Research Methods

Comparison of two research papers
Word Count: 2,500 words
General Guidance
Your assignment should be word processed (handwritten assignments are not accepted), using time new roman size 12 font, double spaced, with numbered pages and your student number printed as a footer on every page.The word limits stated for this assignment excludes the reference list at the end of the assignment but includes all text in the main body of the assignment (including direct quotations, in-text citations, footnotes, tables, diagrams and graphs).Appendices are not considered a supplement, and thus, will not be assessed as part of the content of the assignment. As such, they will not contribute to the grade awarded, however it may be appropriate to use an Appendices section for any material which is a useful reference for the reader. Please note that appendices are not included in the word count.
The majority of references should come from primary sources (e.g., journal articles, conference papers, reports, etc.) although you can also utilise area specific textbooks. You must ensure that you use Harvard style of referencing.

Please indicate the word count length at the end of your assignment.

Learning outcomes assessed

1. Critically discuss the philosophical perspectives that underpin health and social research
2. Critically evaluate data collection techniques
3. Understand different approaches to the analysis of numerical and non-numerical data
4. Critically explore the ethical dimensions of research

Assessment Guidelines
You are required to write a 2,500 individual assignment comparing two published research papers – which are different in their philosophical and methodological approach – from the choice of one of the two contemporary public health topics provided below. The two research papers address a related research question but are underpinned by either a quantitative or qualitative research approach and employ different research methods. In the assignment you are required to:

1. Discuss the research approaches in the two published research papers; and
2. Debate the strengths, weaknesses and philosophical differences by describing, contrasting and comparing the underlying philosophical perspectives, ethical dimensions and methods of data collection and analysis in the two published research paper

The discussion must draw on the principles and debates presented in the first 3 weeks of the research methods module. All references must be listed and cited correctly.

You are directed to choose one topic from the options provided below:
Topic 1: Obesity among Libyan adults

1. Lemamsha, H., Randhawa, G., & Papadopoulos, C. (2019). Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Libyan men and women. BioMed Research International. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8531360
2. Lemamsha, H., Papadopoulos, C., & Randhawa, G. (2018). Understanding the risk and protective factors associated with obesity amongst Libyan adults: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 18(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5411-z

Topic 2: Public perspectives on COVID-19 vaccination in South Asia

1. Kumari, A., Ranjan, P., Chopra, S., Kaur, D., Kaur, T., Kalanidhi, K. B. et al. (2021). What Indians think of the COVID-19 vaccine: A qualitative study comprising focus group discussions and thematic analysis. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 15(3), 679-682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2021.03.021
2. Haque, M.M.A., Rahman, M.L., Hossian, M., Matin, K.F., Nabi, M.H., Saha, S., Hasan, M., Manna, R.M., Barsha, S.Y., Hasan, S.R. and Siddiquea, S.R. (2021). Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine and its determinants: evidence from a large sample study in Bangladesh. Heliyon, 7(6), p.e07376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07376