Students will follow a twelve week guided study programme and access support material via Blackboard. Students will be required to access additional support material independently. Core required tasks will amount to an average of 8 hours of engagement per week, representing a total of 96 activity engagement hours for the module.

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: (3 hours)
Face to face or skype tutorials.

Guided Independent Study: (297 hours)
The remaining number of Independent study hours represents a combination of further and additional reading (201 hours) and a series of optional tasks (96 hours) and specific preparation for the module assignments

This module will adopt a collaborative approach to learning where, via a series of on-line discussions (that will form part of the assessment process).

Central to this approach will be a series of on-line debates or discussion issues that will arise out of the `Activities' and accompanying 'Tasks' undertaken within the module. Students will be required to initially outline, defend and subsequently reflect on a position or viewpoint offered, that will be critically commented on by fellow students.

Those working in public health and health services research need to be familiar with routine data sources that support research, management and practice. This module will consider the main types of data - relating to demography, epidemiology, clinical effectiveness, socio-economic status, geographical and environmental and cost-effectiveness. Strengths, uses, interpretation and limitations of these secondary data sources will be examined, assessing these with regard to completeness, accuracy, relevance and timeliness. Students will explore these issues in connection with a series of case studies. Students will be able to manipulate data for a number to provide information for a variety of different users.

Access to an appropriately specified PC, with accompanying Word, PowerPoint, Adobe and Java software
Blackboard VLE
Access to electronic versions of appropriate Journals and texts

There are no specific texts for this module - learning resources will be provided on-line via weblinks.

1) An assessment of a series of practical skills related to the collection and presentation of routine data using relational databases and spreedsheets within a number of different scenarios in relation to public health. 100% assessing all LO's

2) 500 word contribution to a discussion forum to assess LO 1, weighted at 0% pass/fail

Both elements of assessment must be passed

Students will receive formative feedback throughout the module comprising of a combination of task related feedback and also comments directed through discussion boards during the course of the delivery of the module.