grammar or syntax as appropriate. It includes unsubstantiated statements or assertions. It is unstructured and extremely badly presented. It is totally descriptive and lacks any attempt at analysis.

0-9%Fail

No real attempt to address the assignment brief or learning outcomes.

Achieve Higher Grades of 7HW169 Assignment & Raise Your Grades

Order Non Plagiarized Assignment

Are you struggling with 7HW169 Research Dissertation Assignment? You are at the right place. Our platform provides the best assignment help in UK. We have talented writers who can provide assignments without any plagiarism and 100% original content. You are confident that our Dissertation Writing Services will make you productive and help you achieve high grades in your academic year. No doubt about it! We also provide free University of Wolverhampton Assignment Samples for your guidance. Contact us now.

Workingment Unique Features

Hire Assignment Helper Today!


Latest Free Samples for University Students

ICT239 Web Application Development Assignment Sample | SUSS

Category: Assignment

Subject: Computer Science

University: Singapore University of Social Science (SUSS)

Module Title: ICT239 Web Application Development

View Free Samples

OST166 Understanding Leadership through Place-Based Education Assignment Sample | SUSS

Category: Assignment

Subject: Education

University: Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)

Module Title: OST166 Understanding Leadership through Place-Based Education

View Free Samples

BE469-7-SP-CO Managing Across Cultures Assessment Example 2025-26 | UoE

Category: Assignment

Subject: Business

University: University of Essex

Module Title: BE469-7-SP-CO Managing Across Cultures

View Free Samples

BABM1003 Accounting and Budget Management Assignment 1 Example 2025-26 | DMU

Category: Assignment

Subject: Management

University: De Montfort University

Module Title: BABM1003 Accounting and Budget Managemen

View Free Samples

ULMS55O Human Resources Management at Affluent: Academic and Practitioner’s Perspective Assessment 2 Example

Category: Assignment

Subject: Management

University: University of Liverpool

Module Title: ULMS55O Human Resources Management at Affluent: Academic and Practitioner’s Perspective

View Free Samples
Online Assignment Help in UK