Module: Quantitative Research Skills

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Quantitative Research Skills
Module Code	NUR1039 (ITS: NS296)
Faculty	Nursing, PsyT & Comm Health	School	Science & Health
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

This module will broadly examine quantitative methods commonly used in health research. It will focus particularly on survey design and planning, including ethical considerations. The module will provide students with fundamental skills to enable them to collect and conduct analyses on basic quantitative data. Students will learn how to identify a researchable question, research objectives, develop a survey, perform basic data analysis, and how to report results.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify quantitative research questions related to health and societal concerns
2. Identify research objectives for a quantitative study
3. Design a survey, devise questionnaires, collect data and report on results
4. Demonstrate an understanding of basic statistical techniques
5. Analyse data using basic descriptive and inferential statistics
6. Understand ethical principles and requirements for conducting research

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	18	No Description
Workshop	6	Data analysis workshops using SPSS
Assignment Completion	10	Workbook completion
Assignment Completion	50	Research project
Independent Study	41	No Description
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	11259	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Marcia Kirwan	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Survey research project: Identification of research question and objectives, design of a short questionnaire, administration to class peers, analysis using SPSS and Research Report	70%	n/a
Assignment	SPSS in-class test	30%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Research methodologies and designs
Revising, and expanding upon, prior student learning on quantitative research designs and methodologies.

Quantitative research questions in health research
Exploring the significance of research questions and practicing the formulation of such questions

Devising questionnaires
Examining the practical steps in devising questionnaires.

Conducting surveys
Exploring the place of surveys in health research and practicing some survey research.

Doing quantitative analysis
Focusing on practice in basic approaches to quantitative analysis and results reporting.

Ethics in health research
Exploring the ethical issues and dilemmas that emerge in health research.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Bowling, Ann: 2014, Research Methods In Health: Investigating Health And Health Services, McGraw-Hill Education (UK), 536, 9780335262748
Judith Bell,Stephen Waters: 0, Doing Your Research Project, 9780335243389
Julie Pallant: 2020, SPSS Survival Manual, 7th, Open University Press, London, 9781003117452
David E Gray: 2018, Doing Research in the Real World, SAGE Publications Limited, 824, 147394726X
Gorard S.: 2021, How to make sense of statistics, Sage, London,
Erin Ruel,William Edward Wagner, III,Brian Joseph Gillespie: 2015, The Practice of Survey Research, SAGE, 360, 9781452235271
Tom Clark,Liam Foster,Alan Bryman,Luke Sloan: 2021, Social Research Methods 6E, Oxford University Press, 704, 9780198796053

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None