MPH2013 - Research methods

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Alfred Hospital Second semester 2008 (Day)
Alfred Hospital Second semester 2008 (Off-campus)

Introduction to research methods - quantitative and qualitative research. Defining the research question - hypotheses, types of study designs.
Quantitative methods. What is your main outcome? Questionnaire design - construction, validity, reliability, variables).
Study populations - defining the population, sampling/recruitment strategies.
Sample size requirements, and Planning the analysis of the data, grant applications.
How to critique a research proposal.
From data to database.
How to write the sample size calculation and data analysis section of your grant.
Writing a budget for your grant.
Ethics and the research grant.

On completion of this unit it is expected that students will:

Have acquired an understanding of research methods in public health;
Be able to design, develop and present a collaborative research protocol;
To understand how information goes from an interview, onto a questionnaire, into the computer and into a scientific paper.

Group Assignment 40%
Written critique 60%.

15 contact hours over 2 days