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GeneralGeneral
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Research Methods Homepage
Welcome to the Research Methods for Health Sciences course. This course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design a research project and present it in the form of a research proposal.
The Research Methods for Health Sciences course is sponsored by the University of the Incarnate Word. Like all NextGenU.org courses, the Research Methods for Health Sciences course is competency-based, referencing competencies from the Health Services Research Doctoral Core Competencies (2018), Development of the Learning Health System Researcher Core Competencies, and WHO-ASPHER 2020. It uses learning resources from accredited, world-class organizations such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization.
The Research Methods for Health Sciences course was developed in collaboration with the University of the Incarnate Word and was designed by Hugo Rojas, MD, MSc, DiplEd; Pablo Baldiviezo, MD, DiplEd; Carolina Bustillos, MD, DiplEd; Felix Emeka Anyiam MPH, MScPH, DataSc., Ph.D.; Jean Pierre Musabyimana MSc; Genikka Camille Gabral, B.ED, MSc; Glenda Niles PhD.
For publications on NextGenU.org’s courses’ efficacy, see “A Novel Integration of Online and Flipped Classroom Instructional Models in Public Health Higher Education” (2014), BMC Medical Education, “Building Public Health Capacity through Online Global Learning,” (2018), Open Praxis, or on NextGenU.org’s publication page. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of future updates, new courses, and to be part of our community.
There are 6 modules to complete, which provide an introduction to:
- Module 1: Introduction to Research Methods
- Module 2: Research Questions, Research Objectives, and Hypotheses
- Module 3: Quantitative Studies
- Module 4: Qualitative and Mixed Studies
- Module 5: Literature Reviews and Critical Appraisals of Research
- Module 6: Scientific Skills
The completion time for this course is estimated at 143 hours, consisting of 27 hours of learning resources, 55 hours for time to study content and assimilation, and 61 hours of participating in learning activities and quizzes, to assist the learners in the synthesis of learning materials. This course is equivalent to 3 credit hours.
The course requires the completion of all activities i.e., quizzes, peer activities, discussion forums, and a final assignment that are needed to complete the course. At the end of each module, there is a practice quiz of ten (15) multiple-choice questions. After you’ve completed each lesson, quiz, peer activity, and learning activity, you will have access to a final exam consisting of fifty (50) multiple-choice questions and a chance to evaluate this course. The final exam will be designed so that participants can have multiple opportunities to answer correctly until the required score of 70% or higher is obtained. Once you’ve passed that last test, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from NextGenU.org and our course’s co-sponsoring organizations (listed above). We keep all of your personal information confidential, never sell any of your information, and only use anonymized data for research purposes. Also, we are happy to report your testing information and share your work with anyone (your school, employer, etc.) at your request.
Engaging with this course:
You may browse this course for free to learn for your personal enrichment; there are no requirements. To register in this course, it is required that learners have obtained a college-level/bachelor's degree.
To obtain a certificate, a learner must first register for the course and then successfully complete:
- All reading requirements,
- All quizzes and pass with a score of 70% with unlimited attempts,
- All peer activities,
- All discussion forums,
- Final assignment,
- The final exam with a minimum score of 70% and a maximum of 3 attempts, and
- The self and course evaluation forms.
To obtain credit:
- Complete all requirements listed above for the certificate, and
- Your learning institution or workplace should approve the partner-university-sponsored NextGenU.org course for educational credit, as they would for their learner taking a course anywhere.
NextGenU.org is happy to provide your institution with:
- A link to and description of the course training, so they can see all its components, including the co-sponsoring universities and other professional organization co-sponsors;
- Your grade on the final exam;
- Your work products (e.g., case study activities) and any other required or optional shared materials that you produce and authorize to share with them;
- Your evaluations -- course, and self-assessments;
- A copy of your certificate of completion, with the co-sponsoring universities and other organizations listed.
To obtain a degree, NextGenU.org co-sponsors degree programs with institutional partners. To obtain a full degree co-sponsored with NextGenU.org, registrants must be enrolled in a degree program as a student of a NextGenU.org institutional partner. If you think that your institution might be interested in offering a degree with NextGenU.org, contact us.
We hope that you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.
Here are the next steps to take the course and earn a certificate.
- Complete the registration form.
- Take the pre-test.
- Begin the course with Module 1: Introduction to Research Methods. In each lesson, read the description, complete all required readings and any required activities, as well as take the corresponding quizzes.
