Research methodology

Lecture 1

Ioacara Sorin
March 2019
 Practical demonstrations (10 hrs)
1. How to organize a literature review. Searching and organizing references.
2. Critique to a scientific paper.
3. Design of a research and collecting the data.
4. How to work with a database.
5. Presentation of the research results.

References
R B Haynes. Of studies, syntheses, synopses, summaries, and systems: the "5S" evolution of information
services for evidence-based healthcare decisions.
Evidence Based Medicine 2006;
S Strauss, RB Haynes. Managing evidence-based knowledge: the need for reliable, relevant and readable
resources. CMAJ 2009; 180:942-945

During the practical demonstrations, every student has to present a literature review (10 minutes power
point presentation) and to make a written critique to a scientific paper.

Final exam is written and consists of 9 short questions.

Medical thesis
 Prevalence

Number of existing cases of a disease

P= X 100
Total population

At a given point in time

 Incidence
Number of existing cases of a disease
P= at a
Total Incidence
given point of time population is a rate!

Number of new cases of a disease during a year

I= X 100000
Total population at risk
 Mortality rate

Number of deaths during a year

M= X 1000
Total population at risk
 Relative Risk
Risk of exposed group a / (a + b)
RR = =
Risk of nonexposed group c / (c + d)

Outcome No outcome

Exposed a b

Nonexposed c d
 Odds ratio
Odds in exposed group a/b
OR = =
Odds in nonexposed group c/d

Outcome No outcome

Exposed a b

Nonexposed c d
 Statistical significance
• perform a chi-square test of association, if the sample size is
not too small (>5 cases in each cell within the 2x2 table)

• perform the Fisher exact probability test, if the sample size is

too small (≤5 cases in each cell within the 2x2 table)

• p<0.05 means statistical significance

 Correlation
• r = 0..1
• positive or negative
• p<0.05 means statistical significance

Correlation is not causality!

 Causality
Can this valid association be judged as cause and effect?
Is there a strong association?
Is there biologic credibility to the hypothesis?
Is there consistency with other studies?
Is the time sequence compatible?
Is there evidence of a dose-response relationship?
Medical thesis