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Unit of study_
FMHU5002: Introductory Biostatistics
2025 unit information
This unit introduces students to statistical methods relevant in medicine and health. Students will learn how to build datasets and basic data management procedures, summarise and visualise data, choose the correct statistical analysis, conduct this analysis using statistical software, interpret its results, and report statistical findings in a format suitable for inclusion in scientific publications. Students will also learn to consider the difference between statistical significance and practical importance, and how to determine the appropriate sample size when planning a research study. Specific analysis methods covered in this unit include: descriptive methods; hypothesis tests for one sample, paired samples and two independent groups for continuous and categorical data; correlation and linear regression; power and sample size estimation for simple studies. All these topics are introduced with an emphasis on practical application and interpretation and are supported using statistical software. The general principles developed in this unit can be easily extended to more advanced methods; students who wish to continue with their statistical learning after this unit are encouraged to take PUBH5217 Biostatistics: Statistical Modelling.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Public Health |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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PUBH5018 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. choose appropriate measures to summarise data using numbers, tables, and graphs
- LO2. visualise data using graphs and simple tables following recommendations for clear presentation
- LO3. determine and calculate the appropriate summary statistics to describe different types of distributions
- LO4. understand and explain the concepts of sampling and sampling distributions
- LO5. choose the appropriate hypothesis test to apply based on the type of data collected and the design of the study
- LO6. calculate and interpret confidence intervals for various measures of effect
- LO7. conduct and interpret simple hypothesis tests for single, independent, and paired samples
- LO8. understand and explain the difference between statistical significance and practical importance
- LO9. carry out simple statistical methods using statistical software
- LO10. interpret the output produced by statistical software
- LO11. concisely summarise and communicate the results from a statistical analysis
- LO12. determine and justify the sample size requirements for simple study designs
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal evening | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Semester 1 2025
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Online | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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