Syllabus

Master of Public Health

GPH 752: Advanced Research Methods – ILE – Fall 2025

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

Required:

There is no textbook for this course

*Links to additional required and suggested weekly readings and multimedia are provided in the course.

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

TasksPoints
Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement1
Week 1 Assignment: Revised draft of Research Questions2
Week 1: Schedule 1:1 with instructor1
Week 2: Literature Review6
Week 2: 1:1 With Your Instructor1
Week 3 Assignment: Stakeholder Interview Guide4
Week 4 Assignment: Learning Journal Entry4
Week 5 Assignment: Background Section Outline6
Week 6: Draft Methodology Assignment5
Week 6: 1:1 with your Instructor1
Week 7: Methods and Analytic Plan6
Week 8 Assignment: Learning Journal Entry4
Week 10 Assignment: Tables and Figures1
Week 10: 1:1 With your Instructor1
Week 11: Written Results Section Assignment6
Week 12 Assignment: Discussion6
Week 12 Assignment: Conclusion6
Week 12 Assignment: Abstract3
Week 13: Draft ILE Report8
Week 14 Assignment: Presentation Slides3
Week 14: 1:1 with instructor1
Week 15: Final ILE Report and Abstract17
Week 15 Oral Presentation (Observed)0
Week 16 Discussion: Journal Selection Tools2
Week 16 Assignment: Learning Journal Entry4
Competency Survey1
Total100

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

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 Schedule:

Fall AB Session Dates: Aug 27 – Dec 12

Week 1: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 2: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 3: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 4: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 5: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 6: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 7: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 8: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 9: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 10: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 11: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 12: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 13: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 14: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 15: Wednesday – Wednesday
Week 16: Wednesday – Friday

Week 1: Finalizing Your Research Questions

Learning Outcomes:

  • Articulate the characteristics of strong, answerable, and impactful public health research questions.
  • Critically evaluate your preliminary research questions based on established program and foundational competencies.
  • Develop SMART research questions.
  • Justify the public health significance and feasibility of the chosen research questions.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 1 Assignment: Revised draft of Research Questions
  • Week 1: Schedule 1:1 with instructor

Week 2: Synthesizing a Literature Review

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify relevant peer-reviewed, trustworthy sources and evidence-based research.
  • Assess key aspects of peer-reviewed journal articles.
  • Explore health equity implications of research.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 2: Literature Review
  • Week 2: 1:1 With Your Instructor

Week 3: Identify Key Stakeholders & Stakeholder Interview Guide

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify key stakeholders.
  • Assess diverse stakeholder contributions.
  • Develop interview questions that are relevant to the research questions and the key informant’s expertise.
  • Apply ethical best practices in conducting stakeholder interviews.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 3 Assignment: Stakeholder Interview Guide

Week 4: Learning Journal

Learning Outcomes:

  • Create effective questions to gather insights, context, and identify knowledge gaps in public health research and practice.
  • Conduct professional and ethical stakeholder interviews.
  • Use interview findings to improve research and inform future directions.
  • Analyze the role of diverse stakeholders in shaping public health research.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 4 Assignment: Learning Journal Entry

Week 5: Background/Introduction Section

Learning Outcomes:

  • Discuss the prevalence, impact, and risk factors associated with a public health topic including the relevant social determinants of health
  • Construct a comprehensive background section that effectively contextualizes the public health issue.
  • Articulate a compelling justification for research method approach, identifying critical gaps in current research.
  • Establish a clear foundation for the subsequent presentation and interpretation of the project’s findings within the broader population health landscape.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 5 Assignment: Background Section Outline

Week 6: 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 6: Draft Methodology Assignment
  • Week 6: 1:1 with your Instructor 

Week 7: Finalizing Methodology and Writing an Analytic Plan

Learning Outcomes:

  • Complete a research study methodology.
  • Formulate a research analytic plan.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 7: Methods and Analytic Plan

