Short Course

Research, Evaluation, Audit and Literature

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A beginner-level course which provides foundational knowledge and practical skills in health, social care, public health and life sciences, research, audit, literature review and evaluation, with a focus on making a real-world difference in practice.

Illustration of a lightbulb made of puzzle pieces

Course overview

This short course will enable the learners to explore an issue of interest to them in their workplace, by enabling them to plan and undertake a simple and small audit, evaluation or literature review project that will make an improvement in their service. Learners will develop skills to enhance their own practice and that of others. The module will be relevant to learners working in all forms of social care including those delivered by Local Authorities, charities and independent organisation.

What you need to know

Course start date

January 2026

Location

University of Winchester Campus & Distance Learning

Course length

28 weeks (6 x 2 hours sessions across length of course)

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Typical offer

Learner must be working (including volunteering) in any type of health, social care, public health, or similar environment

Fees

£350

Course features

  • Beginner-Friendly Framework: Designed specifically for absolute beginners with no prior research experience, offering clear and simple guidance Hands-On Practical Focus
  • Emphasises real-world application through small, achievable projects that lead to tangible improvements in care
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Introduces key concepts in research, evaluation, audit, and literature 

Course details

This is a 28 week course facilitated and taught by Dr Rachel Harrison. The course requires two onsite visits to the University, engagement in 6 x 2 hour online training sessions (across the length of the course) plus teaching delivered via Canvas. 

This module is taught at beginner level which requires the learner to engage with a range of resources to undertake their project. It represents a total of 49 hours of effort which includes at least 2 hours of independent pre-work before each online session, at least 1 hour of engagement with online sessions and additional hours to undertake their R.E.A.L. research project. Learners will create a poster which will be displayed at an End of Course Celebration Event.

This course requires two onsite visits to the University and requires access to the following: Operating System
Windows XP SP3 and newer
Mac OSX 10.6 and newer
Linux - chrome OS

Memory
1GB of RAM
2GHz processor Bandwidth
Environment Minimum of 512kbs (basic DSL)

Required browser specs
JavaScript must be enabled in your browser
Chrome 140 / 141

Entry requirements

Learner must be working (including volunteering) in any type of health, social care, public health, or similar environment

Learners must be working (including volunteering) in any kind of health, social care, public health or similar environment.

 

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For general enquiries please contact the department administrator HWBShortCourses@winchester.ac.uk

 

No International Entry Requirements for this course.

This course is available for health care professionals.

Additional costs

For information about staff and student discounts please contact the department administrator HWBShortCourses@winchester.ac.uk.