Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Introduction to Oral Health Research
Course Code
ZTMVK_079
Branch of Science
Clinical medicine; Dentistry
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Dentistry
LQF
All Levels
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Ilze Maldupa
Structure Unit Manager
Anda Brinkmane
Structural Unit
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Oral Health
Contacts
Riga, 20 Dzirciema Street, zhs@rsu.lv, +371 67455560
About Study Course
Objective
The objective of this study course is to create knowledge, skills, and competencies so that students can find answers to clinical questions using scientific methods, mainly by understanding scientific methodology at a level that allows them to read and critically analyse the scientific literature.
Preliminary Knowledge
Introduction into Speciality, Biostatistics
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Recognise the principles of the scientific method. Identify successes and problems of medical science today. Recognise the concept of Evidence-Based Medicine. Identify basic clinical-epidemiological research design. Identify basic research questions. Differentiate sites with information for patients or professionals. Identify biomedical search engines for published articles. Identify the ethical principles of medical research. Identify the ethical regulations guiding medical research. Recognise major ethical issues in research. Recognise study design.
Skills
1.Perform a search for medical information on the internet and validate it. Perform a search for medical research on selected search engines. Apply criteria for validating medical information on the Internet. Determine the study design following the methodology described in the publication.
Competences
1.This introductory medical research course provides the competencies that allow the student to recognise the role of research in clinical practice and the basic skills for the search and critical evaluation of medical information.
Assessment
Individual work
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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1.
Individual work |
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1. After two seminars on critical appraisal of scientific publications, students will independently analyse and critically appraise one scientific publication (additional independent work time - 2 academic hours).
2. Seminar on study design - students will work in groups to prepare an in-depth presentation on one of the study designs and the quality requirements for a study publication of a particular design (additional independent work time - 6 academic hours).
3. Students will independently prepare a research protocol for a given research question, following the check-lists of writing a publication/protocol for a given research design (additional independent work time - 12 academic hours).
4. Independently and as their individual work, students will prepare a poster presentation on the research planned in the protocol, using the given dataset for data analysis. This assignment combines three skills: data analysis (students should use the knowledge acquired in the biostatistics course), visualisation of the results and design of the poster presentation. The poster will also have to be presented in class, which adds a fourth skill - presentation (additional independent work time - 10 academic hours).
All four assignments in the course will simulate a real research experience, starting with a research question, literature search and critical appraisal, research protocol development and publication, data collection, analysis, synthesis, visualisation, interpretation and presentation of the research at a scientific conference. Students will also learn from the lecture material how to complete a research project with a scientific publication and about the peer-review process.
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Examination
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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1.
Examination |
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Research protocol
Download and complete the seminar template from the folder SEMINAR TEMPLATES.
Submission:
Ensure all group members’ names are alphabetically included in the form.
Check the deadline for submission on the e-studies platform.
Please be aware that the e-studies platform has an automatic submission deadline. Only submissions sent via the system before the deadline will be considered for grading.
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2.
Examination |
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Presentation on a Selected Research Design
Objective:
Gain a deeper understanding of the principles for describing a study with a chosen design using internationally accepted publication guidelines (STROBE, CONSORT, PRISMA, etc.).
Instructions:
Choose a Research Design:
Select one research design (e.g., cohort study, randomized controlled trial, systematic review).
Download the relevant publication writing guidelines (e.g., STROBE, CONSORT, PRISMA) from the seminar templates folder.
Conduct Analysis:
Analyze the selected guideline points that apply to your chosen research design.
Prepare a detailed report on how these guidelines help structure and improve the study description.
Group Work:
Form groups of 4 to 6 students to collaboratively work on analyzing and applying the guidelines.
Presentation:
Prepare a presentation on the selected research design and the guidelines used.
Include in the presentation a description of the research design, the guideline points and their application, and your group's insights on the usefulness and impact of the guidelines on the quality of the research publication.
Presentation Details:
Each group's presentation should be up to 10 minutes long.
The presentation should be conducted using PowerPoint or similar presentation software.
Every group member must participate in the presentation.
Evaluation:
Evaluation criteria are specified in the evaluation rubric section and include:
Presentation time;
Inclusion of all essential sections;
Slide design;
Answers to questions;
Use of slides as guides, not for reading.
The final grade will be the sum of all evaluation criteria scores, expressed as a percentage, and calculated according to the formula provided in the RSU Study Regulations.
Submission:
Ensure that all group members' names are alphabetically included in the presentation.
The presentation file must be saved in PDF format before the submission and submitted to the e-studies platform only in PDF format before the deadline.
Submitte
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3.
Examination |
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Critical Appraisal of Health Information
Objective:
To critically appraise a scientific study cited in a medical news article related to oral health published in social media or local/international news and evaluate the validity of the scientific publication and the agreement between the public information and the actual contents of the scientific publication.
Instructions:
Download and complete the seminar template from the folder SEMINAR TEMPLATES.
Group Formation:
Form a group with your classmates, with a maximum of 8 students. This group will collaborate in the PROTOCOL seminar as well.
Locate a News Article:
Find one medical news article on oral health published in the last 6 months on social media or local/international news platforms (not in scientific journals).
The article must contain a reference to a specific scientific study.
