How is research carried out ethically in health and social care, and how is it presented and used?
Overview of A2 1 Applied Research: the purpose and process of research in health and social care, primary and secondary methods, sampling, ethical principles, and the presentation, analysis and evaluation of findings.
An overview of the internally assessed CCEA A2 1 Applied Research unit: the purpose and stages of research in health and social care, primary and secondary methods, sampling, the ethical principles that protect participants, and how findings are presented, analysed and evaluated.
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What this unit is about
A2 1 Applied Research is an internally assessed (portfolio) unit. CCEA wants you to understand how research is planned and carried out in health and social care: its purpose and process, the primary and secondary methods available, sampling, the ethical principles that protect participants, and how findings are presented, analysed and evaluated. Because it is assessed through a research portfolio rather than a written examination, this page is a single concise overview of the unit.
The research process
CCEA expects you to plan a study with a clear aim, a focused research question or hypothesis, and a justified methodology. You should understand the difference between quantitative data (numbers, measured and counted) and qualitative data (words, opinions and experiences), and choose methods that suit the question.
Methods and sampling
Each method has trade-offs. Questionnaires reach many people quickly but give limited depth; interviews give rich detail but are time-consuming and harder to generalise; observation captures real behaviour but can be affected by the observer's presence. Secondary data is fast and large-scale but may be dated or biased. Choosing well, and acknowledging the limits, is a core assessed skill.
Ethics, presentation and evaluation
CCEA places strong emphasis on research ethics: informed consent (and a right to withdraw), confidentiality and anonymity, avoiding harm, and honesty and integrity. Findings are then presented clearly using tables, bar charts, pie charts and graphs, analysed (looking for patterns, comparing groups), and evaluated for reliability, validity, bias and limitations. The unit deliberately develops the research literacy that underpins evidence-based practice across health and social care.
How this unit is assessed
A2 1 is assessed by an internally assessed research portfolio (controlled assessment), centre-marked and moderated by CCEA, rather than by a written examination. Strong portfolios plan and justify a small study, apply the ethical principles throughout, present findings appropriately, and evaluate the method honestly.
Try this
Q1. Name two primary research methods. [2 marks]
- Cue. Questionnaires, interviews and observation are all primary methods.
Q2. State one ethical principle a researcher must follow. [1 mark]
- Cue. Informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, or avoiding harm.
Q3. Explain the difference between reliability and validity. [2 marks]
- Cue. Reliability is consistency of results; validity is whether the research measured what it intended to.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA A2 1 portfolio12 marksExplain the ethical principles a researcher must follow when carrying out research in a health and social care setting.Show worked answer →
A2 1 is internally assessed, so this is the kind of detailed account you build in your research portfolio. Strong work names each principle and applies it to a realistic study.
Informed consent: participants are given full information about the study and agree freely to take part, with a right to withdraw at any time. For vulnerable groups, consent from a parent, carer or gatekeeper may also be needed.
Confidentiality and anonymity: data is stored securely and participants are not identifiable in the findings, protecting their privacy.
Avoiding harm: the researcher protects participants from physical and psychological harm, for example by avoiding distressing questions or providing support and debriefing.
Honesty and integrity: the researcher does not fabricate or selectively report data, and avoids deception unless it is justified and approved.
Markers reward each principle stated precisely and applied to a realistic study, with attention to vulnerable participants.
CCEA A2 1 portfolio10 marksCompare primary and secondary research methods, giving one advantage and one disadvantage of each.Show worked answer →
A compare answer needs matched points for both kinds of method.
Primary research collects new, first-hand data (for example a questionnaire or interview the researcher carries out). Advantage: it is current and directly targeted at the research question. Disadvantage: it is time-consuming and can be costly, and small samples may not be representative.
Secondary research uses data already collected by others (for example official statistics, reports or journals). Advantage: it is quick, low-cost and often large-scale. Disadvantage: it may be out of date, not exactly fit the research question, or carry the original collector's bias.
Markers reward a clear definition of each, plus a matched advantage and disadvantage, ideally linked to a health and social care example.
Related dot points
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Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCE Health and Social Care specification — CCEA (2016)