COURSE OUTLINE

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Research Methodology and Biostatistics Course

Course Curriculum

This course is divided into two parts: Part A and Part B, providing students with a strong foundation in both research methodology and biostatistics.

Part A focuses on the structure and development of research proposals, helping students understand how to plan, organise, and present research effectively.

Part B introduces key concepts in biostatistics through a series of short, focused video lessons, designed to make statistical principles clear and accessible.

Part A – Research Methodology

Part A consists of 10 lessons covering a broad range of topics in research methodology, including:

Lesson 1 – The Logic and Structure of Research Proposals
Lesson 2 – Successful Research Proposals
Lesson 3 – Selling an Idea
Lesson 4 – How to Produce a Good Research Proposal
Lesson 5 – Literature Review
Lesson 6 – Research Questions
Lesson 7 – Research Methods
Lesson 8 – Planning and Resources
Lesson 9 – Research Ethics
Lesson 10 – Research Outcomes

Part B – Biostatistics

Part B consists of 8 lessons, with each lesson including 3 short videos covering a specific aspect of biostatistics. Most videos are between 5 and 10 minutes long.

After watching the videos for each lesson, students complete an online assignment consisting of 10 questions in a mix of multiple-choice, true/false, and missing-word formats.

These assignments are timed and must be completed within 15 minutes. Students are advised to revise before attempting each assignment, as only one attempt is allowed.

Biostatistics Lessons

Lesson 1

• Introduction to Statistics
• Bar Charts, Pie Charts, Histograms, Stemplots, and Timeplots
• Mode, Median, Mean, Range, and Standard Deviation

Lesson 2

• The Effects of Transforming Data on Spread and Centre
• The Effects of Outliers on Spread and Centre
• The Five-Number Summary, Boxplots, and Outliers

Lesson 3

• Percentiles
• Symmetry and Skewness
• Explanatory and Response Variables, Correlation

Lesson 4

• Regression and R-Squared
• Residuals
• The Effects of Outliers and Extrapolation on Regression

Lesson 5

• Causation vs Association and an Introduction to Experiments
• Placebo Effect, Control Groups, and the Double-Blind Experiment
• Types of Experimental Designs

Lesson 6

• Types of Sampling Methods
• Census, Non-Response, and Undercoverage
• Density Curves and Their Properties

Lesson 7

• The Normal Distribution and the 68–95–99.7 Rule
• Z-Scores, Standardisation, and the Standard Normal Distribution
• Probability, Sample Spaces, and the Complement Rule

Lesson 8

• Null and Alternate Hypotheses: Statistical Hypothesis Testing

This final lesson includes guidance on how to write null and alternate hypotheses as part of hypothesis testing, with worked examples to help students understand the process step by step.

Final Exam

The final exam consists of 50 timed questions in the same format as the assignments, including true/false, multiple-choice, and missing-word questions.

Students will have 60 minutes to complete the exam.

Course Materials

All course materials are supplied online and are also available as downloadable PDF files for offline study.