Key facts

Overview

This module will introduce some of the more advanced concepts and skills of research design and how they relate to Evidence-Based Health Care. The module will require a deeper understanding of design and statistics than the introductory course, The Practice of Evidence-Based Health Care, and introduce good practice in research protocol development. Teaching will be led by Dr Amanda Burls who is director of Postgraduate Programmes in Evidence-Based Health Care and a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, at the University of Oxford.

Description

This module will cover:

Study Design

By the end of this section students will be able to:

• describe in detail different types of research methodologies
• identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different study designs
• assess whether research studies are using the best approach to statistical analysis
• discuss why various approaches may be appropriate/inappropriate for their work-based research question.

Statistical Analysis

By the end of this section students will be able to:

• describe methodologies that are used to investigate the effectiveness of health care interventions
• have a basic understanding of the approaches to statistical analysis that can be used with these methodologies
• develop an understanding of the types of approaches that can be used for statistical analysis in each type of study design.

Protocol Development

By the end of this section students will be able to:

• understand the different stages of research, such as Phase I, II, III (and their equivalents for complex interventions), and the different requirements for each stage
• identify various facets that form a successful research protocol for different types of health research
• list some of the challenges of preparing a research protocol and develop strategies for addressing them.

Staff

Dr Sharon Mickan

Role: Tutor

Sharon Mickan is Deputy Director of Postgraduate Programmes in Evidence-Based Health Care, at the University of Oxford. Sharon has worked as an...more occupational therapist clinician, manager, researcher, consultant and educator in healthcare organisations in Australia and Europe. She has considerable experience in teaching for undergraduates, postgraduates and for continuing professional development.

Sharon’s doctoral thesis investigated what makes effective teams in healthcare organisations. She used a mixed methodology approach to develop a model of teamwork, which she has used for team evaluation and development. She has experience in developing research capacity and has supervised several research projects in clinical settings. Sharon has also collaborated on and led a range of systematic reviews. Her research interests focus on investigating how research evidence is implemented in practice, from the perspectives of both clinicians and the public.

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Assessment methods

Accommodation

Accommodation is available at the Rewley House Residential Centre, within the Department for Continuing Education, in central Oxford. The comfortable, en-suite, study-bedrooms are rated 3-star, and come with free high-speed internet access and TV. Guests can take advantage of the excellent dining facilities and common room bar, where they may relax and network with others on the programme.

Scholarships

Details of funding opportunities, including grants, bursaries, loans, scholarships and benefit information are available on our financial assistance page.

Fee options

Programme Fee

For students enrolled on the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care: £1450.00

Stand-alone short course fee: £1790.00

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Programmes including this module

This module can be studied as part of these programmes:

• MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care
• Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research
• Short courses in health sciences