GRADUATE COURSE OUTLINE

Transcription

1 CUMMING SCHOOL OF MEDICINE GRADUATE COURSE OUTLINE MDCH 681 Health Research Methods WINTER 2015 Course Coordinator Course Instructors Teaching Assistants Dr. Marilynne Hebert Dr. Marilynne Hebert* Telephone: Khara Sauro* Ceara Cunningham* *Please use for administrative concerns only. Substantive issues should be addressed in person, either in class or during an appointment. Course Dates & Times January 12 April 15, 2015 Lecture: 9:00-11:50am Tutorial: 9:30-11:20am Location To be confirmed (Nov 19/14) Page 1 of 9

2 Course Description Health research is concerned with studies of factors that influence people s health and their access to care, the ways and means of delivering health care, and administrative aspects of the health care system. Health research adheres to scientific methods and demands critical thinking, the rigorous application of research methods, an understanding of the implications of research findings and the principles of bioethics. This course provides an overview of research methods used in community health sciences including both quantitative and qualitative traditions and research ethics. Students will gain familiarity with aspects of the research process from critically evaluating scientific literature, to developing a research question, preparing and defending a research proposal and funding application. The course assumes limited prior experience with health research methods. Course content and structure will be geared to the level of students in the MSc program who have completed some of their coursework but who have yet to fully embark on their thesis. These students may or may not have had research methods training as part of their undergraduate degree. This course fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among students from different professional and academic backgrounds. Pre-Requisites MDCH 610 (Biostatistics 1) or consent of Instructor. Required Resources 1. Books are available in the Medical Bookstore and on reserve in the Health Sciences library Bryman A, Bell E and Teevan JJ. Social Research Methods, 3 rd Canadian ed. Oxford University Press, Bowling A. Research Methods in Health: Investigating Health and Health Services, 3 rd ed. Berkshire, England: McGraw-Hill Open University Press, Additional assigned readings and resources will be posted on the MDCH 681 D2L site (learning management system). 3. TopHat (interactive software) will be used during the course to support student and course interaction. Suggested Textbooks Creswell JW. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (3 rd ed). Thousand Oaks CA: Sage, Silverman SJ, Locke LF, Spirduso WW. Proposals that Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals (5 th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, Course Objectives: (1) To address learning required to meet foundation competencies (2) To address themes representing fundamental characteristics of good research including: a. Effective communication demonstrated in both clarity of spoken and written word; b. Justification for all aspects of the research study including compelling links among the research question(s), methods selected to answer the question(s), analyses and conclusions drawn; c. Recognising limitations, considering implications of the limitations, and deriving research that is as strong as possible given those limitations. (Nov 19/14) Page 2 of 9

3 Learner Objectives A. Health Research Following completion of this course, students will be able to: (1) Summarize and contrast perspectives on different ways of knowing; (2) Identify and discuss elements of the research process; (3) Discuss ethical considerations for research; (4) Discuss relevance of theory to development of research questions and methods; (5) Develop a researchable question for both a qualitative and quantitative research project; (6) Identify appropriate study designs and methods (qualitative, quantitative and mixed), sampling and data collection strategies to address a range of research questions; (7) Critically appraise research proposals and funding applications. (8) Incorporate peer feedback into your work. B. Individual Research Project Following completion of this course, each student will be able to: (1) Develop a researchable question; (2) Critically appraise and synthesize literature relevant to his/her study; (3) Develop a well-organised and defensible health research proposal on a topic of his/her choice, including clearly stated purpose and significance, justification for selection of methods and ethics considerations. (4) Verbally articulate his/her proposed research in a clear and compelling manner. Academic Integrity The Cumming School of Medicine expects intellectual honesty from its students. Course participants should be aware of University policies relating to Principles of Conduct, Plagiarism and Academic Integrity. These are found in the printed Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar, or online under Academic Regulations in the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar, available at Cut Points for Grades This course adheres to the grading system outlined in the University of Calgary, Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar. Grades of A+ and A are not distinguished in the calculation of GPAs. Percentage/letter grade conversion used for this course is as follows: Grade Grade Point Percentage Graduate Description Value Conversion A Outstanding A Excellent superior performance showing comprehensive understanding of the subject matter A Very Good Performance B Good Performance B Satisfactory Performance B Minimum Pass for Students in the Faculty of Graduate Studies C All grades below B- are indicative of failure at the graduate level and cannot be counted toward Faculty of Graduate Studies course requirements (Nov 19/14) Page 3 of 9

