Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module students should be able to:
- design an epidemiological study to be carried out in a clinical, public health or other scientifc setting;
- develop a research protocol to a specified framework;
- have completed Research Integrity Training;
- prepare a submission to a Research Ethics Committee to specified standard;
- know the major epidemiological study designs;
- choose the design most appropriate to the research question;
- be familiar with relevant sources and types of research data;
- understand sampling methods and recruitment strategies;
- understand power calculations / sample size estimation appropriate to the study design;
- design and evaluate study instruments, including questionnaires and Case Report Forms;
- oversee processes of data management, including data collection, data entry and editing;
- understand observations and variables in research data;
- know the attributes of variables that determine how data may be summarised and analysed;
- know how to create a database in SPSS, how to enter, edit and save data;
- know how to manipulate data and create new variables in SPSS and R;
- select and use appropriate statistical techniques for study data;
- carry out basic statistical analysis using SPSS or R;
- know how to represent research data in tables and figures;
- be able to present selected data in report form.
Indicative Module Content:
- Key elements of research protocols;
- Literature search strategies and use of Endnote;
- Ethics in clinical research; Research Integrity Training;
- How to apply for Research Ethic Committee approval for their project;
- Epidemiological study design; Sampling methods and recruitment strategies;
- Power calculations / sample size estimation appropriate to the study design;
- Types of research data (primary/secondary; individual/aggregate) with advantages and limitations of each;
- Design of study instruments, including questionnaires, case report forms and data dictionaries;
- Collection of research data; Participant information and consenting procedures;
- Creation of a research database, data entry, editing;
- Data manipulation, and creation new variables in SPSS and R;
- Appropriate statistical techniques and statistical analysis using SPSS and R;
- Tabular and graphical representation of research results.