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Module 1: Introduction to Research Methods
Instructional Goals covered in this module:- Understand research terminologies and the scientific method.
- Analyze the theoretical basis of research paradigms and health models.
- Describe the ethical principles of research, ethical challenges, and informed consent.
- Understand research terminologies and the scientific method.
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Module 1: Lesson 1: The History of Research and Evolution of Key Terminologies
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe terms such as epistemology, empirical research, variables, units of analysis, and others.
- Describe the concept and process of the scientific method.
- Give specific examples of how the scientific method has contributed to the development of modern society.
6 URLs, 1 Forum - Describe terms such as epistemology, empirical research, variables, units of analysis, and others.
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Module 1: Lesson 2: Research Theory: Paradigms, Methodologies, and Designs in Health Research
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Differentiate the concepts of paradigm, method, and design in research theory.
- Identify the most significant characteristics of the positivist, post-positivist, constructivist, and critical research paradigms.
- Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the positivist, post-positivist, constructivist, and critical research paradigms.
- Examine the most significant aspects of ontology, epistemology, and methodology according to different research paradigms.
4 URLs, 1 Forum - Differentiate the concepts of paradigm, method, and design in research theory.
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Module 1: Lesson 3: Research Ethics and Integrity
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss the importance of informed consent in public health research.
- Explain the ethical principles in public health research and their importance.
- Describe the core values of integrity in research.
- Summarize the history of research ethics, the Nuremberg Code, and the Belmont Report.
- Using the example of substance abuse research, discuss ethical challenges in research with potentially vulnerable participants.
10 URLs, 1 Forum - Discuss the importance of informed consent in public health research.
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Module 2: Research Questions, Research Objectives, and Hypotheses
Instructional Goals covered in this module:
- Formulate research problems, questions, aims, objectives, and hypotheses that are clear and practicable.
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Module 2: Lesson 1: Research Problems and Research Questions
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Define a research problem and a research question.
- Describe the characteristics of clear and practicable research problems and research questions for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research.
- Formulate clear and practicable quantitative and qualitative research problems and research questions.
6 URLs, 1 Forum - Define a research problem and a research question.
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Module 2: Lesson 2: Research Aims and Research Objectives
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Define a research aim and research objective.
- Differentiate research aims and research objectives.
- Give examples of research objectives and research aims that are clear and practicable for qualitative and quantitative research.
- Write research aims and objectives that are clear and practicable.
2 URLs, 1 Forum - Define a research aim and research objective.
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Module 2: Lesson 3: Research Hypotheses
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the common types of research hypotheses for health research.
- Differentiate qualitative and quantitative research hypotheses.
- Formulate clear and practicable quantitative and qualitative research hypotheses.
5 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Describe the common types of research hypotheses for health research.
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Module 3: Quantitative Studies
Instructional Goals covered in this module:- Develop a quantitative study design, including a strategy for sampling and data collection, hypothesis testing, and data analysis.
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Module 3: Lesson 1: Quantitative Study Designs
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the hierarchies of quantitative study designs.
- Understand the levels of evidence based on study designs.
- Describe the concept and classification of descriptive study designs.
- Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of descriptive study designs such as cross-sectional studies, case reports, and case series.
- Select a descriptive study design to address a given research question.
- Describe the concept and classification of analytic study designs, including observational and experimental studies.
- Break down the different observational study designs (cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies).
- Describe the concept of quasi-experimental studies.
- Describe the concepts of randomization and experimental study designs.
- Examine the different types of clinical trials.
- Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of common observational and analytical study designs.
- Select a quantitative study design to address a given research question.
11 URLs, 2 Forums - Understand the hierarchies of quantitative study designs.
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Module 3: Lesson 2: Sampling and Data Collection for Quantitative Research
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the uses of probability and non-probability sampling methods.
- Give examples of probability and non-probability sampling methods.
- Determine a sampling strategy and sample size for a quantitative study.
- Describe the data collection methods in quantitative research.
- Determine a data collection method for a quantitative study.
4 URLs, 1 Forum -
Module 3: Lesson 3: Quantitative Data Analysis: Hypothesis Testing and Tests of Significance
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the process of quantitative data analysis.
- Explain the different data measurement scales (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio).
- Differentiate between continuous and discrete data.
- Explain the purpose of hypothesis testing.
