Research Methodology and Biostatistics – Part 3 Course

COURSE OUTLINE

Research Methodology and Biostatistics – Part 3

Online Course

Our Research Methodology and Biostatistics – Part 3 course is designed for students undertaking advanced academic study who want to strengthen their skills in literature review, dissertation writing, and biostatistics. This comprehensive online program provides practical guidance in key areas of academic research, helping students develop the confidence and structure needed to plan, write, analyse, and present high-level research work effectively.

Delivered fully online, the course is ideal for doctoral-level students and advanced learners who want to improve both their research methodology and their statistical understanding in a clear, structured, and accessible format.

Course Overview

This course is divided into three parts, each focusing on an essential area of the research process:

• Part A – Literature Review

• Part B – Writing the Doctoral Dissertation

• Part C – Biostatistics

Part A consists of 6 lessons with assignments that include multiple-choice, true/false, and missing-word questions.
Part B consists of 12 lessons with assignments focused on the planning and writing of the doctoral dissertation.
Part C covers Biostatistics through a series of short, focused video lessons, with 22 videos in total, most of them 5–10 minutes in length, along with assignments after each lesson.

Together, these three sections provide students with a strong foundation in academic research design, critical literature analysis, dissertation development, and statistical reasoning.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, students will have a stronger understanding of:

• How to select, refine, and develop a research topic

• How to search, organise, critique, and write a literature review

• The structure and purpose of research proposals and doctoral dissertations

• How to develop research questions, choose methods, and plan resources effectively

• The role of ethics, outcomes, and dissemination in academic research

• Core statistical concepts used in biostatistics, including distributions, regression, correlation, hypothesis testing, and sampling methods

• How to approach research and data analysis with greater confidence, clarity, and academic rigour

Course Structure

Part A – Literature Review

Lesson 1 – Select a Topic
This lesson explores how to choose a research topic, identify focus, reduce bias, develop a research statement, and begin using library resources effectively.

Lesson 2 – Search the Literature
Students learn how to search, review, scan, map, and manage literature sources while refining the direction of their topic.

Lesson 3 – Develop the Argument
This lesson focuses on building the case for a literature review, understanding claims, assembling evidence, and developing sound academic arguments.

Lesson 4 – Survey the Literature
A study of how to organise, analyse, and interpret patterns within the literature in order to build a strong discovery argument.

Lesson 5 – Critique the Literature
This lesson examines how to interpret and evaluate published work using literature critique and argument analysis.

Lesson 6 – Write the Review
Students are guided through the writing process, from drafting and structure to final editing and producing a well-organised literature review.

Part B – Writing the Doctoral Dissertation

Lesson 1 – What is a Research Proposal?
An introduction to the purpose, structure, and evaluation of research proposals.

Lesson 2 – Successful Research Proposals
This lesson explores the essential elements of a successful proposal, common reasons for rejection, and what makes a proposal stand out.

Lesson 3 – Selling an Idea
A practical lesson on persuasion, audience awareness, and communicating the value of a research idea clearly.

Lesson 4 – The Aims of the Research
Students learn the importance of clarity, accuracy, precision, and background research in defining research aims.

Lesson 5 – Literature Review
This lesson revisits the literature review within the dissertation context, including what to include, how to scope the research, and how to review relevant publications.

Lesson 6 – Research Questions
A focused lesson on writing strong research questions and understanding how they differ from aims, objectives, and research problems.

Lesson 7 – Research Methods
An overview of method selection, data analysis, limitations, and risk assessment in dissertation research.

Lesson 8 – Planning of Resources
This lesson explores practical planning, including time management, project scale, research costs, and the skills needed to complete a dissertation successfully.

Lesson 9 – Research Ethics
Students examine ethical approval, research ethics codes, risk assessment, and the principles guiding responsible research.

Lesson 10 – Research Outcomes
A lesson on outcomes, impact, dissemination of findings, and the broader value of research results.

Lesson 11 – Management of Dissertation Activities
This lesson covers research records, daily work planning, drafting the dissertation, seeking methodological support, maintaining personal wellbeing, and overcoming writer’s block.

Lesson 12 – The Defence and Publishing of the Results
An introduction to preparing for dissertation defence and publishing research through journal articles and books.

Part C – Biostatistics

Lesson 1 – Introduction to Statistics
This lesson introduces bar charts, pie charts, histograms, time plots, and key descriptive statistics including mode, median, mean, range, and standard deviation.

Lesson 2 – The Effects of Transforming Data
Students explore spread and centre, the impact of outliers, the five-number summary, boxplots, and data interpretation.

Lesson 3 – Percentiles
This lesson covers percentiles, symmetry, skewness, explanatory and response variables, and correlation.

Lesson 4 – Regression and R-Squared
An introduction to regression, residuals, the effect of outliers, and the importance of avoiding inappropriate extrapolation.

Lesson 5 – Causation and Association
This lesson examines placebo effects, control groups, double-blind experiments, and different types of experimental design.

Lesson 6 – Types of Sampling Methods
A study of sampling methods, census approaches, and distribution properties.

Lesson 7 – The Normal Distribution
Students learn the 68–95–99.7 rule, Z-scores, standardisation, the standard normal distribution, probability, sample spaces, and complement rules.

Lesson 8 – Null and Alternative Hypotheses
A focused lesson on hypothesis testing and the principles of statistical inference.

Study Materials

All course materials are provided online and include:

• Full lesson access

• Downloadable PDF study materials

• Video-based biostatistics lessons

• Online assignments

Why Study This Course?

This course is ideal for students who want to build stronger skills in academic research, dissertation writing, and biostatistics as part of advanced study. Whether you are preparing for doctoral work, refining your research methods, or strengthening your ability to analyse and interpret data, this course offers a practical and well-structured learning experience.

With its combination of literature review training, dissertation development, and accessible statistical instruction, Research Methodology and Biostatistics – Part 3 provides valuable support for students aiming to produce higher-quality academic work with greater confidence and clarity.