The School of Health and Social Sciences provides a fertile environment for inter-disciplinary research which relates to current social issues and professional agendas. Research forms an important strand in the School's relationships with partner and external organisations – in health, and across the public and voluntary sectors. We are the host organisation for the Bolton Research Forum for Health and Wellbeing which is a collaboration between the University, Bolton Primary Care Trust, Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Bolton Council, and the local voluntary sector to support quality research for the health and wellbeing of local communities.

As a School, we view research-literacy as an essential ingredient in any professional career and for this reason, our teaching programmes offer training in and opportunities to undertake research. Our new Master's research training framework provides high quality advanced-research training within an inter-disciplinary environment so professionals undertaking advanced courses can undertake research training in a stimulating multi-professional learning environment. Comprehensive research training is also available to our vibrant and growing community of postgraduate researchers within the School all of whom are linked to wider research interests within the School.

Carole Truman
Professor of Health and Community Studies

 

Research Streams

Centre for Research for Health and Wellbeing

The Centre for Research in Health and Wellbeing| undertakes high quality research which relates to professional agendas and social issues connected to the health and wellbeing of groups and individuals. Our research is based upon collaborative partnerships and community involvement. We have expertise in evaluation, needs assessment, service user involvement, participation and innovation. 

The Centre draws upon expertise from a variety of academic perspectives on current issues relating to health and wellbeing.  All of our research is characterised by partnerships and collaborations in health, and across the public and voluntary sectors. We are the host organisation for the Bolton Research Forum for Health and Wellbeing |which is a collaboration between the University, Bolton Primary Care Trust, Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Bolton Council, and the local voluntary sector to support quality research for the health and wellbeing of local communities.

The Centre's research in health and wellbeing has been judged to be amongst the best in the world according to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.  75% of research activity in Social Policy (which includes research activity in health, physical activity and social history) was been judged to be of international standard or better – with a proportion of research activity in this field judged to be world-leading, in terms of quality, significance and rigour. 

For more information please contact Prof. Carole Truman|.

Psychology

The Psychology Research Team in the School of Health and Social Sciences, led by Rob Ranyard || (Professor of Psychology) with John Charlton (Research Fellow) as deputy, conducts research on a number of theoretical and applied topics. Psychology was one of eight areas submitted to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) by the University of Bolton that reached the 3* rating, which means 'quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour'. Areas of current research included: economic psychology and decision research; computing, cyberpsychology and e-learning; applied psychology (focussing on mental and physical health and disability); and developmental psychology.

[More on Psychology|]

The 'Worktown' Legacy – the Heritage of Mass Observation

The School is proud of the legacy provided by the Mass Observation and Bolton's selection as 'Worktown' which studied and documented everyday life in the locality. In close partnership with Bolton Museums, we are keen to support initiatives which make use of the Spender Collection, or which consider the contemporary relevance of Mass Observation's legacy.

[More on The 'Worktown' Legacy|]

Postgraduate Study

The School provides supervsion to postgraduate students studying for MPhil, PhD or PhD via MPhil research degrees. 

[More on Postgraduate Study|]