Research Methods Unit
15 credits
The Specifications for this Unit can be found on the Research Methods Blackboard.
The aim of the unit is to:
- produce students who are competent in issues related to the design, execution and interpretation of clinical and clinically-related research. The latter may include medical education, public health and basic-science areas such as genetics, microbiology or biomaterials
- provide students with critical appraisal skills so that on a life-long basis they will be able to apply these skills to assess any research evidence that comes before them
Learning objectives
By the end of the unit students should be able to:
- discuss the importance of research in a clinical or clinically-related discipline
- understand the structure of, and be able to differentiate between, the common types of epidemiological studies
- critically evaluate the literature
- write a protocol for a research study
- understand key issues relating to ethics and research governance
- define evidence based dentistry and recognise the role of secondary research in EBD (including systematic reviews)
Description of the unit
The unit is a 15 credit, interactive online unit which provides students with an introduction to key material required for the design, execution and interpretation of clinical and clinically-related research and the production of a high quality dissertation.
The unit runs throughout semester one, and includes three face-to-face sessions which will be used to consolidate the online material and provide the students with an opportunity to discuss the topics in person.
Topics covered include:
- Library skills
- Dissertation skills (time management, academic writing and reference management)
- Designing a study (protocol development, types of data, basic statistics)
- Epidemiology (key concepts and different epidemiological study designs)
- Critical appraisal
- Ethics, research governance and data protection
- Evidence based practice and systematic reviews
Face to Face Sessions
These are mandatory for all students taking Research Methods (except Distance Learning students):
30 September 2019 1.30-3.30p.m. Introduction to Course (Venue: University Place 2.220)
4 November 2019 1.30-3.30p.m. Research in Practice (Venue: University Place 2.220)
2 December 2019 2.00-4.00p.m. Problem Solving Afternoon (Venue: Williamson G 47)
Recommended Books for the Research Methods Unit
Basic Epidemiology*
Eds. Bonita, R. Beaglehole, R. and Kjellstron, T.
Link to free online pdf:
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2006/9241547073_eng.pdf
Planning for Medical Research. A practical guide to research methods
By Derek Lowe
Published by Astraglobe Limited (1993)
ISBN 0-9522839-0-5
This is a useful and practical guidebook which identifies most of the issues concerning design and analysis of research. It is not an in-depth textbook but provides practical clarification of the main issues which are important in any piece of research and, ideally, should be read before undertaking any research since it may help you avoid the most obvious pitfalls.
Research Methods in Primary Care
Eds: Yvonne Carter and Cathryn Thomas
Published by Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd 1997
ISBN 185-775-1981 paperback
This book again guides the reader through a range of research issues and also includes chapters on important contemporary subjects, underlining the importance of evidence-based practice and providing an overview of, for example, how to write a research proposal and obtain funding, epidemiology, qualitative and quantitative methods, questionnaire design, the role of the research ethics committee, systematic reviews and meta-analysis and mastering MEDLINE. Altogether an excellent primer in research methods and very highly recommended.
The Pocket Guide to Critical Appraisal
Iain Crombie, 2nd Ed.
Published by Wiley Blackwell 2007
ISBN 1405146516
A concise guide to the assessment of medical research. The first section of the book introduces the rationale behind critical appraisal, discusses the questions to be asked of each section of a paper and identifies the common pitfalls in published research. The second section tackles the five main genres of medical research in detail:
- Surveys
- Clinical trials
- Cohort studies
- Case control studies
- Review papers
A highly practical guide written in a lively and jargon-free style.
Evidence Based Dentistry for Effective Practice
- Clarkson, J Harrison, A Ismail, I Needleman, HV Worthington
Martin Dunitz, London, 2003
ISBN 1-84184-199-4
This book covers all the issues surrounding evidenced based decision making in dentistry, issues not only about the amount of evidence but also its quality. The book sets a new agenda and provides readers with a set of skills not conventionally included in professional training.
*Essential reading for this unit
Biostatistics Unit
15 credits
The aim of this unit is to:
- educate students in the fundamentals of quantitative analysis as it applies to dental research
Learning objectives
By the end of the unit students should be able to:
- Appropriately describe and present quantitative data
- Understand the principles of sampling, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and meta-analysis
- Choose and apply the appropriate parametric or non-parametric analysis
- Carry out such analyses by hand or using a statistical software package
Description of the unit
The unit is a 15 credit, interactive online course, complementing the Research Methods unit. The unit will run over a 12 week period, inclusive of three face-to-face sessions which will be used to consolidate the online material through small group discussion and presentation.
Unit material will be released on a weekly basis. To obtain the most from this unit and to progress in a logical manner, students are expected to work on the material during the week that it is released. In the same way, whilst quizzes are not mandatory, students are encouraged to use this tool in a timely manner to confirm their understanding of the information provided. The Unit Director will be advised of students who fail to access the unit material and participate in the discussion boards on a regular basis.
Topics covered include:
- Collection and summary of data
- Sampling and probability
- Estimation and confidence intervals
- Comparing groups and sample size calculations
- Contingency tables
- Correlation and regression
- Reliability and validity
Face to Face Sessions
These are mandatory for all students taking Biostatistics:
27 January 2020 1.30-3.30p.m. Venue: Zochonis Building LEC RM E
2 March 2020 1.30-3.30p.m. Venue: University Place 2.220
27 April 2020 1.30-3.30p.m. Venue: University Place 2.22o
Recommended Books for the Biostatistics Unit
*Medical Statistics at a Glance
Petrie A and Sabin C. 3rd Ed.
Published by Chichester: Wiley Blackwell 2016
ISBN 140518051X
Dental Statistics Made Easy
Smeeton N 3rd Ed.
Published by Radcliffe Publishing Ltd 2016
ISBN 9781498775052
Aimed at dental students, this easy to read book details the basic principles of dental research methodology, from the initial stages of planning a research study, through to analysis and interpretation of data. The textbook overviews sampling, randomized controlled trials, ethical considerations, the normal distribution, diagnostic testing and introduces methods for conducting hypothesis testing. Coverage of statistical techniques is kept to a necessary minimum.
*Discovering Statistics with SPSS
Field A 5th Ed
Published by Sage Publications 2018
ISBN 9781526419521
Probably the most comprehensive and easy to read introductory guide to statistics with SPSS that you will ever read. Presented in a straightforward manner, the coverage of regression, Generalized Linear Models and nonparametric statistics is particularly good.
Practical Nonparametric Statistics
Cononver, W.J. 3rd Ed.
Published by John Wiley, 1999
ISBN 978 047 116 0687
* These books are essential reading for the unit