Locate the Referenced Scientific Study:
Search for and obtain the full text of the scientific study cited in the news article. Use the library resources if necessary here.
Conduct a Critical Appraisal:
Critically appraise the scientific study using the guideline provided at https://www.understandinghealthresearch.org/
Evaluate the agreement between the information presented in the news article and the contents of the scientific publication.
Fill Out the Appraisal Form:
Complete the critical appraisal form SEMINAR.
Include your group’s evaluation of the scientific publication and the comparison of the news article and scientific publication contents.
Submission:
Ensure all group members’ names are alphabetically included in the form.
Save your assignment in PDF format and submit it in PDF format.
Check the deadline for submission on the e-studies platform.
Please be aware that the e-studies platform has an automatic submission deadline. Only submissions sent via the system before the deadline will be considered for grading.
Evaluation:
The grading rubric is in the form. The final grade is the average of all the evaluations of the wo
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4.
Examination |
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Presentation of Research Findings
This seminar is intended to be completed individually.
Objective:
This seminar aims to enhance your skills in data visualisation and effective presentation of research findings. You will be provided with a dataset containing research results, and your task is to create an informative poster in PDF format (portrait orientation) along with a concise two-minute presentation video.
Instructions:
Dataset Access: You will receive a dataset containing research data relevant to the seminar topic.
Poster Creation (PDF): Based on the dataset, design a visually appealing poster in PDF format. The poster should include key findings, charts, graphs, and necessary visuals to communicate the research outcomes effectively. When creating your poster, please follow the size of A1.
Two-Minute Presentation: Prepare a two-minute presentation summarising your research's key findings and insights. If you are unable to present in person for any reason, you are allowed to upload a 2 min video of your presentation, showing both you and your poster. This format is allowed if you submit the video together with the poster before the deadline in e-studios.
Submission: Submit your PDF poster and video presentation through the e-studies platform before the specified deadline.
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5.
Examination |
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Students' performance throughout the course will be assessed using a comprehensive rubric to ensure a thorough and balanced assessment across all four seminars. The assessment criteria within the rubric will cover various aspects, including
Quality of work: The depth, accuracy and overall excellence of assignments.
Critical Thinking: The ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise information effectively.
Presentation Skills: Oral and visual presentations' clarity, organisation and effectiveness.
Adherence to ethical standards: Adherence to ethical guidelines and considerations in research and presentation.
Each of the four assignments is of equal weight and worth 25% of the total course mark. This structure ensures that all aspects of students' work are assessed fairly and consistently and contribute equally to their final grade.
The rubric will provide clear and specific guidelines for each criterion, promoting transparency and consistency in the assessment process. The rubrics will be available on the e-studies platform under each assignment description to facilitate student understanding and preparation.
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Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Use of Pubmed in searching research papers
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Use of Pubmed in searching research papers
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Evidence-based medical resource databases
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Introduction to research methods in medicine and dentistry; Study designs
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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A search of medical information for patients and for professionals
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Ethics in biomedical research
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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How to plan a study? Designing a study protocol
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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How to write a research paper?
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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How to present the results of a research at a scientific conference?
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Critical appraisal of a scientific article
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Critical appraisal of a scientific article
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Critical appraisal of a scientific article
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Study design
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Data visualisation
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Presentation of a research results
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Presentation of a research results
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Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
32 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Richards D, Lawrence A. Evidence based dentistry. Br Dent J. 1995 Oct 7;179(7):270–3. Apstiprināts 2024. gadā
2.
Maldupa I, Uribe S. (2014) Ko nozīmē uz pierādījumiem balstīta zobārstniecība? Zobārstniecības raksti. (1):35–41.
3.
Chiappelli, F. (2019) ‘Evidence-based dentistry: Two decades and beyond’, The journal of evidence-based dental practice. Elsevier BV, 19(1), pp. 7–16.
4.
Bik, E. M. (2024) ‘Publishing negative results is good for science’, Access microbiology, 6(4), p. 000792.
5.
Bik, E. M. (2024) ‘Finding the truth in science’, Nature reviews. Cancer. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi: 10.1038/s41568-024-00702-w.
Additional Reading
1.
Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, et al. (2015) A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VII: How to use patient management recommendations from clinical practice guidelines. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 146: 327–336.e1.
2.
Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, et al. (2015) A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VI: How to use a systematic review. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 146: 255–265.e1.
3.
Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Azarpazhooh A, et al. (2015) A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: X: How to avoid being misled by clinical studies’ results in dentistry. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 146: 919–924.
4.
Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, et al. (2015) A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: III: How to appraise and use an article about therapy. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 146: 42–49.e1.
5.
Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, et al. (2015) A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: V: How to appraise and use an article about diagnosis. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 146: 184–191.e1.
6.
Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, et al. (2014) A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: understanding and applying the principles of EBD. J Am Dent Assoc. 145: 1105–1107.
7.
Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Booth HA, et al. (2014) A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: How to search for evidence to inform clinical decisions. J Am Dent Assoc. 145: 1262–1267.
8.
Richards D. (2008) Evidence-based Dentistry: Managing Information for Better Practice. Quintessence Pub. Apstiprināta 2024. gadā
9.
Grimes DA, Schulz KF. (2002) An overview of clinical research: the lay of the land. Lancet. Jan 5;359(9300):57–61. Apstiprināts 2024. gadā