MD Research Skills 2 (MEDS90036)

Advanced Study Design

• Describe the principles and application of a range of study design methodologies including epidemiological/ population studies, health services research, randomised controlled trials, quantitative studies and qualitatative studies

Critical Analysis of the Scientific Literature

• Demonstrate competency in critical analysis of the literature by discussing strengths and weaknesses of selected scientific manuscripts
• Compare and contrast commonly used tools/instruments/approaches to assess the validity of sources of medical information
• Demonstrate a systematic approach to the critical evaluation of the validity, reliability, and applicability of health-related research and literature
• Appropriately communicate issues associated with the validity of medical information to clinical colleagues, patients and the general public
• Apply the principles of critical analysis to the preparation of a systematic review in an area of clinical interest/relevance
• Assess sources of bias and variation in published studies and threats to study validity (bias) including problems with sampling, recruitment, randomisation, and comparability of study groups

Statistics in Medical Research

• Distinguish between variable types (e.g. continuous, binary, categorical) and describe the implications for selection of appropriate statistical methods
• Demonstrate competence in the evaluation and interpretation of research data using statistical methods appropriate for the data and research question
• Describe the basic principles and practical importance of probability, random variation, commonly used statistical probability distributions, hypothesis testing, type I and type II errors, and confidence limits
• Describe the potential misinterpretation of results in the presence of multiple comparisons
• Explain, using appropriate examples, the components of sample size, power, and precision