Introduction to the course Ekaterine Karkashadze, MD, MS

Scientific Research Skills Class #1

Dr. Ekaterine Karkashadze

Researcher, epidemiologist

Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center

16 Al. Kazbegi Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia

Email: ekaterine.karkashadze@ciu.edu.ge

Education:

• MD: Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia (2004)

• MS: University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA (2015)

Thesis topic: “Assessment of quality of life (QoL) in people living with HIV in Georgia”

Scientific work:

• Publications in peer-reviewed journals, poster and oral presentations at international conferences

Student introductions 1). First and last name 2). Country of origin and citizenship 3). The field of your interest in medicine 4) Any information about yourself you can share with us (for example, your hobby)

Scientific Research Skills: Aim of the Course

Prepare students of the Faculty of Medicine for acquiring skills for conducting and writing scientific work in the future

Scientific Research Skills: Structure

Activity Hours

Lecture 11 hr.

Practical trainings 15 hours

Midterm and final exams 6 hours

Independent work 43 hours

TOTAL: 75 hours

Scientific Research Skills: : Evaluation

Activity Points

Weekly evaluations

(6 quizs 5 points for each) 30 points

Individual writing assignment 10 points

Midterm exam 20 points

Final exam 40 points

TOTAL: 100 points

A) Positive evaluation: (A) Excellent – 91-100; (B) Very good - 81-90; (C) Good - 71-80; (D) Satisfactory - 61-70; (E) Sufficient - 51-60; B) Negative evaluation:

(FX) Not passed- 41-50 (retake exam) (F) Fail - 40 or less (retake class)

Scientific Research Skills: Evaluation

• Midterm examination (20 points)

20 multiple choice questions; each correct answer is evaluated by 1 point.

• The final exam (40 points)

30 multiple choice questions (1 point per each) and 5 open questions 2 points per each).

• Students will need to gain at least 25 points to take final exam!

• Student must score minimum of 20 points at final exam in order to pass it!

Contribution to class activities will be taken into account!

The Course Material

• Introduction to scientific research projects. Graham Basten. Ventuspublishind Aps. UK. 2010.2.

• Research skill development. Handbook .Teaching & learning council. Australia. 2009.

• Lecture slides

• Materials distributed during practical trainings

Only topics discussed in classes will be included in quizzes and exams

Questions about the course?

The aim of science and research in Medicine

• Science generates knowledge through conducting research

• Research: the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions

• Research Knowledge (Evidence) Health policy Improved health and wellbeing of people

Evidence-based medicine

• Evidence: the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid

• Evidence-based medicine (EBM): care of patients using the best available research evidence to guide clinical decision making

− making sure that when decisions are made about treatment, they are made on the basis of the most up-to-date, solid, reliable, scientific evidence

• Not “cookbook” with recipes, but its good application brings cost-effective and better health care

Harmful effect of tobacco smoking was not always known

Only in early 1950s people started to realize that tobacco smoking can be seriously harmful to health

Evidence proving harmful effect of tobacco smoking

• 1952 Hammond-Horn Study launched to examine the association of cigarette smoking with death rates from cancer and other diseases

• 188 000 men enrolled Trends in Tobacco Use and Lung Cancer Deaths in the U.S.

• Published results in 1954 • JAMA. 1954;155(15):1316-1328

• This study helped to establish cigarette smoking as a cause of death from lung cancer and coronary heart disease.

Key concepts of scientific method

General question about the problem/ real world phenomenon

Narrowing down to focus on a specific problem/ formulating research question

Designing research, observing specific aspects

Analyzing this aspect

Implications to real world problem

Generalization of the findings to the real world

Doing Research

• Why am I doing it? Rationale, problem, research question, scientific knowledge;

• Why am I doing it this way? Planning research project, selecting research methods, study population etc.

• What might be done with what I find out? Generating study results, conclusions, and implications to the field;

Types of scientific research

According to the purpose of the study:

• Basic (fundamental)

An investigation on basic principles and reasons for occurrence of a particular event /process /phenomenon;

Conducted in lab setting;

Direct goal: to promote to general knowledge, not applicability of the results

• Applied

A research which is used to answer a specific question, solve a specific problem related to product development, or to gain better understanding;

Conducted in real world setting;

Direct goal: Applicability of results and cost-effective reduction of existing problem

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Types of scientific research

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Quantitative

Numerical, non-descriptive, applies statistics or mathematics and uses number

Iterative process whereby evidence is evaluated

What, where and when of decision making

Conclusive

The results are often presented in tables and graphs

Qualitative

Non-numerical, descriptive, applies reasoning and uses words

Aim is to get the meaning, feeling and describe the situation

Why and how of decision making

Explanatory

Qualitative data cannot be graphed

Types of undergraduate research projects Characteristics Feasibility for undergraduates

Laboratory project Elements of repetition, done in lab, sample preparation and analysis to accept or reject the hypothesis

If students have permission and access to lab

Literature project Review of existing studies to create consensus data sets and conclusions

Feasible

Meta-analysis Type of literature project with complex model to reach a conclusion

Feasible, needs statistical skills

Intervention project Type of experimental study, with participation of volunteers who will undergo an experimental intervention

Very difficult, undergraduate level limited to this type of research

Questionnaire project Collection of data (information) from respondents by completing questionnaires

Recruitment might be concern, skills to draw up and validate new questionnaires

Data analysis project Statistical analysis and testing hypothesis, data are already obtained (uses secondary datasets)

Requires statistical skills Access to dataset needed

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Questions?

Homework

• Introduction to scientific research projects. Graham Basten. Ventuspublishind Aps. UK. 2010, pp.11-17

• Do a test on the page 14: matching project type with personality colors (table 2) and discuss if the test reveals the truth about your research preferences.