FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES - 2022/3
Module code: MHUM015
Module Overview
This module will provide a broadly-based review of current methods employed in food and nutrition, with hands on practical aspects in statistics, epidemiology, study design, body composition and dietary intake measurements as well as experience in scientific writing and critical reviews.
Module provider
School of Biosciences
Module Leader
OLOYEDE Bolanle (Biosciences)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 7
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 120
Lecture Hours: 30
Module Availability
Semester 1
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
None
Module content
Indicative content includes: Overview of key aspects of scientific study design, Description and practical application of epidemiological studies, Assessment and practical experience of body composition measurements, Assessment and practical experience of dietary assessment tools, Overview and practical use of different techniques in food and nutritional sciences, Understand the application and background to epidemiology and its implications for public health nutrition, Be able to undertake a critical analysis of the design and implementation of intervention projects and statistical analysis of datasets. Practical Statistical Coursework feedback and revision tutorials
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework - Statistics (1500 words) | 30 |
| Examination Online | ONLINE (OPEN BOOK) EXAM (2 HOURS) WITHIN A 4 HOUR WINDOW | 70 |
Alternative Assessment
NONE
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking, understanding of the taught topics and extra reading
Thus, the assessment strategy for this module consists of:
Coursework Practical on Statistics (Submission of 1500 word report with practical analysis of a dataset and
simple/applied Statistics in either Food or Nutrition Sciences).
Submission deadline 3 weeks after the lecture/practical has run
Final exam (linked to all learning Outcomes)
Formative assessment and feedback:
Feedback on essays (written feedback on essay and one-to-one feedback, as requested)
Generic post-coursework feedback (on-line)
Feedback on final exam (written feedback on exam scripts, one-to-one feedback, as requested, with generic online feedback)
Module aims
- To provide a broadly-based review of current methods employed in food and nutrition sciences research including systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- To provide theoretical frameworks for the applications of experimental techniques and provide bases for selection of appropriate experimental methods in food and nutrition sciences
- To provide an understanding of the terms epidemiology and nutritional epidemiology, introduce the important scientific concepts in study design, research protocol development and calibration of methods of investigation
- To introduce the important design strategies and interpretation of food and nutritional epidemiological studies and other relevant data and databases together with an understanding of key statistical issues including sampling, study size and statistical power
- To demonstrate analysis and evaluation of data; application of statistical methods and use of computer packages
- To provide a framework to understanding the important concepts in the design and implementation of intervention projects and the methods required for monitoring and evaluating effectiveness and efficiency.
- To provide an appreciation of body composition measurements and dietary intake
measurements.
- To provide experience in scientific writing and critical reviews
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Select experimental methods appropriate to a particular experimental objective and design for both food and nutrition sciences | KC |
| 002 | Appreciate the limitations of presently available experimental methods used for both food and nutrition sciences | KCT |
| 003 | To provide an understanding of anthropometric data in the context of nutrition | KC |
| 004 | Define and have a working knowledge of epidemiology and demonstrate a basic understanding of the fundamental scientific concepts of study design for nutrition sciences | KCT |
| 005 | Appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of a range of methods for assessment of dietary intake | KCT |
| 006 | Appreciate and understand the important design strategies of food and nutrition epidemiology studies and the correct procedures for interpretation of data. | KCT |
| 007 | Be able to undertake a critical analysis of the design and implementation of intervention projects and statistical analysis of data sets | CPT |
| 008 | Communicate experimental findings clearly in written form, with discussion and critical evaluation relevant to current literature | CPT |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching methods include: Lectures, Practical demonstration, Critical thinking & digital literacy, Tutorials, Coursework, Advised extra reading, including scientific papers and reviews
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MHUM015
Other information
None
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Science MSc | 1 | Compulsory | Each unit of assessment must be passed at 50% to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2022/3 academic year.