Learning OutcomesUpon successful completion of this subject, students should:
be familiar with: - Basic descriptive statistics concerning central tendency and variation; - Visual means of presenting data including histograms, pie charts, scattergrams, and stem-and-leaf charts; - Commonly used methods of sampling including probability and non-probability samples; - Different levels of measurement (e.g., nominal, ordinal, and equal-interval), and the implications of using them; - Strengths, limitations, and weaknesses (including observer biases and effects) of different empirical methods; - A range of qualitative research methods, including content analysis, grounded theory, case studies, focus groups, the delphi technique, and action research; - Basic quantitative methods used by health professionals, including single subject designs, quasi-experiments, and experiments; - Principles underlying inferential statistics, including statistical significance; - A range of basic nonparametric statistical techniques, including chi-square, the sign test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearmans rank order correlation coefficient; - A range of basic parametric statistical techniques, including Pearsons correlation, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and simple linear regression; - The nature and scope of multivariate analysis techniques including MANOVA, multiple regression, canonical correlations, and factor analysis; - Means of disseminating research including journal articles, seminar presentations, and poster presentations; - Ethical issues associated with research; - The dangers associated with a "publish or perish" mentality; And be able to: - Conduct literature searches using computerised databases; - Generate research questions and hypotheses; - Determine appropriate samples for research investigations - Determine appropriate methods of research for particular applications; - Prepare data for analysis (including coding and using inter-rater reliability checks); - Use a variety of qualitative research methods; - Design a questionnaire / survey instrument; - Conduct a survey interview; - Select appropriate statistical techniques for analysing quantitative data; - Employ basic nonparametric and parametric statistical techniques; - Create data sets and analyse data using computer packages; - Evaluate research critically; and - Produce a research proposal. |
|