Please note: there may be some adjustments to the teaching arrangements published in the course catalogue for 2020-21. Given current circumstances related to the Covid-19 pandemic it is anticipated that some usual arrangements for teaching on campus will be modified to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff on campus; further adjustments may also be necessary, or beneficial, during the course of the academic year as national requirements relating to management of the pandemic are revised.

Research and Scientific Writing Skills MED5558

  • Academic Session: 2022-23
  • School: School of Medicine Dentistry and Nursing
  • Credits: 10
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Available to Erasmus Students: No
  • Taught Wholly by Distance Learning: Yes

Short Description

This course will cover the broad topic of scientific research and writing skills. It will start with the principles of scientific enquiry and study design. Systematic literature searches will be covered as well as basic statistics. Examples of published research in the field of anaesthesia will be explored and critically appraised for relevance, validity, bias and applicability. Students will have the opportunity to learn and practice scientific writing skills.

Timetable

A variety of teaching methods will be scheduled over 6 weeks including online lectures, live tutorials, webinars and reading material with an online discussion forum in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

1. Written assignment, approx. 1000 words (70%)

 

2. Online exam (30%)

Course Aims

The aim of the course is to improve the students' knowledge and skills in identifying relevant published research in the field of anaesthesia.

In addition, students will improve their ability to appraise published research, apply an analytical approach and eloquently present scientific work in both written and oral form.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Critically appraise current literature in the field of Anaesthesia and make informed judgements regarding clinical applicability of published evidence

■ Critically discuss research methods and important elements of study design

■ Compose and articulate well-structured presentations appropriate for a range of audiences in both written and oral form

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.