How to Complete OTHM Level 5 Research Methods in Health and Social Care (J/650/1143)

Short answer: to complete OTHM research methods in health and social care (unit J/650/1143), treat the unit as two linked pieces of work. Task 2 is a roughly 1,000-word report explaining approaches to research (criteria 1.1 to 1.6). Task 1 is a roughly 2,000-word small-scale project that plans, runs and reflects on one real question (LO2 to LO4). Choose a narrow, feasible topic, keep the ethics honest, and tie every finding back to your literature review.

Many Level 5 learners meet this unit while working full time in a care setting. The topic is usually easy to find, since you see problems on shift every day. The hard part is turning a vague worry into an answerable question, with a method you can actually run in a few weeks and an analysis that markers can follow. This guide walks through the unit criterion by criterion. You can also read the assessment brief this guide is based on.

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OTHM research methods in health and social care: quick answer

• Pass/Fail units are marked criterion by criterion, so every assessment criterion needs its own visible evidence.
• Pick a topic you can study within your own workplace or college access, with 10 to 15 participants at most.
• Match method to question: numbers for “how many”, interviews for “why”.
• Show ethics in practice: consent, confidentiality, data protection, safeguarding and permission.
• Finish by saying how your findings agree or disagree with the studies in your literature review.

How the unit maps to the two tasks

Use the criterion numbers as sub-headings. It looks mechanical, but an assessor ticking off criteria will thank you for it.

Choosing a topic you can actually finish

A good Level 5 topic is local, specific and answerable. “Mental health in care” is a library. “Staff views on barriers to recording person-centred information in one residential home” is a project. Test your idea with three questions. Can you reach the participants? Can you get permission? Can you finish data collection in two to three weeks? If any answer is no, narrow it.

Smith et al. (2024) interviewed 22 care staff in English care homes about care planning and reported that limited resources made improvement difficult. A single-home project asking a similar question on a smaller scale is realistic, and it gives you a published study to compare against.

Task 2: approaches to research, in about 1,000 words

You do not have room for a textbook chapter. Give each criterion a short, clear paragraph and use tables for comparisons.

Comparing the main approaches

For validity and reliability (1.5 and 1.6), Heale and Twycross (2015) give a clear definition of each for quantitative tools, and Noble and Smith (2015) explain how qualitative researchers earn trust through transparency and reflexivity. Using both lets you cover the two traditions in a couple of sentences each. For wider method choices, Clark et al. (2021) is the standard textbook.

If your Task 2 needs a worked structure, our model extract, for reference only shows one way to lay it out.

Task 1: a step-by-step method

1. Frame the problem. Write one sentence: who, what setting, which issue.
2. Set one aim and three objectives. Use action verbs such as identify, explore, recommend.
3. Draft two research questions. Each must be answerable with the data you plan to collect.
4. Review the literature. Find four to six credible sources, summarise what they found and note the gap your project addresses.
5. Plan ethics. List consent, confidentiality, storage, safeguarding and permission before you collect anything.
6. Build a week-by-week plan. A simple table of weeks, tasks and outputs satisfies 3.2.
7. Collect data. A short questionnaire plus a few interviews is plenty at this level.
8. Analyse. Summarise numbers in tables; code interviews into themes.
9. Recommend and reflect. Say what should change, who should do it and how you would know it worked.

Ethics in care settings

Ethics is where assessors look for professional judgement. State that participation is voluntary, that people can withdraw, and that you will anonymise responses. Mention data protection by name: the Data Protection Act 2018 sets out how personal data must be handled in the UK (legislation.gov.uk, 2018). Explain who gave permission, usually the registered manager or a college tutor. Avoid recruiting residents unless your institution approves it, because that raises capacity and safeguarding questions well beyond Level 5.

It also helps to know why a project of your kind is not an NHS study. The Health Research Authority offers a short tool, Is my study research?, that separates research from audit and service evaluation (Health Research Authority, n.d.). You can mention it in one sentence to show you understand the boundary.

Small-scale data collection that stays credible

• Pilot your questionnaire with two colleagues and fix unclear items.
• Use the same wording and order for every participant.
• Record interviews with permission, and keep a short log of how you coded them.
• Be upfront about the sample: a few people from one site describe that site, not the whole sector.

