This course is offered in two modes: online and in person. Please select the correct class number for the relevant mode of delivery when enrolling.
The Research Design and Methods course teaches relevant theories, concepts, tools and techniques in epidemiology to equip students with the knowledge and skills to undertake an applied epidemiological research study. The focus is on turning a research question into a study that is appropriate to the setting and will answer the research question. Students apply skills learnt by developing their own research proposal on a topic of their choosing. Teaching will be through case studies, lectures and small group tutorials.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Develop and apply a systematic approach to search the peer-reviewed and grey literature relevant to a public health problem, and to record the references appropriately.
- Interpret, summarise and synthesise the literature on the public health problem/event of interest.
- Use the results of the literature search to clarify the rationale of the study and to formulate explicit study objectives and/ or research questions.
- Describe suitable study designs and methods, and their advantage and disadvantages for investigating public health problems.
- Propose practical methods to reduce chance, bias and confounding in an applied epidemiological study.
- Develop a feasible research plan including logistics and timelines, roles and responsibilities of team members, and anticipated challenges/risks in conducting the study.
- Effectively communicate research methods and results to a scientific audience, and prepare lay communities and potential participants to participate in a research study.
Other Information
Students enrolled in this course are required to have completed an undergraduate degree and Masters level courses on Epidemiology and/or Biostatistics from a recognised School of Public Health (either in Australia or internationally), or completion of Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Fundamentals of Biostatistics short courses held at the ANU. Students wishing to do these subjects, but do not have these prerequisites should contact the convener.Indicative Assessment
- Literature review (35) [LO 1,2,3]
- Research plan (55) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
- Peer review (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
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
The course is delivered as a flipped classroom.
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Weekly online lectures and tutorials (2-3 hours per week face-to-face component).
- Self study which will include preparation for assignments.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions based on the lectures via the online discussion forum and in the tutorials.
Face-to-face students will attend tutorials during which they can discuss their project proposals. Online students will receive the same level of support via email and online mechanisms.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Research School of Population Health to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
None
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found 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 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $4200 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $6000 |
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.
