Methodology and Statistics I

Full course description

MGH4002 aims to re-activate and expand the basic methodological and statistical knowledge (M&S) to boost students’ abilities to actively apply M&S knowledge to research problems.

During this module students will become acquainted with various research paradigms within the fields of public and global health (covering qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods). They will become familiarized with the mentality of working with problems, of developing a framework for thinking patterns, strategies for problem solving. On the whole, the module is structured in a way as to hone students’ critical mindset and to sharpen their academic writing skills. Focus is given to the development of a solid understanding of the whole research process and its basic components: literature review, formulation of research questions, selection of an appropriate design (and awareness of its limitations), data collection, analysis and translational synthesis (interpreting numerical findings and reporting them concisely and intelligibly).

MGH4002 is divided into qualitative and quantitative sub-modules.

The qualitative consists of 3 lectures, 2 tutorial group meetings and a training on qualitative data analysis, all associated with individual assignments. Students will learn about applications of qualitative research in Global Health and practice with the design of a qualitative study and the analysis of qualitative data. They will learn how to make their own methodological choices in small research-focused assignments.

The quantitative consists of 8 lectures and accompanying SPSS training sessions. In the quantitative part we adopt a ‘down-to earth’ approach for analysis of quantitative data. This means:

• Datasets stem from real case scenarios;
• Students are required go through the analytic and synthetic data processing in cycles: to get an overview of the research question (thesis), to familiarize themselves with the methodological details, to analyze the data and summarize the findings (analysis), both in statistical jargon (results) and in the conclusion (accessible language - synthesis).