Introduction to Research Methods in Public Health

This course is mandatory for all students attending the Master’s degree program in Public Health. The course can also be taken as a singular course.

The course covers fundamental principles of research methods relevant to public health and health research. It includes modules on qualitative methods (2.5 ECTS), epidemiology (2.5 ECTS), biostatistics (2.5 ECTS), and systematic reviews (2.5 ECTS). Students gain the introductory skills in planning, executing and critically assessing research projects that address diverse research questions. The course addresses both general research principles and the specialized knowledge required to apply epidemiological methods in public health research.

The course can be taken as a singular course by applicants who meet the academic admission criteria for the Master's program in Public Health.

Application code: 9371

Upon completing the course, students are expected to achieve the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

• Describe the epistemological foundations of qualitative research and discuss perspectives in qualitative research methods.
• Explain key concepts in epidemiology including measures of disease frequency, measures of association, various study designs and bias.
• Explain the basic principles of choosing the most appropriate statistical method for descriptive and inferential parametric and non-parametric analysis of univariate and bivariate data.
• Define central principles of evidence-based practice (EBP).
• Explain important considerations regarding data syntheses, especially meta-analyses• Describe the steps involved in conducting a systematic review.
• Explain and compare quantitative and qualitative research approaches, including the types of data. methodologies they employ and areas of application.
• Explain core ethical principles in public health research, including research integrity, informed consent, confidentiality, and responsible data management.

Skills

• Formulate clear research questions for qualitative and quantitative studies in public health and choose appropriate research methods to address them.
• Compare and critically appraise different qualitative methods, including their strengths and limitations.
• Identify and evaluate various study designs used in health research and compute and interpret descriptive and analytical measures in epidemiology.
• Use statistical software to perform computations for univariate/bivariate descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Critically appraise qualitative and quantitative research (perform risk of bias assessment), using appropriate design-specific checklists.
• Apply the principles of systematic literature searching in at least one database, e.g. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
• Identify and interpret the main results in scientific papers.

General competence

• Conduct self-assessments to identify areas for personal and professional growth.
• Create and deliver presentations that effectively communicate research findings to a variety of audiences.
• Critically evaluate scientific work published in journals and reports.

• Lectures and seminars: physical and online; asynchronous and synchronous
• Flipped classroom activities
• Team-based learning
• Group-work
• Presentations

Language of instruction and examination

This course is open to incoming exchange students.

Study Level: Master's

Prerequisites:
To be eligible for this course, you must have:

• A completed bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS).
• At least 80 ECTS in relevant subjects, such as: health sciences, nutrition, sport science, veterinary science, social sciences, statistics, mathematics, computer science, biology, developmental studies, economics, healthcare management, and medical technology.

For details on how to apply for exchange, course selection guidelines, or to contact the Incoming Admissions Team, please visit: Admissions for Student Exchange.

More info about the coursework requirements

Re-sit examination