4 (Nov 19/14) Page 4 of 9

5 Deadlines for Assignments and Evaluation Scheme (Marking Rubrics posted on D2L) Due Dates Assignment % Evaluation Tue Jan Research Proposal Part 1 -introduction to the topic/problem, critical review of relevant literature, and a clear research question that is justified by the literature reviewed. *Must include headings indicated on Marking Rubric Tue Feb 24 Fri Mar 13 Tues Mar 31 Tues Apr 7 Fri Apr 10 Fri Apr 17 Fri Apr Peer Review of Funding Proposal *Use the Proposal Criteria Checklist posted on D2L 3. Research Proposal Part 2: builds on Part 1 + additional proposal sections: proposed method(s) for your study, including research design, sampling, recruitment, data collection, data sources, analysis and interpretation strategies, ethical considerations *Must include headings indicated on Marking Rubric 4. Formal presentation of proposed research 10% Length: max words (excluding references, figures, etc) (equivalent to approximately 4-6 double-spaced pages) 10% Length: max. 2 pages Independently complete a peerreview of your assigned proposal. Using the criteria provided, critically appraise the proposal, and include comments to justify your assessment 20% Length: max words (excluding references, figures, etc). (equivalent to approximately double-spaced pages) 5% Length: max. 1 page Document key changes suggested by reviewers -describe changes you made in response to the feedback -OR- your rationale for not making changes 10% Length: 10 minutes + 2 minutes for questions 5. Written feedback to 2 presenters 5% Length: 2 pages (1 page for each for 2 presenters) 6. Final Research Proposal 20% Length: max words (excluding -incorporates feedback provided in references, figures, etc). previous assignments including your (equivalent to approximately presentation double-spaced pages) -is polished and ready for submission 10% Length: max. 3 pages *Must include headings indicated on Document feedback/changes Marking Rubric suggested by reviewers (focus on ideas that have had the most impact in improving your final product) -describe changes you made in response to the feedback -OR- your rationale for not making 7. Class Participation -TopHat participation before/during class -in-class discussion -small group activities changes 10% Length: 1 page Self-Assessment Checklist + Instructor Assessment (Nov 19/14) Page 5 of 9

6 Notes for Assignments Format - All assignments must be typewritten, double-spaced with 1 margins and 12-point font; indicate the word count on title page Assignment Length word count or page limit must be adhered to. Marks will be deducted for assignments going over the limit. Adhering to the required length is an important and valuable skill required for grant applications and manuscript publication. References should be consistently formatted using either American Psychological Association (APA) format used in Social Sciences - or Vancouver Style used in biomedical and scientific journals (also known as Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals). Title Page - course name, date, course instructor s name, student name and ID number. Include student name and page numbers in footer on each page. Grades for all assignments will be determined on the basis of content (comprehensive and credible), scholarship and writing style as indicated in the marking criteria. Submit assignments electronically via D2L (under Assignments Tab and dropbox). Note all assignments are due by 4pm. Late Assignments Assignments are due on the specified date by 4:00 p.m. Students who hand in assignments late will be penalized 10% per day for handing in late. Assignments submitted 10 calendar days or more after the due date will be refused and the students assigned a score of zero for the assignment. Students may hand in assignments late without penalty under the following circumstances: o The student has discussed the timelines with course instructor in advance of the due date and the course instructor has granted an extension in writing o There is a valid health or family emergency as discussed under the University regulations for deferral of final examinations. Students may be required to provide the Course Coordinator with such documentation related to illness and/or emergency. Refer to specific information in the University Calendar. (Nov 19/14) Page 6 of 9

