Overview
The Research and Biostatistics section serves as the foundational knowledge base for understanding and applying scientific research methods and statistical analysis in clinical practice. This section is designed to equip rehabilitation professionals with comprehensive skills in research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of results, and evidence-based practice. By mastering these core concepts, team members can enhance their clinical decision-making, improve patient outcomes, contribute to the scientific community, and stay current with the latest advancements in medical research.
Contents Include
- Introduction to Research: It includes Overview of Research Methods, Importance of Biostatistics in Research, Types of Research Designs and Ethical Considerations in Research.
- Research Design and Methodology: It includes Formulating Research Questions and Hypotheses, Types of Study Designs: Experimental and Observational, Sampling Methods and Sample Size Calculation, Data Collection Techniques, Ensuring Validity and Reliability.
- Synopsis Writing: Provide a step-by-step guide for students to effectively organize their synopsis, including clear instructions on structuring the introduction, objectives, methods, and expected outcomes. It includes Components of a research synopsis, Tips for writing an effective synopsis and Common mistakes to avoid in synopsis writing.
- Generating Research Ideas: Encourage students to leverage their clinical experiences and patient interactions to identify research questions that address practical challenges faced in their field. It includes Sources of research ideas in physical therapy, Strategies for brainstorming research topics and Identifying gaps in current literature.
- Literature Review: : Demonstrate how to use databases and search engines effectively to retrieve relevant literature, along with strategies for organizing and synthesizing large volumes of information.
- Hypothesis Formulation: Offer techniques for refining research hypotheses based on feedback from peers and faculty mentors, emphasizing the importance of clarity and specificity.
- Sample Size Calculation: Introduce online calculators and software tools that facilitate sample size calculation, along with guidelines for choosing appropriate effect sizes and statistical power levels.
- Data Collection Methods: Provide demonstrations or simulations of common data collection methods used in physical therapy research, highlighting best practices for minimizing measurement error and bias. In includes Data collection methods in quantitative & qualitative research and Ensuring reliability and validity of data collection instruments.
- Practical Applications: It includes Case Studies in Rehabilitation Research, Hands-on Data Analysis Projects, Research Proposal Development and Publication and Dissemination of Research Findings.
- Publication and Dissemination: Offer guidance on preparing professional-quality posters and oral presentations for conferences, along with strategies for effectively communicating research findings to diverse audiences. It includes Strategies for publishing research findings, Selecting appropriate journals for publication and Communicating research findings through presentations and conferences.
- Data Analysis Techniques: Offer tutorials on statistical software packages commonly used in physical therapy research, along with guidance on selecting the most appropriate statistical tests for different types of data.
- Biostatistical Concepts: It includes Descriptive Statistics, Measures of Central Tendency (Mean, Median, Mode), Measures of Dispersion (Variance, Standard Deviation, Range, Probability and Distributions, Normal Distribution, Binomial and Poisson Distributions.
- Inferential Statistics: It includes Hypothesis Testing, Null and Alternative Hypotheses, Type I and Type II Errors. P-Values and Confidence Intervals, Parametric Tests, T-tests (Independent, Paired), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Non-Parametric Tests, Chi-Square Test and Mann-Whitney U Test.
- Advanced Biostatistical Methods: It includes Regression Analysis, Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, Multivariate Analysis, Factor Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Survival Analysis, Kaplan-Meier Curves and Cox Proportional Hazards Model.
- Data Management and Software: It includes Introduction to Statistical Software (SPSS, R, SAS), Data Entry and Cleaning, Basic Data Analysis Using Software and Advanced Data Analysis Techniques.
- Reporting and Interpreting Results: : It includes Writing a Research Report, Presenting Data Effectively, Critical Appraisal of Research and Meta-Analysis and Systematic Reviews
- Writing Thesis: Provide templates or examples of well-written research proposals, along with specific criteria used by funding agencies and review committees to evaluate proposals. It includes Components of a research proposal / thesis, Tips for writing a compelling research proposal / thesis and Formatting and structuring the proposal / thesis.
- Ethical Considerations in Research: : Share case studies or scenarios to prompt discussion on ethical dilemmas commonly encountered in physical therapy research, encouraging students to critically evaluate ethical implications.
- Grant Writing: The Research and Biostatistics lectures aim to equip rehabilitation professionals with the skills to excel in grant writing and management. Participants will learn to identify funding opportunities, interpret grant guidelines, and develop comprehensive proposals, including clear research plans and detailed budgets. Emphasis will be placed on creating persuasive narratives, preparing supporting documentation, and understanding the review and submission process. Additionally, the course will address common pitfalls in grant writing and offer strategies for effective post-award grant management.