FMHU5001: Semester 1, 2022

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Units FMHU5001 Semester 1 2022 [Online]

Unit of study_

FMHU5001: Foundations of Health Research

Semester 1, 2022 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit introduces students to the principles and foundations of health research methodologies and ethics. Students will learn about the main methodologies used to conduct research that is scientifically and ethically sound and be able to critically appraise and review literature. We will introduce common study designs and research methodologies, including qualitative, epidemiologic and clinical studies, and discuss their strengths and limitations. We will introduce students to the main principles of conducting data analysis and the basis to choose amongst different statistical methods. Obtaining ethics approval is necessary for any study involving the collection or analysis of data involving humans, animals or their tissues. Hence, in this unit we will cover ethics in research and when and how to apply for ethics approval. Students will also learn about main concepts in health economics and economical evaluations of interventions and health policies.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	FMHU5001
Academic unit	Public Health
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	MEDF5005
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Basic knowledge in mathematics
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Christina Abdelshaheed, christina.abdelshaheed@sydney.edu.au
Guest lecturer(s)	Rowena Forsyth, rowena.forsyth@sydney.edu.au
	Alison Hayes, alison.hayes@sydney.edu.au
	Ian Kerridge, ian.kerridge@sydney.edu.au
	Julie Mooney-Somers, julie.mooneysomers@sydney.edu.au
	Tim Driscoll, tim.driscoll@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Armando Teixeira-Pinto, armando.teixeira-pinto@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Christina Abdelshaheed, christina.abdelshaheed@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Proposal and appraisal for a qualitative study Candidates will develop a research proposal for a qualitative study.	25%	Week 05 Due date: 21 Mar 2022 at 23:59	Up to 2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Proposal and appraisal for a quantitative study Candidates will develop a research proposal for a quantitative study.	25%	Week 08 Due date: 11 Apr 2022 at 23:59	Up to 2000 words or up to 5 A4 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Ethics Assigment Candidates will develop an ethics proposal for a qual or quant study	20%	Week 10 Due date: 02 May 2022 at 23:59	Up to 2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Appraisal and analysis of a Quantitative study (statistics and economic evaluation) Students will be given a dataset and asked to conduct exploratory analysis	30%	Week 13 Due date: 23 May 2022 at 23:59	Up to 2000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Assessment 1: Candidates will develop a research proposal for a qualitative study. Candidates will be asked to consider methods in qualitative study design and analysis, and strategies to mitigate potential risks to participants, researchers and participating institutions.
Assessment 2: Candidates will develop a research proposal for a quantitative study. Candidates will be asked to identify and consider appropriate study types, identify and describe biases, and scientifically critique the design of one or more quantitative studies. Candidates will be asked to identify potential risks and consider strategies to mitigate any risks to participants, researchers and participating institutions.
Assessment 3: Candidates will develop an ethics proposal for a qualitative OR quantitative study in accordance with USYD HREC requirements (e.g. using a template form developed by the teaching team and informed by the existing IRMA template).
Assessment 4: Candidates will be given a dataset and asked to conduct an exploratory data analysis, summarise and present data and conduct a formal data analysis.

Assessment criteria

A grade of High distinction, distinction, credit, pass or fail will be awarded in accordance with University Grading Policies: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.html

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late assignments of a pass or higher standard will be subject to a penalty of 5% of the total mark per day late or part thereof until a mark of 50% has been reached. Submissions greater than 10 business days late will not be accepted and will be given a mark of 0, unless prior approval has been provided.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Ethics in Health Research	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Ethics in Health Research	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Ethics in Health Research	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Qualitative Research	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Qualitative Research	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Qualitative Research	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Qualitative Research	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	HEALTH ECONOMICS	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	HEALTH ECONOMICS	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	HEALTH ECONOMICS	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	HEALTH ECONOMICS	Tutorial (2 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. • LO1: Describe the importance and the principles of ethics in the context of health research (GQ6, GQ7, GQ8, GQ9)
LO2. • LO2: Identify the main elements and methodologies of qualitative, epidemiologic and clinical research (GQ2, GQ5, GQ7)
LO3. • LO3: Identify the steps of a statistical analysis and the principles used to select the appropriate statistical method(s) (GQ2, GQ4)
LO4. • LO4: Understand the principles of health economics, namely, resource scarcity, incentives, opportunity cost, efficiency, and equity, and their practical application in real-life examples (GQ2, GQ5)

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The teaching team will review the results from the USS and provide candidates with a closing the loop summary of the feedback and how these will be addressed in subsequent iterations of the unit.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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