Completion of Year 12 maths or equivalent is recommended. Completion of or concurrent enrolment in POPH8100 is recommended.
This course will examine principles of biostatistics, in the context of real-world public health issues. The aim of the course is to help those without a technical background to read and interpret biostatistical content in the medical and public health literature.
Topics, chosen by frequency of occurrence in the literature, will include:
- Introduction to sampling distributions, hypothesis tests and estimation
- Analysis of normal data, including t-tests and linear regression
- Analysis of binary data, including 2x2 tables, Mantel-Haenszel methods and logistic regression
- Analysis of count data, including comparing rates between two groups,
- Poisson regression and survival analysis
- Meta-analysis
Throughout the course, the emphasis will be on understanding the reasons why the techniques are appropriate, underlying assumptions and interpretation of results, rather than the mechanics of calculation. Each topic will draw upon one or two papers from the literature. Both lectures and small group tutorials will be used to facilitate learning and provide opportunities to explore specific topics in more detail.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Explain the various mathematical and biostatistical concepts covered during the course
- Recognize differences in data distributions via visual displays
- Give examples of different types of data and know the appropriate techniques for analysing: continuous outcomes; binary data; count data; and survival data
- Interpret the results of: t-tests and linear regression; 2x2 tables, Mantel-Haenszel methods and logistic regression; Poisson regression; Cox regression; and meta-analysis
- Critically appraise the evidence presented in published research studies
Indicative Assessment
Assignments (60%), In-class assessment (35%), Quiz (5%)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Semester 1, 2015: Weekly sessions on Thursday mornings.
Winter Session, 2015: Attendance and participation at an intensive in the week beginning 14 Sept, plus additional morning sessions on 22 Sept, 6 Oct, 20 Oct and 17 Nov. An optional Maths Refresher session will be held on 11 Sept (pm).
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the National Ctre for Epidemiology & Population Health to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Betty R Kirkwood & Jonathan AC Sterne. Essential Medical Statistics (2nd Ed). Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd, 2003. ISBN-13: 978-0865428713
Assumed Knowledge
Recommended Course - POPH8100 Fundamentals of EpidemiologyFees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $3096 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4146 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3183 | 16 Feb 2015 | 06 Mar 2015 | 31 Mar 2015 | 29 May 2015 | In Person | N/A |
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1663 | 24 Aug 2015 | 07 Sep 2015 | 11 Sep 2015 | 20 Nov 2015 | In Person | N/A |
