HSCI 598 Advanced Health Sciences Research: Design and Methods
This course will allow students to carry out an in-depth research project in the Health Sciences. Students will gain experience searching relevant literature, developing research questions/hypotheses, and designing a research plan and methods, as well as developing preliminary skills in using the methods.
Note: The primary difference between HSCI 598 (240 hours) and HSCI 592 (120 hours) is the number of hours the student is expected to spend on the project, which corresponds to an expected increase in the scope of the research project.
Please review our guide about getting started on a Bachelor of Health Sciences research course here
Minimum 4th year (level 4) standing, a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher, registration in the BHSc Program, and acceptance by a supervisor.
Note: Department consent is required to enroll.
No more than 12.0 units from HSCI 591/3.0; HSCI 592/3.0; HSCI 593/3.0; HSCI 594/3.0; HSCI 595/3.0; HSCI 598/6.0; HSCI 599/6.0.
Group sessions and working with a research supervisor and their research staff.
After completing BHSC 598, students will be able to:
- Conduct an in-depth literature search in the health sciences to develop and rationalize a specific research questions, hypothesis, and/or phenomenon
- Develop a detailed research plan in order to appropriately address and/or test a research question, hypothesis, and/or phenomenon
- Justify and defend the research question, hypothesis, objectives, methods and experimental plan
- Demonstrate skill in research methods to be used in the research project
- Communicator (A1 and A2)
- Leader
- Advocate
- Scholar (A1 – A3)
- Professional (A2 and A3)
- Collaborator (A2)
- Content Expert (A1 and A3)
Assessment 1 – Literature Review (30%)
The literature review is broken down into two parts. Part 1, counting for 5% of the total grade for the course, will consist of an outline indicating the topics that will be discussed in the literature review, with justification as to why these topics are important to include. Part 2, counting for 25% of the total grade for the course, will consist of a written report in the form of a literature review (max. 10 double-spaced pages), where the final paragraph of the review can speak to the specific objectives of your project and how it will address a gap in knowledge in this research area.
Assessment 2 – Research Performance (30%)
Students will be graded on their initiative, effort, dedication and research proficiency in working on their project.
Assessment 3 – Research Proposal Presentation (40%)
Students will conduct a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation followed by 10 minutes of questioning, demonstrating their ability to communicate their background information, rationalization for their proposed research, intended research design/methods, and may choose to present any preliminary data that has been attained.
Students can expect to spend approximately 22 to 24 hours per week working on this course independently, in conjunction with their supervisor, or during in-person sessions.
Weekly in-person sessions/modules – 40 hours
Conducting Research and working on assignments – 200 hours