CQUniversity Unit Profile
PBHL20006 Participatory Health Research
Participatory Health Research
All details in this unit profile for PBHL20006 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

Participatory Health Research is an approach to research that emphasises community involvement in all aspects of the research, from the initial ideas to the final dissemination of the findings. You will be introduced to and encouraged to critique a range of research approaches, methods and designs in this unit that would be appropriate to traditional research but which can be adapted to participatory health research. You will also be introduced to anti-oppressive methodologies, including feminist, decolonising and art-based approaches to research. Taking a participatory approach is important when undertaking research with First Nations Peoples, socially marginalised groups, and those who have experienced oppression. An essential part of undertaking research with these groups is the development of reflexivity and you will be encouraged to reflect on your own position and assumptions towards research and those who are researched.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 9
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisites:PBHL20001 Understanding Public Health PBHL20002 Systems Thinking in Public Health 

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 2 - 2021

Cairns
Melbourne
Online
Sydney

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 30%
2. Reflective Practice Assignment
Weighting: 30%
3. Group Work
Weighting: 40%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Have Your Say

Feedback

She uses many real life examples to help clarify topics and show how you can apply the theory to practice.

Recommendation

Continue to offer tutorial activities where tasks provide relevant learning foundations and then link to application of learning material.

Feedback from Have Your Say

Feedback

Assignments back in a more timely manner

Recommendation

Coordinate with tutorial staff to ensure more timely moderation schedules

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Critique strengths and limitations associated with different approaches to public health research
  2. Justify taking a participatory health approach to public health research
  3. Discuss the challenges associated with taking a participatory approach to public health research
  4. Critique public health research undertaken within First Nations Peoples' communities
  5. Evaluate the impact of anti-oppressive methodologies, including feminist, decolonising and arts-based approaches to public health research
  6. Determine appropriate quantitative and qualitative research designs for various approaches to complex public health issues
  7. Reflect on own positionality and assumptions related to public health research.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Written Assessment - 30%
2 - Group Work - 40%
3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 30%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment - 30%
2 - Group Work - 40%
3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 30%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Supplementary

Research Methods in Health

Edition: 3rd (2016)
Authors: Pranee Liamputtong
OUPANZ
ISBN: 0190304316
Binding: eBook

Additional Textbook Information

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Vivian Romero Unit Coordinator
v.romero@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 12 Jul 2021

Module/Topic

Public Health Research Purpose and Reflective Practice

Chapter

Green, J., 2014. What kind of research does public health need? Critical Public Health, 24(3), pp. 249-252.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 19 Jul 2021

Module/Topic

Traditional Public Health Research: Positivist Approaches

Chapter

Allsop, J., 2007. Competing paradigms and health research. In M. Saks & J. Allsop, (Eds.), Researching health: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. London: Sage Publications, pp. 18-24.

Clemens, S.L. and Lincoln, D.J., 2018. Where children play most: physical activity levels of school children across four settings and policy implications. Australian and New Zealand journal of Public Health, 42(6), pp.575-581.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 26 Jul 2021

Module/Topic

Traditional Public Health Research: Constructivist Approaches

Chapter

Allsop, J., 2007. Competing paradigms and health research. In M. Saks & J. Allsop, (Eds.), Researching health: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. London: Sage Publications, pp. 25-28.

Veitch, J., Bagley, S., Ball, K. and Salmon, J., 2006. Where do children usually play? A qualitative study of parents’ perceptions of influences on children's active free-play. Health & Place, 12(4), pp.383-393.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 02 Aug 2021

Module/Topic

Participatory Research Approaches

Chapter

Macaulay, A. C., Commanda, L. E., Freeman, W. L., Gibson, N., McCabe, M. L., Robbins, C. M., & Twohig, P. L., 1999. Participatory research maximises community and lay involvement. BMJ, 319(7212), pp. 774-778.

Ferguson, A., 2019. Playing out: a grassroots street play revolution. Cities & Health, 3(1-2), pp.20-28.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 09 Aug 2021

Module/Topic

Public Health Research and Indigenous Communities

Chapter

Martin, K. & Mirraboopa, B., 2003. Ways of knowing, being and doing: A theoretical framework and methods for indigenous and indigenist re-search. Journal of Australian Studies, 27(76), 203-214.

Parker, E., Meiklejohn, B., Patterson, C., Edwards, K., Preece, C., Shuter, P. and Gould, T., 2006. Our games our health: a cultural asset for promoting health in Indigenous communities. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 17(2), pp.103-108.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Individual Assessment 1 (Foundations) Due: Week 5 Thursday (12 Aug 2021) 7:00 pm AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 16 Aug 2021

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 23 Aug 2021

Module/Topic

Human-Centred Design Thinking and Health Research

Chapter

Robert, J. P., Fisher, T. R., Trowbridge, M. J. & Bent, C. (2016). A design thinking framework for healthcare management and innovation. Healthcare, 4(1), 11-14.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 30 Aug 2021

Module/Topic

Quantitative Research Designs

Chapter

Baum, F., 2016. Survey research methods in public health in The New Public Health, 4th edition. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press, pp. 186-200.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 06 Sep 2021

Module/Topic

Qualitative Research Designs

Chapter

Baum, F., 2016. Qualitative research methods in The New Public Health, 4th edition. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press, pp. 201-227.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 13 Sep 2021

Module/Topic

Arts-based and Creative Participatory Research Designs

Chapter

Coemans, S. and Hannes, K., 2017. Researchers under the spell of the arts: Two decades of using arts-based methods in community-based inquiry with vulnerable populations. Educational Research Review, 22, pp.34-49.