- Explain the components of hypothesis testing (null hypothesis, alternative hypothesis, Type I Error, Type II Error, and power).
- Describe the meaning of a test of significance.
- Define the different tests of significance (Chi-Square, T-Test, ANOVA, F-Statistic, etc).
- Differentiate the different tests of significance (Chi-Square, T-Test, ANOVA, F-Statistic, etc).
- Define probability value (P-value).
- Give examples of the use of P-value in a research context.
- Determine a data analysis strategy for a given research question.
13 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Describe the process of quantitative data analysis.
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Module 4: Qualitative and Mixed Studies
Instructional Goals covered in this module:- Develop a qualitative study design, including a strategy for sampling, data collection, and data analysis.
- Develop a qualitative study design, including a strategy for sampling, data collection, and data analysis.
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Module 4: Lesson 1: Qualitative Study Designs
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the concept and defining characteristics of qualitative research.
- Categorize the different qualitative study designs (grounded theory, ethnography, phenomenology, participatory action research, case study, and historical studies).
- Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research.
- Determine an appropriate qualitative design to address a given research question.
5 URLs, 2 Forums - Describe the concept and defining characteristics of qualitative research.
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Module 4: Lesson 2: Sampling and Data Collection for Qualitative Research
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the common sampling strategies for qualitative research (purposeful, convenience, snowballing, quota).
- Explain the common qualitative research methods (interviews, focus groups, observation, document reviews, and visual methods).
- Determine the sampling and data collection methods to address a given research question.
4 URLs, 1 Forum - Describe the common sampling strategies for qualitative research (purposeful, convenience, snowballing, quota).
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Module 4: Lesson 3: Qualitative Data Analysis
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the concept and defining characteristics of qualitative data analysis.
- Describe the main approaches to qualitative data analysis (deductive, inductive, thematic, and content analysis).
- Determine a qualitative data analysis strategy to address a given research question.
5 URLs, 1 Forum - Describe the concept and defining characteristics of qualitative data analysis.
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Module 4: Lesson 4: Mixed Methods Research
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe what is meant by mixed research methods.
- Identify the characteristics of common mixed research designs (convergent, sequential, triangulation, explanatory, exploratory, embedded).
- Outline the advantages and shortcomings of employing mixed method designs.
3 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Describe what is meant by mixed research methods.
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Module 5: Literature Reviews and Critical Appraisals of Research
Instructional Goals covered in this module:- Appraise the importance and application of literature reviews for health sciences research.
- Conduct a systematic search and critical appraisal of research.
- Appraise the importance and application of literature reviews for health sciences research.
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Module 5: Lesson 1: Types and steps of Literature Reviews
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Explain the narrative, scoping, and systematic reviews of literature and meta-analysis.
- Differentiate the types of systematic reviews and their importance (Rapid review, Narrative review, Meta-analysis, Mixed methods/mixed studies)
- Explain the steps to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Reflect on the contributions of each type of review for the advancement of health sciences research.
6 URLs, 1 Forum - Explain the narrative, scoping, and systematic reviews of literature and meta-analysis.
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Module 5: Lesson 2: The Systematic Search and Critical Appraisal of Research
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the concept and defining characteristics of systematic searches.
- Explain the steps and best practices to conduct a systematic search.
- Apply the techniques for a systematic search for the research question of interest.
- Describe the importance of critical appraisal of research.
- Describe the commonly used tools for critical appraisal of research (CASP and JAMA).
- Reporting a critical appraisal and systematic review in general.
- Apply the tools to critically appraise a research paper.
3 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Understand the concept and defining characteristics of systematic searches.
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Module 6: Scientific Skills
Instructional Goals covered in this module:
- Write and present scientific research, following appropriate style and referencing standards.
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Module 6: Lesson 1: Scientific Writing
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Distinguish between scientific and regular writing.
- Implement scientific writing principles in research products.
- Describe the strategies for effective oral communication.
- Demonstrate oral communication skills in presenting research products.
7 URLs - Distinguish between scientific and regular writing.
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Module 6: Lesson 2: Plagiarism and Referencing Styles
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the concepts of intellectual property and plagiarism.
- Explain the common recommendations to avoid plagiarism in academic writing.
- Identify the different referencing styles and their uses.
- Apply a referencing style to cite and reference research studies.
6 URLs, 1 Forum, 1 Quiz - Describe the concepts of intellectual property and plagiarism.
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Course and Self Evaluation & Certificate
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