Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Reserch Methodology
Course Code
SVUEK_021
Branch of Science
Clinical medicine; Public and environmental health
ECTS
9.00
Target Audience
Public Health
LQF
Level 7
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Anita Villeruša
Structure Unit Manager
Anda Ķīvīte-Urtāne
Structural Unit
Institute of Public Health
Contacts
Riga, 9 Kronvalda boulevard, svek@rsu.lv, +371 67338307
About Study Course
Objective
To give insight into the research methods in Public health sciences. To develop students' understanding of the choice of a qualitative and / or quantitative approach to the problem and the development of a research plan. To develop understanding and skills to prepare for separate phases of research, from generating ideas, formulating a hypothesis or research question, creating a research plan (design), planning data collection and analysis, to describing and publishing the work. To develop students' skills to independently prepare a research project application, critically evaluate and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different research plans, evaluate and interpret research results, collect, systematize, compare and generalize the findings of other researchers.
Preliminary Knowledge
Informatics and statistics, Public health, Epidemiology.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Students will be able to outline theoretical guidelines for research methodology; will know the principles of how to select and describe a possible research topic, formulate a research question, goals and objectives, will be able to list, describe research designs, as well as choose the most appropriate one, justify and apply data acquisition and analysis methods.
Skills
1.Students will be able to apply the basic principles of scientific research methodology in accordance with the chosen research topic and situation, as well as justify the choice made; formulate and discuss your research question or hypothesis; to create the most suitable research design and determine a specific goal and tasks; draw a research map with dependent and independent variables, apply the conceptual and operational definition of the variable; to identify a research subject and select measuring instruments for their evaluation; create a valid and credible survey or interview protocol; prepare and present a research project application.
Competences
1.The student will be competent to argue and justify the choice of research topic with scientific evidence; critically evaluate, interpret and generalize previous knowledge in the research problem; design your own data acquisition plan, create and defend a research project; operate in accordance with the ethical principles of research in the field of public health.
Assessment
Individual work
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Individual work |
-
|
-
|
|
Studies of scientific literature; preparation of a review of a scientific article, independent work on the preparation and presentation of a research application.
|
||
Examination
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Examination |
-
|
-
|
|
Participation in classes 10%, group work 20%, review of research paper 20%, presentation of Individual research proposal 50%.
|
||
Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Research as a source of knowledge, an element of strategic planning and action. Research process, stages. Public health research, its types. Ethical aspects of research.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Stages of planning and implementation of the research process. Searching and development of research ideas.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Philosophical basis of research. The evolution of the philosophy of positivism and idealism in scientific research. Ontology and epistemology. The paradigm of quantitative and qualitative research.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Inductive, deductive and abductive way of thinking. Research traditions: experimental and naturalistic research, their interaction, differences in goals and structure, applicability in public health research.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Selection, analysis and formulation of a scientific problem.
Identification of the scope of the researched problem (epidemiological, social, medical, political necessity). Preparation of research research for the problem. Formulation of the research goal, differences in quantitative and qualitative research.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Selection, analysis and formulation of a scientific problem.
Identification of the scope of the researched problem (epidemiological, social, medical, political necessity). Preparation of research research for the problem. Formulation of the research goal, differences in quantitative and qualitative research.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Use of scientific literature in research planning and research process. RSU library resources. Scientific literature sources, databases, literature search strategies. Critical evaluation of available literature. Design of references.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Use of scientific literature in research planning and research process. RSU library resources. Scientific literature sources, databases, literature search strategies. Critical evaluation of available literature. Design of references.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Theory, its role in research. Types and forms of theories. Diversity of theories in public health. Use of psychology, sociology and other theories of natural and social sciences in public health research.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The use of theory in the development of the idea of research. Insertion of theory into a research concept. Elements of theoretical concept: abstraction, concept and construct, theorem, principles. The role of theories in design choice. Application of theory in experimental and naturalistic research. Creation of a conceptual map of the study.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
