Lay summary
As part of this research award I will simultaneously undertake both theoretical and practical research training in two complimentary threads. Firstly, on the job training will be as a member of a Maori research team conducting a Kaupapa Maori methodology project. This will explore how health providers cater to the needs of Maori whanau in supporting them to understand and manage tamariki asthma, using a mixed methods approach including hui, focus groups, semi-structured interviews and surveys. The project will give me first-hand experience in planning, consenting whanau, facilitating focus groups, and data analysis. Secondly, this award will involve enrolment in the University of Otago Wellington, postgraduate Public Health course “PUBH 708; Social Research Methods”. This paper outlines a number of different research methodologies and covers practical methods for data collection and analysis, which will provide the theoretical background to support the practical research tasks on the project.