Høst 2024

HEL-3066 Protocol Development for MPH Thesis - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for samfunnsmedisin

Type of course

The course is an elective course for students enrolled in the MPH program directly, or through our exchange programs indirectly.

Aim of the course is to guide the students in developing a research protocol for the master project. During the course we will summarize relevant information from the previous courses and take the students through the steps of protocol development: definition of the research question, current state of knowledge, systematic literature search and critical appraisal of studies and existing evidence, study design and procedures, ethical considerations, dissemination, scientific writing and outline of the protocol.

Full time students can take the course after completing the two first semesters of the MPH program (60 ECTS). Part time students should ideally plan the course the semester before writing their Master's Thesis It is a prerequisite for the course to have an outline for the master project (topic and a short description approved by the MPH program) and a supervisor.

Course contents

The main focus of this course is the development of a complete and detailed scientific protocol for the Master's Thesis in the MPH program. During the course the following topics will be covered:

Protocol outline (content, format, templates)
Development of a research question (aims/hypothesis)
Systematic literature search and critical appraisal methods
Protocol specific literature review
Scientific writing and presentation
Relevant study design and procedures
Timeline development
Peer review and giving constructive feedback
Plagiarism

Objective of the course

After completion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge

understand why it is important to develop a research protocol for a scientific project
identify the key principles, challenges, and ethical aspects in the development of a research protocol
justify choice of a research question and scientific methods, including literature search and critical appraisal methods, choice of study design and procedures
identify key principles of scientific writing relevant for the development of a research protocol
identify ethical aspects related to a project and formal approvals required
identify key challenges in the protocol development and what can help to deal with them
identify key principles of peer review and providing constructive feedback
explain what plagiarism is and how to avoid it

Skills

formulate a good research question and objectives
outline a detailed and structured project protocol
find relevant and up to date literature, critically read and appraise scientific articles within health sciences
critically assess conflicting findings and arguments from epidemiological research and summarize it properly, identify knowledge gaps
choose relevant scientific methods, describe them properly and justify your choice
apply main principles of scientific writing
identify resource availability and important milestones in the project, and create a project timeline
critically evaluate the scientific content of a research protocol and give constructive feedback

General competence

develop a good research protocol for a master project in the field of public health

Language of instruction

English

Teaching methods

The course is based on didactic teaching methods such as lectures, students working in small and large groups, as well as interactive discussions and feedback sessions with students, teachers and supervisors. There will be a mixture between teacher-led and student-led activities throughout the course. Students are expected to participate in all course activities and provide feedback to fellow students actively. Individual knowledge assimilation enhancement is required. Students are expected to hand in a brief project description (1 page) in advance of the course start up. It has to be approved by the MPH program by the end of the spring semester.