Hennessy, E., Kraak, V.I., Hyatt, R.R., Bloom, J., Fenton, M., Wagoner, C. and Economos, C.D., 2010. Active living for rural children: community perspectives using PhotoVOICE. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 39(6), pp.537-545.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 20 Sep 2021

Module/Topic

Anti-oppressive Research Approaches

Chapter

Abma, T., Banks, S., Cook, T., Dias, S., Madsen, W., Springett, J., & Wright, M. T., 2019. Acting for change: The generation of transformative action. In Participatory Research for Health and Social Well-Being. Springer, Cham, pp. 99-124.

Thompson, B., Molina, Y., Viswanath, K., Warnecke, R., & Prelip, M. L., 2016. Strategies to empower communities to reduce health disparities. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 35(8), pp. 1424-1428.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Individual Assessment 2 (Reflection) Due: Week 10 Thursday (23 Sept 2021) 7:00 pm AEST
Week 11 Begin Date: 27 Sep 2021

Module/Topic

Mixed Methods Research Design

Chapter

Tariq, S. & Woodman, J., 2013. Using mixed methods in health research. JRSM Short Reports, 4(4).

Events and Submissions/Topic

Group Assessment Due: Week 11 Thursday (30 Sept 2021) 7:00 pm AEST
Week 12 Begin Date: 04 Oct 2021

Module/Topic

Cultivating Co-creation: Transformative Action

Chapter

Langley, J., Wolstenholme, D., & Cooke, J., 2018. ‘Collective making’ as knowledge mobilisation: the contribution of participatory design in the co-creation of knowledge in healthcare. BMC Health Services Research 18(1), 585-594.

Eberhart, A., Slogeris, B., Sadreameli, S. C., & Jassal, M. S., 2019. Using a human-centered design approach for collaborative decision-making in pediatric asthma care. Public Health 170(2019): 129-132.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 11 Oct 2021

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 18 Oct 2021

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Individual Assessment 1 (Foundations)

Task Description

This is an individual task assessment. You will write short responses (250 words) to questions related to Week 2 through Week 5 content. You will apply your knowledge of the readings and the lectures. Specific questions and required reading material are located on the Moodle and will also be introduced during tutorials. Use references as appropriate.


Assessment Due Date

Week 5 Thursday (12 Aug 2021) 7:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 6 Thursday (26 Aug 2021)


Weighting
30%

Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria for this unit are in the form of a rubric, which is available from the Moodle site.

However, broadly you will be assessed on:

  • Explanation of research approaches
  • Critique of research approaches


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Responses will be uploaded to Moodle in ONE document during Week 5.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Critique strengths and limitations associated with different approaches to public health research
  • Justify taking a participatory health approach to public health research
  • Discuss the challenges associated with taking a participatory approach to public health research
  • Critique public health research undertaken within First Nations Peoples' communities
  • Evaluate the impact of anti-oppressive methodologies, including feminist, decolonising and arts-based approaches to public health research


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility

2 Reflective Practice Assignment

Assessment Title
Individual Assessment 2 (Reflection)

Task Description

This is an individual task assessment. You will be required to write a reflective essay (1500-2500 words). You will reflect on the application of your learning related to the readings, lectures, tutorials and prior assessments. You will be tasked to address these two points:

Your positionality and what you thought to be true in relation to public health research

How you would seek to undertake research with Indigenous communities


Assessment Due Date

Week 10 Thursday (23 Sept 2021) 7:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 12 Thursday (7 Oct 2021)


Weighting
30%

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria for this unit are in the form of a rubric, which is available from the Moodle site.

However, broadly you will be assessed on:

  • Application of a reflection framework
  • Demonstration of Indigenous research approaches


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Responses will be uploaded to Moodle in ONE document during Week 10.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Critique public health research undertaken within First Nations Peoples' communities
  • Determine appropriate quantitative and qualitative research designs for various approaches to complex public health issues
  • Reflect on own positionality and assumptions related to public health research.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

3 Group Work

Assessment Title
Group Assessment

Task Description

This assessment is a group project with an individual assessment. For this assessment you will justify taking a participatory approach to a public health issue through a powerpoint presentation. A problem must be proposed (whether a gap in knowledge or controversy in methodological approach). You will then present and defend the use of a participatory research approach drawing upon the unit material and other sources. Using examples from the literature, determine an appropriate research design (e.g. observations, photographs) and its subsequent impact on the community. Discuss the challenges associated with using a participatory approach. References should be a consistent Harvard format.

There is an individual component of this group presentation. This component asks you to reflect on your knowledge and activity contributions to your group. This submission will be completed individually by each member of the group. Through a brief submission, please address the following questions:

What knowledge did you contribute?

How did your contribution strengthen your group’s processes?

WORD LIMITS: The individual contribution should be no more than 500 words excluding references. You should include a reference section (Harvard style) to list the sources you specifically identified.


Assessment Due Date

Week 11 Thursday (30 Sept 2021) 7:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Review/Exam Week Thursday (14 Oct 2021)


Weighting
40%

Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria for this unit are in the form of a rubric, which is available from the Moodle site.

However, broadly you will be assessed on:

  • Defining the problem
  • Presenting and defending a participatory research approach
  • Explaining methodology and research design
  • Contribution to group goals


Referencing Style

Submission
Online Group

Submission Instructions
Presentation and individual contribution to be uploaded to Moodle by each student.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Critique strengths and limitations associated with different approaches to public health research
  • Justify taking a participatory health approach to public health research
  • Discuss the challenges associated with taking a participatory approach to public health research
  • Evaluate the impact of anti-oppressive methodologies, including feminist, decolonising and arts-based approaches to public health research
  • Determine appropriate quantitative and qualitative research designs for various approaches to complex public health issues


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?