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Since Module 1 of this volume provides a thorough introduction to the course and how it is organised, here we will only provide a brief overview of where the reader can find various types of information and how the course can be used.

Part I, Proposal Development and Fieldwork, contains modules 1-20, of which the first 18 will lead the course participants through all steps that the development of their proposal requires. Modules 19 and 20 guide them through the fieldwork period and preliminary data analysis.

Each module contains detailed instructions for group work on the successive steps in the development of the proposal. At the end of each module, facilitators will find Trainer’s Notes, providing guidelines on how to present the modules and how to assist the groups in the writing of their research proposal.

After Module 20 an annex has been added with general guidelines for the planning and management of HSR workshops, the training methodology and the supervision of fieldwork. The annex includes an example of a course schedule and guidelines for budgeting an HSR course. Furthermore, an information circular for course participants and a course evaluation form have been added.

The course schedule presented applies to a full-time workshop for beginners, lasting just over two weeks. Depending on the level of the participants, the duration of the course can be shortened. The training materials can also be used in university settings, stretched out over a trimester or quarter with weekly sessions.

The most important guideline for the application of these HSR modules is BEING FLEXIBLE. The only general rule is that participants and facilitators should be conscious of the cyclical nature of the process of developing a research proposal. In many group work sessions, participants will therefore be referred back to earlier parts of the proposal they developed to make adjustments, it required. In Module 18 they are advised to review once again all sections of their proposal when writing the summary.

The managers of a course can adapt the time devoted to presentations and group work, as well as the sequence of modules, to the needs of their target groups. It is, for example, quite possible to combine Modules 4 (Statement of the problem) and 5 (Literature review). Also Modules 8 (Variables), 9 (Study type) and 10 (Data collection tools) are closely connected, and the group work for Modules 9 and 10 has already been combined. These modules form the core of any research proposal. Enough time will have to allotted to the group work for these modules and to field-testing of the data collection tools, as the quality of the tools will determine the quality of the findings.

For groups of participants that include health managers who already have extensive administrative experience it may be feasible to present modules 15 (Work plan), 16 (Budget) and 17 (Plan for project administration, monitoring and utilisation of results) as one block, entitled ‘Management of a Research Project.’*

For Part II of this volume, Data Analysis and Report Writing containing modules 21-33, the same principles apply as outlined for Part I. We have included some specific guidelines on how to use these modules in the introduction to Part II.

It is advisable to distribute Part II during the first workshop. Participants who use qualitative research techniques, such as focus group discussions, would benefit from reading Module 23 (Analysis of qualitative data), when developing their plan for data analysis (Module 13). For those using quantitative techniques, Modules 22 (Description of variables) and 24 (Cross-tabulation of quantitative data) may be useful when variables are introduced (Module 8) or when data analysis is discussed (Module 13).

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