13152 (v.2) Health Research Methods 681

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Area:	School of Public Health
Credits:	25.0
Contact Hours:	4.0
Lecture:	1 x 2 Hours Weekly
Tutorial:	1 x 1 Hours Weekly
Laboratory:	1 x 1 Hours Weekly
Syllabus:	Introduction to the scientific method, experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive, qualitative and epidemiological research. Measurement issues - questionnaire development, reliability and validity of data, issues of sampling and sample size. Ethics in research. Descriptive statistics, estimation and confidence intervals, inferential statistical tests. Use of SPSS statistical software. Elements of critical appraisal.
Unit Outcomes:	On successful completion of this unit students will be able to - understand the scientific method and its place in the health sciences. Demonstrate an understanding of research data collection techniques and measurement issues such as reliability and validity. Describe experimental, quasi-experimental, epidemiologic, descriptive and qualitative research. Apply basic and inferential statistics to data in the health sciences. Use the SPSS statistical software package. Evaluate statistical analyses in the health research literature. Have the basic knowledge to design a research proposal critique and review research articles relevant to their field of study.
Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.
Unit References:	Altman D.G., (1991), Practical Statistics for Medical Research, Chapman and Hall. Bowling A., (1997), Research Methods in Health - Investigating Health and Health Services, Open University Press. Elwood J.M., (1998), Critical Appraisal of Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press. Hennekens C.H. and Buring J.E., (1987), Epidemiology in Medicine, Little, Brown and Company. Gordis L., (1996), Epidemiology, WB Saunders Company. Moore D.S. and McCabe G.P., (1993), Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, 2nd ed., WH Freeman and Company. Munro B.H., (2001), Statistical Methods for Health Care Research, 4th ed., Lippincott. Peat J., (2001), Health Science Research - A Handbook of Quantitative Methods, Allen and Unwin. Petrie A. and Sabin C., (2000), Medical Statistics at a Glance, Blackwell Science.
Unit Texts:	Dawson B. and Trapp R.G., (2001), Basic and Clinical Biostatistics, 3rd ed, Appleton and Lange. (Essential for external but recommended for internal.) Coakes S.J. and Steed L.G., (2001), SPSS Analysis Without Anguish, Version 10.0 for Windows. John Wiley and Sons. (Note that this is not the SPSS software package.) (Essential both for internal and external students.) SPSS for Windows Version 10 Student version (Essential for external but internal students do not need to purchase the software as they canaccess it in the labs.)
Unit Assessment Breakdown:	Internal students - Mid-Semester Test 35%, Final Examination 45%, Computing Component 20%. External Students - Assignments 40%, Final Examination 60%. This is by grade/mark assessment.
Year Location Period Internal Area External Central External 2004 Bentley Campus Semester 1 Y Y Y 2004 Bentley Campus Semester 2 Y   Y 2004 BPI Intern'l Group S'pore Trimester 1 Y