Syllabus
Master of Public Health
GPH 752: Advanced Research Methods – ILE – Fall 2024
Credits - 3
Description
As partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MPH degree, Advanced Research Methods offers the opportunity for students to develop and conduct unique high-level statistical analyses of public health research studies. All MPH students must create a high-quality written product, synthesizing public health competencies. Based on their selected topic, students will analyze data related to a real-world problem and present their findings in a formal written report. This is an iterative course, designed to facilitate successful progress towards completion of a formal written project, which may be considered for publishing with UNE’s public-facing repository of outstanding student work.
Pre-Requisites
Applied Practice Experience (APE)
GPH 731 or
GPH 743
GPH 744 Integrative Learning Experience Foundation Course
GPH 702 An Interprofessional Approach to Policy and Advocacy
GPH 706 Public Health Administration & Leadership
GPH 712 Principles of Epidemiology
GPH 714 Principles of Public Health
GPH 716 Biostatistics
GPH 719 Research Methods
GPH 722 Introduction to Environmental Health
GPH 726 Social and Behavioral Health
GPH 738 Program Planning & Evaluation
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
CEPH Foundational Competencies
FC 1: Apply epidemiological methods to settings and situations in public health practice.
FC 2: Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
FC 3: Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
FC 4: Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
FC 19: Communicate audience-appropriate (i.e., non-academic, non-peer audience) public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
Assignments
Students will develop a high-quality final report and abstract that illustrates methods used to synthesize findings/results and selected competencies. The assignments in the course are iterative and intended to be the framework for your final paper.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Tasks | Points |
|---|---|
| Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement | 1 |
| Week 1 Discussion: Introductions | 1 |
| Week 1 Assignment: Draft Research Methods | 1 |
| Week 2 Discussion: Introduction Outline | 2 |
| Week 2 Assignment: Revised Research Objectives | 5 |
| 1:1 Progress Meetings (Weeks 2, 6, 10, 14) | 4 |
| Week 3 Assignment: Literature Review | 5 |
| Week 4 Assignment: Target audience and Two Example Journals | 2 |
| Week 5 Assignment: Draft Methodology | 2 |
| Week 6 Assignment: Methodology and Analytic Plan | 5 |
| Week 7/8 Discussion: Analysis Challenges | 1 |
| Week 8 Assignment: Tables and Figures | 2 |
| Week 9 Assignment: Written Result Section | 1 |
| Week 11 Assignment: Revised Result | 5 |
| Week 13 Assignment: Draft ILE Report | 10 |
| Week 14 Assignment: Abstact | 3 |
| Week 14 Assignment: Presentation Slides | 2 |
| Week 15 Assignment: Final ILE Report | 24 |
| Week 15 Assignment: Oral Presentation | 14 |
| Week 16 Assignment: Poster | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Schedule
Each week opens on Wednesday at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (ET). Each week closes on Wednesday at 11:59 PM ET, with the exception of Week 16, which ends on Sunday.
Course Dates:
Week 1: Sep 4 – Sep 11
Week 2: Sep 11 – Sep 18
Week 3: Sep 18 – Sep 25
Week 4: Sep 25 – Oct 2
Week 5: Oct 2 – Oct 9
Week 6: Oct 9 – Oct 16
Week 7: Oct 16 – Oct 23
Week 8: Oct 23 – Oct 27
Week 9: Oct 30 – Nov 6
Week 10: Nov 6 – Nov 13
Week 11: Nov 13 – Nov 20
Week 12: Nov 20 – Nov 27
Week 13: Nov 27 – Dec 4
Week 14: Dec 4 – Dec 11
Week 15: Dec 11 – Dec 18
Week 16: Dec 18 – Dec 22
Week 1 – Formulating Research Objectives
Learning Outcomes:
- Formulate research objectives
Learning Activities:
- Week 1 Discussion: Introductions
- Week 1 Assignment: Draft Research Objectives
- Schedule 1:1 with Instructor
Week 2 – Justifying Your Research Study
Learning Outcomes:
- Describe principles of a Cochrane review
- Identify steps of a comprehensive literature review
- Revise research objectives
- Identify key elements of an introduction
- Justify research objectives
Learning Activities:
- Week 2 Discussion: Introduction Outline
- Week 2 Assignment: Revised Research Objectives
- 1:1 with Instructor
Week 3 – Synthesizing a Literature Review
Learning Outcomes:
- Conduct a comprehensive literature review
Learning Activities:
- Week 3 Assignment: Literature Review
Week 4 – Identifying the Target Audience and Journals
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify the target audience for a research study
- Evaluate authorship on a research study publication
Learning Activities:
- Week 4 Assignment: Target Audience and Two Example Journals
Week 5 – Formulating and Drafting a Research Methodology
Learning Outcomes:
- Formulate research study methodology
- Use appropriate epidemiological terminology to describe research study methods
- Compose the methods section of a research study publication
Learning Activities:
- Week 5 Assignment: Draft Methodology
Week 6 – Finalizing Methodology and Writing an Analytic Plan
Learning Outcomes:
- Complete a research study methodology
- Formulate research analytic plan
Learning Activities:
- Week 6 Assignment: Methods and Analytic Plan
- 1:1 with Instructor
Week 7 – Conducting Your Analysis
Learning Outcomes:
- Revise research study methods
- Revise research analytic plan
- Prepare primary or secondary dataset for analysis
- Analyze qualitative or quantitative data
Learning Activities:
- Week 7 Discussion: Analysis Challenges
Week 8 – Writing the Results of your Research Publication
Learning Outcomes:
- Construct informative tables and figures
Learning Activities:
- Week 8 Discussion: Analysis Challenges
- Week 8 Assignment: Tables and Figures
Week 9 – Submitting Your Written Results Section
Learning Outcomes:
- Compose research study results
- Draft and submit your written results section
Learning Activities:
- Week 9 Assignment: Written Results Section
Week 10 – Writing Week and 1:1 with Your Instructor
Learning Outcomes:
- Finalize your Results section and your tables and figures
- Work to revise and edit other sections of your research paper as needed
Learning Activities:
- 1:1 with Instructor
Week 11 – Revising your Results and Creating Cohesion
Learning Outcomes:
- Revise research study results
Learning Activities:
- Week 11 Assignment: Revised Results
Week 12 – Writing Week
Learning Outcomes:
- Prepare a draft report of research paper
Learning Activities:
- Writing week
Week 13 – Submit Draft ILE Report
Learning Outcomes:
- Prepare a final draft of a report of a program evaluation
- Understand the benefits of clear, engaging data visualization
- Present evaluation results using a variety of data visualization techniques
Learning Activities:
- Week 13 Assignment: Draft ILE Report
Week 14 – Abstract Writing and Presentation Slides
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify key components of an abstract
- Write an abstract using APHA guidelines
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Explore DUNE (Digital UNE) by reading and reviewing scholarly work completed by UNE students
Learning Activities:
- Week 14 Assignment: Abstract
- Week 14 Assignment: Presentation Slides
- 1:1 with Instructor
Week 15 – Submit ILE Report and Presentations
Learning Outcomes:
- Prepare final report
- Conduct an oral presentation
Learning Activities:
- Week 15 Assignment: Final ILE Report and Abstract
- Week 15 Assignment: Oral Presentation
- Public Health Competencies Survey
Week 16 – Poster
Learning Outcomes:
- Compare the new APHA recommended poster format and the traditional APHA poster format
- Create a poster for your ILE Report using the APHA recommended “better-poster” format
Learning Activities:
- Week 16 Assignment: ILE Report Poster
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Late Policy
Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.
Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.
Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.