95746 Research and Evaluation in Indigenous Health
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): (60 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10360 Bachelor of Public Health OR 60 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10410 Bachelor of Public Health Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment OR 60 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10396 Bachelor of Public Health Bachelor of International Studies OR 60 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10441 Bachelor of Health Sciences Bachelor of Languages and Cultures OR 60 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10466 Bachelor of Public Health Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation) AND 95735 Indigenous Health and Wellbeing) OR ((42 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C09169 Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) OR 42 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10477 Bachelor of Psychology OR 42 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10478 Bachelor of Psychology Bachelor of Criminology)
Description
This subject introduces you to the foundations of research and evaluation with Indigenous peoples in Australia and more broadly worldwide. Students examine the foundations and practice of research and evaluation - philosophical, empirical, scientific, cultural, methodological, analytical, writing, ethics, and cultural safety. Students develop core research and evaluation skills from generating research questions, literature review management, engagement with First Nations Peoples, and journal article writing. Students engage in culturally safe research design so that research is co-designed with, and beneficial for, First Nations participants. The knowledge and skills learned from the foundations of developing graduate cultural capabilities that support culturally safe and respectful practice in research and evaluation with Indigenous peoples worldwide.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Analyse key comparative health indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people |
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| B. | Critically evaluate the impact of research methods and ethics on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public health policy or programs |
| C. | Apply the principles of economic evaluation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs with a particular focus on the allocation of resources relative to need |
| D. | Describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in historical context and analyse the impact of colonial processes on health outcomes through research |
| E. | Demonstrate a reflexive public health practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health contexts |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Promote and enhance the health of diverse groups through evidence-based advocacy strategies and techniques. (1.3)
- Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of health projects and programs. (2.1)
- Identify and use culturally sensitive and appropriate communication techniques aimed at improving health in diverse populations. (3.1)
- Facilitate meaningful collaboration between stakeholders to develop effective public health strategies. (3.2)
- Uses theoretical frameworks to strengthen community action and create supportive environments. (4.3)
- Assess and evaluate the relevance and quality of research in the context of specific health issues and populations. (5.3)
- Public Health graduates will have knowledge of health programs and policies to evaluate and inform professional practice and capabilities to work with and for Indigenous Peoples as reflexive public health practitioners (6.0)
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is delivered implementing Indigenous teaching and learning strategies which incorporates and respects Indigenous Allied Health Australia’s Cultural Responsiveness in Action Framework (Indigenous Allied Health Australia, 2019), the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research (NH&MRC, 2018) and current Indigenous led research in learning and teaching.
The explicit teaching and learning strategies from these sources include;
- Utilising imagery to visualising and understanding processes
- Working collaboratively, embedding stories and experiences into learning
- Learning in the local context
- Applying learning to professional contexts, innovating, problem solving and thinking laterally
- Working with community
- Reflective practice including self-awareness, critical reflection and accountability
Woven within all teaching and learning activities is Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing;
- Being, through giving and receiving, and carrying out all actions in relationships with others
- Doing, based on diverse information and tools, and principled and reflective action
- Knowing, from best available types of evidence, guidance of Elders and community, and respect for the learning journey
Content (topics)
- Culture is key – Overview of the centrality of Culture
- Introduction to research
- Critical thinking and writing within the academy
- The literature review
- The research process
- Research Proposal
- Methodologies and research design
- Ethical considerations
- Evaluation within research
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Professional Language Glossary
| Intent: | Learning a new language at any point in time can present the learner with unique challenges. The language of research is nuanced and can present challenges when trying to understand what is happening in research and the associated processes. Further to this challenge is the art of supporting people whom you wish to research alongside, to understand the language of research. For this task you are asked to write a glossary/reference chart to share with community members, this chart could potentially be used by both your peers within the health industry and community members who have had limited exposure to the language of research. The glossary/reference chart is to include the following ten (10) terms/phrases and the context in which you would use them. Student Learning Outcomes:
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B and C This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 3.1 and 6.0 |
| Type: | Demonstration |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 1500 words (+/- 10%) words plus references. |
| Criteria: | The terms must be presented in alphabetical order and include:
The glossary/reference chart is to include ten (10) terms/phrases from a list of fifteen (15) terms/phrases found within the course Canvas site. Please use the template provided within the course Canvas site. |
Assessment task 2: Academic Literature Review
| Intent: | The literature review is often the start of finding out about your topic area. The goal of this assignment is to understand the research literature review process and the image below (Figure 1) is one representation of the process, and many more visualisations are on (google images Links to an external site.). Figure 1: The process of the literature review (1) This assessment task requires you to conduct a literature review, with the following requirements:
I. Read this article about literature reviews: Green, & Bowser, M. (2006). Observations from the Field: Sharing a Literature Review Rubric. Journal of Library Administration, 45(1-2), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.1300/J111v45n01_10 Links to an external site. II. Read this literature review as an example of methodology: Griffiths, Coleman, C., Lee, V., & Madden, R. (2016). How colonisation determines social justice and Indigenous health—a review of the literature. Journal of Population Research (Canberra, A.C.T.), 33(1), 9–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-016-9164-1 Links to an external site. III. Read this article to learn about Indigenous community engagement in a systematic literature review process: Morton Ninomiya, Atkinson, D., Brascoupé, S., Firestone, M., Robinson, N., Reading, J., Ziegler, C. P., Maddox, R., & Smylie, J. K. (2017). Effective knowledge translation approaches and practices in Indigenous health research: a systematic review protocol. Systematic Reviews, 6(1), 34–34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-017-0430-x Links to an external site. Student Learning Outcomes:
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 5.3 and 6.0 |
| Type: | Literature review |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 1500 words (+/- 10%) words plus references. |
Assessment task 3: Annotated Bibliography
| Intent: | Research readiness. You should be well underway in establishing your research routine: Google Scholar alert, endnote import, reading schedule, annotated bibliography/literature review, and social media engagement. For this task, you will identify five (5) peer-reviewed journal articles on research with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples that have/had an impact on communities, you will examine the period the research was undertaken (history) and using the principles of economic evaluation articulate the value of the research on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs and annotate each piece (500 words per annotation). This may include but is not limited to health service delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the effect of government policies on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, communities, and families. This assignment will prepare you for the research process of retrieving material and applying critical analysis to the material retrieved. It builds on the second assignment task of the literature review. This assessment item requires you to collect scholarly research and thinking from a range of sources (hint, look at the resources that you have already accessed or viewed). Student Learning Outcomes:
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.3, 2.1, 3.2, 4.3 and 5.3 |
| Type: | Annotated bibliography |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 2500 words maximum. |
Minimum requirements
A total grade of 50% or higher is required to pass this subject.
Recommended texts
There is no prescribed text for this subject.
Readings will be linked to the learning modules and will be avaiable via Canvas.
Other resources
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Improve your academic and English language skills
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HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support)
HELPS provides assistance with English language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English should make use of the free services offered by HELPS, including academic language workshops, vacation intensive courses, drop-in consultations, individual appointments and Conversations@UTS (www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps). HELPS staff are also available for drop-in consultations at the UTS Library. Phone (02) 9514 9733.
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