Download - Scientific Research Skills Class #1
Dr. Ekaterine Karkashadze
Researcher, epidemiologist
Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center
16 Al. Kazbegi Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia
Email: [email protected]
Education:
• MD: Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia (2004)
• MS: University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA (2015)
Thesis topic: “Assessment of quality of life (QoL) in people living with HIV in Georgia”
Scientific work:
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals, poster and oral presentations at international conferences
Student introductions 1). First and last name 2). Country of origin and citizenship 3). The field of your interest in medicine 4) Any information about yourself you can share with us (for example, your hobby)
Scientific Research Skills: Aim of the Course
Prepare students of the Faculty of Medicine for acquiring skills for conducting and writing scientific work in the future
Scientific Research Skills: Structure
Activity Hours
Lecture 11 hr.
Practical trainings 15 hours
Midterm and final exams 6 hours
Independent work 43 hours
TOTAL: 75 hours
Scientific Research Skills: : Evaluation
Activity Points
Weekly evaluations
(6 quizs 5 points for each) 30 points
Individual writing assignment 10 points
Midterm exam 20 points
Final exam 40 points
TOTAL: 100 points
A) Positive evaluation: (A) Excellent – 91-100; (B) Very good - 81-90; (C) Good - 71-80; (D) Satisfactory - 61-70; (E) Sufficient - 51-60; B) Negative evaluation:
(FX) Not passed- 41-50 (retake exam) (F) Fail - 40 or less (retake class)
Scientific Research Skills: Evaluation
• Midterm examination (20 points)
20 multiple choice questions; each correct answer is evaluated by 1 point.
• The final exam (40 points)
30 multiple choice questions (1 point per each) and 5 open questions 2 points per each).
• Students will need to gain at least 25 points to take final exam!
• Student must score minimum of 20 points at final exam in order to pass it!
Contribution to class activities will be taken into account!
The Course Material
• Introduction to scientific research projects. Graham Basten. Ventuspublishind Aps. UK. 2010.2.
• Research skill development. Handbook .Teaching & learning council. Australia. 2009.
• Lecture slides
• Materials distributed during practical trainings
Only topics discussed in classes will be included in quizzes and exams
The aim of science and research in Medicine
• Science generates knowledge through conducting research
• Research: the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions
• Research Knowledge (Evidence) Health policy Improved health and wellbeing of people
Evidence-based medicine
• Evidence: the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid
• Evidence-based medicine (EBM): care of patients using the best available research evidence to guide clinical decision making
− making sure that when decisions are made about treatment, they are made on the basis of the most up-to-date, solid, reliable, scientific evidence
• Not “cookbook” with recipes, but its good application brings cost-effective and better health care
Harmful effect of tobacco smoking was not always known
Only in early 1950s people started to realize that tobacco smoking can be seriously harmful to health
Evidence proving harmful effect of tobacco smoking
• 1952 Hammond-Horn Study launched to examine the association of cigarette smoking with death rates from cancer and other diseases
• 188 000 men enrolled Trends in Tobacco Use and Lung Cancer Deaths in the U.S.
• Published results in 1954 • JAMA. 1954;155(15):1316-1328
• This study helped to establish cigarette smoking as a cause of death from lung cancer and coronary heart disease.
Key concepts of scientific method
General question about the problem/ real world phenomenon
Narrowing down to focus on a specific problem/ formulating research question
Designing research, observing specific aspects
Analyzing this aspect
Implications to real world problem
Generalization of the findings to the real world
Doing Research
• Why am I doing it? Rationale, problem, research question, scientific knowledge;
• Why am I doing it this way? Planning research project, selecting research methods, study population etc.
• What might be done with what I find out? Generating study results, conclusions, and implications to the field;
Types of scientific research
According to the purpose of the study:
• Basic (fundamental)
An investigation on basic principles and reasons for occurrence of a particular event /process /phenomenon;
Conducted in lab setting;
Direct goal: to promote to general knowledge, not applicability of the results
• Applied
A research which is used to answer a specific question, solve a specific problem related to product development, or to gain better understanding;
Conducted in real world setting;
Direct goal: Applicability of results and cost-effective reduction of existing problem
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Types of scientific research
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Quantitative
Numerical, non-descriptive, applies statistics or mathematics and uses number
Iterative process whereby evidence is evaluated
What, where and when of decision making
Conclusive
The results are often presented in tables and graphs
Qualitative
Non-numerical, descriptive, applies reasoning and uses words
Aim is to get the meaning, feeling and describe the situation
Why and how of decision making
Explanatory
Qualitative data cannot be graphed
Types of undergraduate research projects Characteristics Feasibility for undergraduates
Laboratory project Elements of repetition, done in lab, sample preparation and analysis to accept or reject the hypothesis
If students have permission and access to lab
Literature project Review of existing studies to create consensus data sets and conclusions
Feasible
Meta-analysis Type of literature project with complex model to reach a conclusion
Feasible, needs statistical skills
Intervention project Type of experimental study, with participation of volunteers who will undergo an experimental intervention
Very difficult, undergraduate level limited to this type of research
Questionnaire project Collection of data (information) from respondents by completing questionnaires
Recruitment might be concern, skills to draw up and validate new questionnaires
Data analysis project Statistical analysis and testing hypothesis, data are already obtained (uses secondary datasets)
Requires statistical skills Access to dataset needed
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