Weeks 8 and 9: 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 8 Assignment: Learning Journal Entry

Week 10: Writing the Results of Your Research Publication

Learning Outcomes:

  • Construct informative tables and figures.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 10 Assignment: Tables and Figures
  • Week 10: 1:1 With your Instructor

Week 11: Submitting Your Written Results Section

Learning Outcomes:

  • Compose research study results.
  • Draft and submit your written results section.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 11: Written Results Section Assignment

Week 12: Discussion, Conclusion, & Abstract

Learning Outcomes:

  • Synthesize findings and discuss the implications of the findings for public health practice.
  • Write a clear and concise discussion section that is supported by evidence from the data.
  • Evaluate and discuss the implications of research for health equity in public health practice.
  • Develop and communicate recommendations for improving health outcomes and promoting health equity.
  • Identify and address research limitations.
  • Develop a clear, concise, and compelling abstract using APHA guidelines.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 12 Assignment: Discussion
  • Week 12 Assignment: Conclusion
  • Week 12 Assignment: Abstract

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: Draft ILE Report

Week 14: Presentation Slides

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify key components of an abstract.
  • Write an abstract using APHA guidelines.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 14 Assignment: Presentation Slides
  • Week 14: 1:1 with instructor

Week 15: Submit ILE Report and Presentations

Learning Outcomes:

  • Prepare final report.
  • Conduct an oral presentation.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 15: Final ILE Report and Abstract
  • Week 15 Oral Presentation (Observed)
  • Public Health Competency Survey

Week 16: Getting Your Work Out There

Learning Outcomes:

  • Examine the importance of publishing in reputable academic journals.
  • Gain the tools and knowledge to navigate the publication process, including identifying appropriate publication venues, crafting compelling manuscripts, and engaging with peer reviewers.
  • Develop strategies to strategically share work among the broader professional public health community.
  • Critically reflect on the process of synthesizing knowledge and skills to produce a comprehensive final public health paper.

Learning Activities:

  • Week 16 Discussion: Journal Selection Tools
  • Week 16 Assignment: Learning Journal Entry

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:

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

Passing Grade Statement

A grade of 80% or higher is required to pass the course. A grade lower than 80% will result in you having to repeat the course. Obtaining two "Fs" in the program will result in dismissal from the program.

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

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement

Learning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society. AI is not a substitute for developing and enhancing skills in creativity, logic, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, theorization, and writing essential to a public health professional. If you choose to use AI tools, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E2, they must be used wisely and intelligently to deepen your understanding of a subject matter and support learning. You are not allowed to use AI tools to generate your work. Content produced using AI tools cannot be used as a substitute for your original work.

Students in the Graduate Programs in Public Health (GPPH) must take ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of AI-generated content used in any work. You are expected to think critically about the results and alignment with the questions or tasks in the assignment and never substitute AI-generated results for professional human judgment and logic. GPPH students are also expected to understand that the information generated is not always accurate and, in some cases, propagates discrimination and bias. You must stay abreast of AI best practices, and the changing risks and benefits, and monitor AI for biases and risks for vulnerable populations and underrepresented groups.

Within GPPH, using AI-generated content in academic work falls under our academic integrity policies. All instructors will continue to use our AI detection software for each assignment submitted so it will be flagged.

Using any AI tool in your work must be acknowledged in-text every time it is used, not in your list of references. You will include a summary of what the AI tool was used to do, followed by the AI tool brand name, version/extension #, manufacturer/owner, and date used in parentheses.

For example, 

Themes from participant responses were identified using a chatbot session (ChatGPT, model GPT-4, OpenAI, May 17, 2024).

Failure to acknowledge the inclusion of AI-generated content in any work submitted violates our academic integrity policies and will be considered an infraction with the associated penalties for plagiarism as outlined in the Student Handbook.

The Student Orientation has a module "Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Students", please refer to this module for more information about navigating the use of AI.

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.

Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.

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:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. 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.