The use of theory in the development of the idea of research. Insertion of theory into a research concept. Elements of theoretical concept: abstraction, concept and construct, theorem, principles. The role of theories in design choice. Application of theory in experimental and naturalistic research. Creation of a conceptual map of the study.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Research question in experimental type (quantitative) research, its 3 degrees (levels). Research question in naturalistic (qualitative) research. Hypothesis, its differences from the research question, use. Development of research question and hypothesis and differences in wording in different types of research.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Research question in experimental type (quantitative) research, its 3 degrees (levels). Research question in naturalistic (qualitative) research. Hypothesis, its differences from the research question, use. Development of research question and hypothesis and differences in wording in different types of research.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Research design, their types. The main design elements. Quantitative and qualitative research designs, their types. Advantages and disadvantages. Design selection and suitability for the research question.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Research design, their types. The main design elements. Quantitative and qualitative research designs, their types. Advantages and disadvantages. Design selection and suitability for the research question.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Plan of experimental research, its characterizing elements. Different variants of experimental type of research. Quasi-experimental research plan. Non-experimental research plans. Design selection criteria. Types of qualitative research and their design.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Development of a data collection plan. Selection of variables to prove a research idea. Dependent and non - dependent variables. Complexity of variables: Conceptual and operational definition, measurement dimensions. Measurement scales, their types and use. Data acquisition procedure in qualitative studies and quantitative studies. Study population and sample. Types of samples.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Development of a data collection plan. Selection of variables to prove a research idea. Dependent and non - dependent variables. Complexity of variables: Conceptual and operational definition, measurement dimensions. Measurement scales, their types and use. Data acquisition procedure in qualitative studies and quantitative studies. Study population and sample. Types of samples.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Choice of data acquisition tool, its suitability for the research question. Types and instruments for measuring variables. Principles of creating a questionnaire. Types of questions, their wording and layout. Evaluation of measuring instruments. Reliability of measurements, repeatability.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Choice of data acquisition tool, its suitability for the research question. Types and instruments for measuring variables. Principles of creating a questionnaire. Types of questions, their wording and layout. Evaluation of measuring instruments. Reliability of measurements, repeatability.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Data preparation and analysis plan in quantitative and qualitative research. Description and publication of results. Master's and others general principles of research work (publication) creation.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Use of scientific literature in research planning and research process. Basic strategies of scientific reading. Description of literature, basic principles of its formation. Different ways and forms of publishing research results.
Development of writing skills, clarity of text, purposefulness, quotes, tables and drawings, references. Scientific language, scientific terminology. Requirements for publications in internationally cited journals. Master's thesis design requirements.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Use of scientific literature in research planning and research process. Basic strategies of scientific reading. Description of literature, basic principles of its formation. Different ways and forms of publishing research results.
Development of writing skills, clarity of text, purposefulness, quotes, tables and drawings, references. Scientific language, scientific terminology. Requirements for publications in internationally cited journals. Master's thesis design requirements.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Presentation of research project results. Content and design of a presentation. Communication skills.
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
9.00
Contact hours:
72 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Web-Based Textbook: The Research Methods Knowledge Base. by William Trochim, 2016
2.
Kathryn H. Jacobsen. Introduction to Health Research Methods. 3rd ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2021.
3.
Kristine, Martinsone & Pipere, Anita & Daiga, Kamerade. Pētniecība: teorija un prakse [Research: theory and practice]. 2016
4.
Research Methodology in the Medical and Biological Sciences. Edited by Petter Laake, Haakon Breien Benestad and Bjørn Reino Olsen. Amsterdam : Academic, 2007. (akceptējams izdevums)
5.
Zinātniskā rakstīšana un pētījumu rezultātu izplatīšana. Kristīnes Mārtinsones un Anitas Piperes zinātniskajā redakcijā. [Autoru kolektīvs]. Rīga: RSU, 2019
6.
How to write a first-class paper. Nature 555, 129-130. 2018
7.
Ārvalstu studentiem/For international students:
8.
Web-Based Textbook: The Research Methods Knowledge Base. by William Trochim, 2016
9.
Kathryn H. Jacobsen. Introduction to Health Research Methods. 3rd ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2021.
10.
Research Methodology in the Medical and Biological Sciences. Edited by Petter Laake, Haakon Breien Benestad and Bjørn Reino Olsen. Amsterdam : Academic, 2007. (akceptējams izdevums)
11.
How to write a first-class paper. Nature 555, 129-130. 2018
Additional Reading
1.
Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. John W. Creswell; SAGE Publication, 5th edition, 2018
2.
Doing Qualitative Research. 6th edition. David Silverman; SAGE Publication Ltd, 2021
3.
Research Methods In Health: Investigating Health and Health Services. 3rd edition. Ann Bowling, Open University Press, 2014
4.
Foundations of Behavioral Research. 4th edition, Fred N. Kerlinger, Howard B. Lee, Thomson learning. London, 2000.
5.
Presenting your Findings. A Practical Guide for Creating Tables. 6th edition, Adelheid A. M. Nicol, Penny M. Pexman. American Psychological Association, 2013
6.
Health measurement scales: a practical guide to their development and use. 5th edition. David L. Streiner, Geoffrey R. Norman. Oxford University Press, 2015
Other Information Sources
1.
Zigrīda Goša. Statistika. LU, Rīga, 2007.
2.
Irina Arhipova, Signe Bāliņa. Statistika ekonomikā. Datorzinību centrs, 2006