For coding interviews, the six-phase approach in Braun and Clarke (2006) is widely accepted and easy to describe in a paragraph. If you need a refresher on a related technique, see our post on content analysis in qualitative research.

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Presenting findings and linking back to the literature

Present before you interpret. Show the table or the themes first, then discuss. Criterion 4.3 asks how your findings substantiate the literature review, so write a paragraph that names a source and states plainly whether you agree, partly agree or disagree, and why. Disagreement is fine if explained; a project that contradicts a published study because of a small sample is more honest than one that forces agreement.

Different ways to present results

Mark-maximising checklist

• Every criterion from 1.1 to 4.5 has a labelled section.
• Word counts are close to 1,000 and 2,000, excluding references and appendices.
• Aim, objectives and research questions line up.
• Ethics section covers consent, confidentiality, data protection, safeguarding and permission.
• Methods explain why, not only what.
• Limitations are stated, including sample size.
• Recommendations are specific and linked to findings.
• Harvard in-text citations match the reference list.

Common mistakes and referral reasons

• Missing a criterion. On a Pass/Fail unit, one unaddressed criterion can mean a resubmission.
• Topic too broad. Wide questions produce shallow answers.
• Describing methods without evaluating them. Criterion 1.2 says evaluate.
• Treating a few responses as proof. Use cautious language.
• Skipping the link to literature. Findings float without 4.3.
• Weak referencing. Use real, checkable sources and a consistent Harvard format.

About the expert

This guide was prepared with input from Cheste Hughes, who holds a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and specialises in health care, public health, nursing research and nursing education. Cheste is a registered nurse who has worked in the field for the past 5 years and has tutored nursing students at studentsassignmenthelp.co.uk for the past 2 years. You can learn more about our approach on the about us page.

Frequently asked questions

How long should the Task 1 project be?

About 2,000 words in Word, excluding diagrams, references and appendices, as set out in the brief. A few words either way is normal, but a large gap suggests missing content.

Can I use my workplace for the study?

Often yes, with written permission from your manager and a clear note that you are acting as a student researcher. Check your centre’s rules first, and protect confidentiality of colleagues and service users.

How many participants do I need?

There is no fixed number at Level 5. A questionnaire of 10 to 15 people plus two or three interviews is common and manageable. What matters is that you justify your choice and state the limits.

Do I need to collect real data?

Yes, Task 1 asks you to carry out the project and analyse your findings, so use data you have genuinely gathered and ethically approved. Illustrative data in model answers is labelled as such for that reason.

Which referencing style should I use?

Harvard, with in-text citations and a full reference list. Use sources you have actually opened and checked, such as journal articles, textbooks, legislation and official guidance.

What if I need a plan for a different research design?

Start with a clear proposal. A short research proposal clarifies the question, method and ethics before you commit to data collection.

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If you want support with this unit, our OTHM assignment help and qualitative research methods pages explain what we offer.

References

• Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) ‘Using thematic analysis in psychology’, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), pp. 77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa (Accessed: 23 October 2026).
• Clark, T., Foster, L., Sloan, L. and Bryman, A. (2021) Bryman’s Social Research Methods. 6th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Health Research Authority (n.d.) Is my study research? Available at: https://www.hra-decisiontools.org.uk/research/ (Accessed: 23 October 2026).
• Heale, R. and Twycross, A. (2015) ‘Validity and reliability in quantitative studies’, Evidence-Based Nursing, 18(3), pp. 66–67. doi:10.1136/eb-2015-102129 (Accessed: 23 October 2026).
• legislation.gov.uk (2018) Data Protection Act 2018. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/contents (Accessed: 23 October 2026).
• Noble, H. and Smith, J. (2015) ‘Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research’, Evidence-Based Nursing, 18(2), pp. 34–35. doi:10.1136/eb-2015-102054 (Accessed: 23 October 2026).
• Smith, N. et al. (2024) ‘Care planning in older adult care homes: a qualitative study of care staff experiences and views’, International Journal of Care and Caring. doi:10.1332/23978821Y2024D000000092 (Accessed: 23 October 2026).