Quality of Life Research

Studiewijzer 2018/2019

Globale inhoud

A basic requirement for academically trained graduates is that they be able to conduct research independently. After learning about the relationships between quality of life and our physical and social environments in blocks 1 and 2 you will now engage in a concrete research project to find out more about the topic yourself.

In the Quality of Life research you are challenged to bring in all the relevant skills that you have acquired during the first year, and put them into practice. You need to build upon both your academic and your research skills, such as processing scientific literature, developing an adequate problem definition, choosing appropriate methods and laying down your findings in a comprehensible and argumentatively strong report. By actually putting into practice your acquired knowledge of various research methods and techniques, both quantitative and qualitative, you will be learning by doing it yourself. 

You start by preparing a coherent research proposal on a relevant quality of life topic. This will serve as a plan for the actual research, but also as an instrument to reflect on the various choices as a researcher, from the identification of a relevant topic to the selection of your methods. You will then carry out the proposed research through qualitative and quantitative methods for collecting and analysing data. The results will be presented and discussed in a coherent research report and final presentation.

Studiemateriaal

Literatuur

• Walliman, N. (2011). Research Methods: The Basics. New York: Routledge. The book is available from studystore, amazon or google.

Leerdoelen

• Have gained experience and insight in the research cycle, including:
  • Formulating a problem definition, including an objective and a relevant and clearly demarcated research question.
  • Designing a research, i.e. conceptualizing relevant theories and key concepts related to the chosen topic, operationalizing these concepts, and choosing methods of data collection.
  • Identifying, collecting, opening up and analyzing data sources.
  • Interpreting the findings and evaluating the research results according to how ‘quality of life’ has been conceptualized. 
• Are trained to independently apply the academic skills acquired earlier during the year:
  • Finding and processing scientific literature.
  • Developing an adequate problem definition and research question.
  • Reporting research results in an academic manner (written, visual and oral).
• Are trained to independently apply research methods and techniques learned earlier during the year:
  • Qualitative methods, e.g. interview and stakeholder analysis, as were taught in the course Kwaliteit van Leven.
  • Quantitative methods, e.g. designing a survey and doing statistical analysis during R, as were taught in the course Verzamelen, Visualeren & Analyseren;
  • Digital data analysis learned during the course Virtual Globe,
• Have learned how to effectively work in a collaborative research project, including:
  • Planning and organizing research tasks.
  • Independently carrying out tasks assigned by the group.
  • Reflecting on the collaboration itself and on the personal role and involvement in the group process.

Onderwijsvormen

• Hoorcollege
• Werkcollege
• Veldwerk/excursie
• Presentatie/symposium
• Zelfstudie

Own studies prepares your for both lectures and tutorials.

Lectures provide basic material for each week's activities.

Tutorials provide: specific material for the week's activities, opportunities for feedback and to practice survey and interview techniques.

Field work generates data for analysis.

Verdeling leeractiviteiten

Aanwezigheid

Aanwezigheidseisen opleiding (OER-B):

• In geval van een practicum is de student verplicht ten minste 90% van de practicumbijeenkomsten bij te wonen en zich op deze bijeenkomsten terdege voor te bereiden, tenzij anders aangegeven in de studiehandleiding of studiewijzer van het vak. Indien de student minder dan 90% heeft bijgewoond dient het practicum opnieuw te worden gevolgd.
• In geval van werkgroepbijeenkomsten is de student verplicht tenminste 90% van de werkgroepbijeenkomsten bij te wonen en zich op deze bijeenkomsten terdege voor te bereiden, tenzij anders aangegeven in de studiehandleiding of studiewijzer van het vak. Indien de student minder dan 90% heeft bijgewoond, kan het vak niet worden afgerond.
  

Aanvullende eisen voor dit vak:

Attendance of tutorials is compulsory. You may miss at most one tutorial. Please notify your tutor IN ADVANCE if you are unable to attend a tutorial. 

Toetsing

Final grades comprise the following: research proposal (25%), presentation (15%), final report (50%, participation (10%).

Passing grades (i.e. >5.5) for both the research proposal and the final report are necessary to pass the course. Both may be revised should the initial version be deemed insufficient for a passing grade. Revised research proposals and reports, if deemed sufficient, will receive a maximum grade of 6. Students whose revised proposal and/or report is still deemed to be insufficient, will fail the course. 

Graded assignments submitted late will lose 0.5 points per day late.

The participation grade comprises: 1) points scored for submitting assignment on or before the deadline; 2) evaluation by group members of their performance and contribution to the group's final products.

Toetsmatrijs (studentenversie)

Opdrachten

Assignment 1 (group assignment, not graded): Problem statement with research question, planned structure of research proposal, and literature used. Tutors will provide feedback via Canvas within two working days.

Assignment 2 (group assignment, not graded): Draft research proposal, with revise problem statement and research question (as needed), research methods (emphasis on the survey and survey questions), and initial plan of activities.

Assignment 3 (group assignment, worth 25%): Research proposal (including survey questions). Tutors will provide feedback via Canvas within two working days. Groups whose proposals are insufficient will be notified first to allow time for revision. If the revised version is still considered insufficient, the students will fail the course.

Assignment 4 (group assignment, not graded): Group survey data in Excel, plan for analysis, and topic list for interview questions. Tutors will provided feedback during tutorials.

Assignment 5 (group assignment, not graded): Interview transcriptions and coding. Tutors will provide feedback during tutorials.

Assignment 6 (group assignment, not graded): Draft structure for final report including the first complete drafts of the introduction, conceptualisation and method sections. Tutors will provide feedback within two working days.

Group presentation (worth 15%): Presentation of research results

Assignment 7 (group assignment, worth 50%): Final research report.

Fraude en plagiaat

Dit vak hanteert de algemene 'Fraude- en plagiaatregeling' van de UvA. Hier wordt nauwkeurig op gecontroleerd. Bij verdenking van fraude of plagiaat wordt de examencommissie van de opleiding ingeschakeld. Zie de Fraude- en plagiaatregeling van de UvA: http://student.uva.nl

Weekplanning

Rooster

Het rooster van dit vak is in te zien op DataNose.

Vakevaluatie afgelopen jaar

Vanaf 2013-2014 hebben we ervoor gekozen om d.m.v. onderstaande tabel de studenten meer inzicht te geven in de kwaliteitszorg. Daarom nemen we een korte weergave van de studentenevaluatie op en de daaruit voortvloeiende acties ter verbetering van het vak.

Contactinformatie

Coördinator

• Alison Gilbert

Docenten

• Els Aarts
• Elmar Becker MSc
• Jasper Steenvoorden
• Mieke van Vemden
• Jordy Willems (coordinating tutor)