7 Course Timetable Wk Topic Tues Lecture Topic -Fri Tutorial Assignment Due 1 Jan 13 -Review the course outline; D2L, TopHat -Relevance of theory to research design -General Research Orientation: Quantitative vs Qualitative -Literature Review Strategies -Formulating a research question -Elements of good writing 2 Jan 20 -Four common research designs (Strategies of Inquiry) -Research design considerations -Evaluating study quality *Guest: When things don t go as planned 3 Jan 27 -Define and measure your variables -Data collection tools 4 Feb 3 -Sampling; Data Collection -Managing data *Guest: Considering ethics issues early in proposal development 5 Feb 10 -The Peer Review Process *Guest: Managing quantitative data Jan 16 -Complete the TopHat survey Work on Proposal literature review *Research Integrity Day Jan 23 *Library: Literature Search strategies (TBC) Jan 30 -Exercise on Variables and Measures Feb 6 -Proposal feedback Feb 13 -Exercise on Completing a Peer Review DUE Tue, Jan 27: Research Proposal Part 1 Feb 17 No Lecture Reading Week Feb 20 No Tutorial Reading Week 6 Feb 24 -Data analyses; Interpretation *Guest: Qualitative traditions; managing qualitative data 7 Mar 3 -Incorporating Feedback into your work -Refining your writing; making an argument Feb 27 -Proposal feedback Mar 6 DUE Tue, Feb 24: Individual Peer Review (Nov 19/14) Page 7 of 9

8 Wk Topic Tues Lecture Topic -Fri Tutorial Assignment Due 8 Mar 10 -Mixed Methods *Guest: Mixed Methods 9 Mar 17 -Disseminate your findings *Guest: Knowledge Transfer in Practice 11 Mar 24 -Ethics and the Politics of Research *Guest: Politics in Research 12 Mar 31 Oral presentations 13 Apr 7 Oral presentations 14 Apr 14 Consultations Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Apr 3 Good Friday Apr 10 Oral presentations DUE Fri, Mar 13: Research Proposal Part 2 DUE: Proposal presentations DUE: Feedback on presentations in class DUE: Fri, Apr 17: Final Proposal + response to feedback General Principles This required course provides an opportunity to develop new or enhance current skills. You cannot meet this goal by recycling work you ve done previously, i.e. do not submit a proposal you have funding for, a project you ve already completed, or a thesis proposal already approved by your committee. Clearly understand that the work completed for this class is required course work. You may work on a proposal idea that you develop further as a thesis proposal with your supervisor and committee. However, please note you will be expected to make revisions to your assignments based on feedback you receive in the course. (Nov 19/14) Page 8 of 9

9 Students with Disabilities It is the student s responsibility to request academic accommodations. If you are a student with a documented disability who may require academic accommodation and have not registered with the Disability Resource Centre, please contact their office at Students who have not registered with the Disability Resource Centre are not eligible for formal academic accommodation. You are also required to discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of this course. Important Information Any research in which students are invited to participate will be explained in class and approved by the appropriate University Research Ethics Board. Cell phones must be turned off in class unless otherwise arranged with the instructor. Assembly points for emergencies have been identified across campus. The primary assembly points for South Campus (Health Science Centre (HSC); Health & Research Innovation Centre (HRIC); Heritage Medical Research Building (HMRB) and Teaching, Research and Wellness (TRW)) are: HSC and HMRB: HRIC Atrium (alternate assembly point is Parking Lot 6) HRIC: HMRB Atrium (alternate assembly point is Parking Lot 6) TRW: McCaig Tower (alternate assembly point is HMRB Atrium) Information and contact for the Student Ombudsman s Office can be found at Student Ombuds Office The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act indicates that assignments given by you to your course instructor will remain confidential unless otherwise stated before submission. The assignment cannot be returned to anyone else without your express permission. Similarly, any information about yourself that you share with your course instructor will not be given to anyone else without your permission. (Nov 19/14) Page 9 of 9