ORTH 5000 - Research Methodology

1 credit hour

This course is the first in a sequence of four courses, the ultimate goal of which is for the student to propose, conduct, and document a research project that will make a meaningful contribution to scientific knowledge and better the health of the community consistent with the mission of the A. T. Still University. The outcome of this four-course sequence will be a publication-quality paper. In addition, students will be able to use this paper as the basis for requesting funding to carry out further research on their topic.

The Research Methodology course will inaugurate this process by providing students with a firm grounding in the process of healthcare research. This will include an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the basic types of research studies including case studies, case series, observational studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses. Students will be required to explore topics and sources of data for their research projects.

By the end of this first course students will have developed and submitted a detailed proposal of their research project, including a research question or hypothesis, a review of the literature, and a data acquisition and analysis plan.