MRes Translational Medicine Academic year 2012/2013 Division of ...

MRes in Clinical Research (Pathway in Translational Medicine) - Academic Year 2012-2013Guidelines for MRes research and final research reports (MRes Thesis)General GuidanceAll students will design and undertake a research project which will run for the duration of the twoyearprogramme for part time students or for one year for full time students. Your research projectconstitutes a significant proportion (70%) of your MRes degree, and therefore having a clearunderstanding of what is expected is essential. Firstly, you need to be clear about exactly what isinvolved in undertaking a Master’s dissertation and by what criteria it will be judged. Your studyshould make a contribution to the body of knowledge in your chosen field, or may replicate existingstudies. However, the time limits on your dissertation are such that, whilst this contribution can beimportant, it will, of necessity, be modest but worthwhile. Your dissertation should generallydemonstrate:• Clear aims appropriate to a Master’s level dissertation and to your professional situation• High levels of autonomy and responsibility in planning and executing research• The ability to present and justify a well structured research question• Extensive knowledge of and justification for the appropriate choice of methodology• Comprehensive understanding of and justification for application of the methods relevant tothe chosen methodology• Evaluation and management of confounding, bias, chance, and measures of association(quantitative study)• Issues of truthfulness and reliability (qualitative study)• The ability to analyse critically and interpret the results and findings of your study in thecontext of existing literature• Critical awareness of the limitations of the study and the impact of these on the results• Appropriate ethical and governance awareness both in planning and execution of the study• A depth of knowledge in the field of study appropriate for Master’s level• Critical evaluation of the implications of your research for future practice and researchPlanning and organising your workIn the first month students will select a research area after consultation with members of the coursemanagement committee. It is anticipated that the majority of students will undertake projectswithin their place of work, but projects can also be made available for students. Students will berequired to have a clinical supervisor and an Imperial College academic supervisor.Academic Supervisor: The academic supervisor will oversee the project, ensure that it is running oncourse in a systematic and academically sound fashion to yield a successful thesis, and provideadditional support as necessary.Clinical Supervisor (particularly relevant for MRes CRDM students): The role of the clinicalsupervisor is to assist and direct the research on a day-to-day basis. The clinical supervisor will benamed as the Chief Investigator on ethics applications as they will oversee the project and haveknowledge of the research area. The responsibility for the ethical aspects of the study therefore lieswith them.Although this may vary, it is expected that supervisors will be able to provide up to ten hours ofsupervision and so you should ensure that time spent with your supervisors is carefully planned.31