RSCH 496A - Advanced Biomedical Research Methods - Student Information

Course Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

The course goals and Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) provided below will be the basis of most assignments, projects, and examinations in this course.  “Course goals” are what students will learn this semester, while “student learning outcomes” are what students will be able to do with their newly-gained knowledge.

  • SLO: Distinguish between basic, applied, translational, and clinical research approaches and paradigms.

  • SLO: Apply the scientific method to design and critically assess experimental procedures and the conclusions drawn from empirical data.

  • SLO: Appreciate the complementary nature of experimental, theoretical, and computation/modeling approaches in scientific inquiry.

  • SLO: Compare and contrast the various types of scientific publications and identify and assess metrics commonly used to judge the quality of scientific publications.

  • SLO: Discuss, practice, and assess the manuscript preparation and peer-review processes.

  • SLO: Weigh the importance and severity of experimental mistakes, errata, and fraudulent reporting.

  • SLO: Identify sources and types of errors in experimental procedures and weigh their significance.

  • SLO: Conduct statistical characterization of collected data, assess confidence intervals, and identify outliers.

  • SLO: Propagate quantitative errors associated with multiple values within a numerical analysis; visualize and interpret data with error bars.

  • SLO: Fit quantitative data, with errors, to analytical models and assess the quality of such fits.

  • SLO: Apply basic computer programming to perform data analysis and statistical characterization using common scientific software (Mathematica, MatLab).

  • SLO: Critically analyze and identify the limitations within past studies.

  • SLO: Investigate and assess unfamiliar experimental techniques and methods of analyzing data, including both fundamental and cutting-edge methods.

  • SLO: Define resolution and the resulting experimental constraints needed to probe questions of interest.

  • SLO: Draw connections between new and previously applied methods, and assess contradictory results stemming from varying approaches.

  • SLO: Analyze and interpret the results of preliminary data with the mindset of planning a complete experiment.

  • SLO: Define a research project: based on the scientific literature, develop a list of research questions to be addressed and hypotheses to be tested, including rationales for each hypothesis, and design a series of experiments to undertake the project.

  • SLO: Identify appropriate funding agencies and programs that could fund the project of interest.

  • SLO: After reviewing the most recent literature relevant to the project, compose a statement of the problem, a list of goals and objectives, a research plan and timeline, and an evaluation plan with expected outcomes.

  • SLO: Assemble a research budget (faculty start-up and/or single-PI research project), while employing both cost-versus-benefit and risk-versus-reward reasoning.

  • SLO: Assemble a complete, professional quality grant proposal and participate in peer-review of others’ written proposals.

General Resources

  • How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, 1st Edition Author: P.J. Silvia; American Psychological Association, 2007.

  • A scientific/graphing calculator (TI recommended)

  • A computer/laptop with MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel)

  • A citation editor program such as (EndNote, RefWorks, or Mendeley) installed. Alternatively, those comfortable with Microsoft products are free to use the built-in citation editor in MS Word. Additional freeware or CSU-licensed software may be required as the semester progresses.

Lecture and In-Class Activities Modules

  1. Overview of the scientific method

    • What is Knowledge – Knowledge & Science

  2. Designing the research proposal

  3. Reading Scientific Literature – You can do it

  4. Scientific literature search (databases; library services)

    • Types of scientific literature

  5. Literature Review

  6. Proofreading by example

  7. Scientific writing

  8. Proposal Writing

    • Hypothesis

    • Budget

  9. Peer Reviewing

    • The politics of Peer review

  10. Research Questions, hypothesis, challenges/problems

  11. Research Integrity

  12. Experimental Design

  13. Statistical analysis

    • Statistics - Error Analysis Propagation and Reporting – Propagation of Errors

    • Statistics - Using MS Excel for Data Fitting and Analysis - Brief Kinetics Review

    • Scaling (What is this?)

  14. About Research Presentations

    • Poster presentations and Writing

    • Poster design and formatting

    • PowerPoint formatting: DOs and DON’Ts

    • PowerPoint formatting: Giving an effective scientific talk

    • Research Presentations - Designing Effective PowerPoint Presentations

  15. Gender, race, and ethnicity (What is this?)

Topic Modules

  1. Preparatory Assignments

    • Suggested readings

    • Homework

    • Bring to class items

    • Identification of content from previous research curriculum courses

  2. In class Activities

  3. Post class activities

  4. Supplemental Readings/Resources

Graded Assignments

  1. Article Evaluation Assignments

  2. Poster Presentation

  3. Proposal or Assignment