Identify an area of midwifery practice which interests you and in which you wish to advance your knowledge.

This dissertation is a literature review that appraises the evidence on a midwifery related topic and concludes by making recommendations for clinical practice, policy, or education, and further research. This task is highly relevant to your future practice. You will be required to perform literature reviews once qualified, both as part of your continued professional development and to evaluate and develop services.

This piece of work builds on and applies learning from previous parts of the research pathway, progressing from: ‘Midwifery Knowledge & Research’ (level 4, year 1) and ‘Evidence Based Midwifery Practice’ (level 5, year 2) where you learnt how to pose a research question, and to identify and appraise evidence. Now you are going to apply those skills to identify all of the relevant evidence on a topic, rather than a single study, critically appraise that evidence and then synthesise the findings to make recommendations.

The unit has been designed to be delivered mainly online using a combination of lectures, workshops, drop-in sessions, supervision and independent study. It stretches over semesters 1 and 2. Dissertation study days are timetabled, with learning which will cover different aspects of the dissertation process, opportunities for supervision, formative assessment and feedback, and time for independent study. These dates are intended to help you keep on track. The learning material is available at any time so that you can work in your own time.

3. Course Unit Aims and Outcomes
   Aims:
4. To provide students with the opportunity to review literature relating to an area of their choice.
5. To further develop critical review skills by synthesising evidence and apply it to practice.

On completion of this course unit, successful students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding:
A1. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the role of research in clinical practice and of the midwife in its development and dissemination.
A2. Devise and sustain arguments in a structured literature review on a self-selected topic relevant to their area of clinical practice. .
A3. Accurately apply knowledge of research to propose a relevant avenue of further investigation, based on the findings of the literature review.

Intellectual skills:
B1. Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis skills via the production of a research-based dissertation.
B2. Critically interprets and evaluates research evidence and its application to clinical practice as an integral part of the research-based dissertation.

Practical skills:
C1. Apply research evidence in a critical and evaluative way and relate this to clinical practice.

Transferable skills and personal qualities:
D1. Use information technology, such as electronic library databases and bibliographic software systems, information storage and retrieval strategies and demonstrate these in the form of a search strategy in the dissertation.
D2. Learn independently and utilise research and critical appraisal skills through supervision and in clinical practice.
D3. Locate, review and critically evaluate research findings relevant to clinical practice.
D4. Critically evaluate the implementation of evidence-based practice within clinical practice.

Guidelines for your dissertation
The objectives of this assignment are for you to demonstrate that you can:
Identify an area of midwifery practice which interests you and in which you wish to advance your knowledge.
Devise a research question
Plan and undertake a systematic search of the literature.
Describe and summarise the evidence on your topic
Critically appraise the quality of the evidence
Interpret and synthesise the evidence to apply to clinical practice
Make recommendations for further research which arises from your review