Research Methodology
Code
9274
Academic unit
Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública
Department
Saúde Pública e Comunidade
Credits
3.0
Teacher in charge
Luís Manuel Graça
Total hours
30
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
At the end of the module, doctoral students should know: (i) to identify the diversity and specificity of research questions in the multidisciplinary field of public health; (ii) to integrate scientific knowledge and different technical and human skills needed in order to ensure and reinforce their autonomy in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of empirical research projects in the field of public health; (iii) to identify, describe and implement the key steps, logical and chronological, of the research process; (iv) to prepare (and critically to appraise) a research protocol; (iv) to master and to use critically the main techniques for collecting and processing data, both qualitative and quantitative; (vi) to predict the validity and accuracy of data when interpreting the results; and, finally, (vii) to write and publish scientific reports and articles.
Subject matter
Key topics to develop: (i) the ''state of the art'' on the main theoretical methodological, epistemological and ethical issues and problems raised by the scientific research in the public health domain; (ii) framework and guidelines for the design of a research project: from the formulation of the starting question to the planning of the field work, (iii) strategies for literature search and credibility of sources; (iv) major research strategies or methods; (v) techniques for collecting and processing data, both qualitative and quantitative; (vi) the presentation and communication of results in scientific research (including the citation and the bibliographic reference); (vii) review of scientific articles, protocols, working papers and reports of empirical research.
Teaching method
Teaching methods are based on: (i) theoretical and practical-theoretical lectures, with oral and powerpoint presentations; (ii) working group and individual, in classroom and e-learning sessions, using the reading and discussion of research protocols, research reports, working papers and scientific articles.
Evaluation method
Individual final evaluation results primarily from: (i) delivery of a written research protocol in accordance with a given template - Registration Tool, RG 120 - or the analysis of a scientific paper, focusing on theoretical and methodological issues (70%); and (ii) and (ii) consideration of student’s attendance and active participation (30%).