Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Methodological Assessment
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish
Teaching staff
Previous date by e-mail with the teacher:
- Mª Ángeles de Juan: (mdejuan@uic.es)
- Ivet Bayés (ibayes@uic.es)
Introduction
In the Master's Final Work (MFW) students have to implement independently for all skills and learning about research results acquired during the Master with tutoring from a teacher. Sometimes making MFW poses some difficulties for students at different levels, particularly in the methodological or statistical.
This course aims to strengthen methodological advice of skills and competences acquired on research methodology in the different subjects of the Master to carry out the MFW. In addition, it is intended that students learn to use the existing methodological advice service in many health care centers as a research support system. Students will have discussions on methodological design with the teachers of the subject.
Pre-course requirements
You need to be enrolled in the subjects: Final Master’s Degree, Biostatistics II and Qualitative Health Research Methodology.
The student must have passed the subjects: Biostatistics I and Quantitative Clinical Research Designs.
Objectives
- To provide adequate methodological support for the design of qualitative, quantitative and mixed studies, as well as for their justification.
- To train students to analyze their own research studies, both qualitative, quantitative and mixed studies.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN02RA - Describe the most prominent research methodologies and designs in the field of health
- CN03RA - Identify health problems that can be investigated
- CN04RA - Describe the main research protocols in the clinical setting
- CP01RA - Design an advanced research project on clinical aspects following ethical standards and scientific rigor and respecting the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, and the promotion of human rights and values typical of a culture of peace and democratic values, using a language that avoids androcentrism and stereotypes.
- CP03RA - Communicate the stages of a clinical research project to the public specialized and non-specialized clearly and unambiguously
- HB01RA - Apply the scientific method, research design, advanced biostatistics and quantitative and qualitative data analysis tools to solve a question or test a hypothesis in the clinical setting.
- HB02RA - Use tools to critically evaluate projects, protocols and research articles, both qualitative and quantitative, in the field of Health Sciences
- HB03RA - Apply different bibliographic search strategies in a research project clinical research from the main databases in life sciences health.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- M4.2. Recognize the sections and outcomes for managing clinical trials.
- M4.4. Describe the different means and resources of methodological support at the healthcare level for planning research projects in the clinical field.
- M4.7. Synthesize health research protocols.
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The student will know how to recognise and use the necessary resources to carry out the methodological design of a research project.
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Will carry out autonomous work productively between tutorials.
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Will know how to apply calculation of the sample size in quantitative research, or how to estimate the sample in qualitative research.
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Will be able to determine the statistical methods necessary to answer the scientific question posed when carrying out a research study, if it is of quantitative design.
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Will be able to justify the choice of the different methodological elements and hypotheses and objectives of a research project.
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Will be able to justify and write down the design method appropriate to their objectives.
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Will be able to justify the analysis of the data generated by their research.
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Be able to answer a research question from a quantitative and qualitative point of view.
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Will be able to argue and defend their methodological design decisions.
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Will be able to promote understanding of the points of view of the other members of the group.
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Will provide constructive input on methodological aspects and the presentation of research study designs.
Syllabus
The contents of the course will depend on the objectives in different TFM and will reinforce the content of the subjects:
- Bioestatistics I and II.
- Quantitative Clinical Research Designs
- Qualitative Research Methodology in Health.
Teaching and learning activities
Online
The teaching methodology of the subject will consist mainly of individual tutorials, in which statistical and methodological advice will be given on the TFM that the student is carrying out. Three/four tutorials will be offered throughout the course (two of which are compulsory).
After a final delivery of the presentation of the methodology section and a brief introduction of the work, each student will give feedback and provide suggestions to his/her classmates.
In addition, the work will be defended in a final session, in front of their classmates and teachers. It will have a formative nature, as well as being part of the final assessment.
Evaluation systems and criteria
Online
In the event of detecting fraudulent use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or plagiarism, the course will be failed. The use of AI must be declared, bearing in mind that for each submission, the student is responsible for the integrity of the document and must always verify the results using reliable sources. The permitted use of AI for each activity will be specified in advance for each submission or assessment activity. (See document of interest:Universidad de Navarra, 2025, 10 claves para el uso ético y responsable de la IA Generativa https://www.unav.edu/documents/d/biblioteca/infografia-10-claves-para-el-uso-etico-y-responsable-de-la-iag_verti-1)
Assessment for the first examination period:
In order to pass the first examination period of the Methodological Advice course, students must have completed at least four meetings with the Master's Thesis (TFM) supervisor and submitted the TFM proposal, as well as having completed two Methodological Advice tutorials and submitted the corresponding preparatory tasks for these tutorials.
The final course grade will be calculated based on the following activities and weightings:
- Methodological Advice tutorials (30%): the work submitted prior to each of the course tutorials will be assessed, as well as the student’s engagement and use of the tutorials.
- Oral presentations and defence (50%). The presentations will be delivered asynchronously online, while the defences will be conducted synchronously, also online.
- Peer assessment (15%): students will be assessed on how they have evaluated their peers, as well as on their contributions during the synchronous session.
- Self-assessment (5%).
Assessment for the second examination period:
In order to pass the second examination period of the Methodological Advice course, students must have an approved TFM proposal (at least in the second examination period) and must have completed and passed two Methodological Advice tutorials before May.
The final course grade will be calculated based on the following activities and weightings:
- Methodological Advice tutorials (30%): a minimum of two tutorials must be completed before May.
- Oral presentations and defence (50%): the presentation and defence will take place on the date agreed for the second examination period before the course instructors.
- Peer assessment (15%): if the student was able to attend, in the previous examination period, the synchronous defence session and completed the peer-assessment rubric, that grade will be retained. If the student did not participate in the synchronous session, they must assess the videos of their peers’ presentations and formulate a reflective question about the methodology of each of the projects. In this case, the grade obtained in this section will have a weighting of 10% in the final course grade.
- Self-assessment (5%).
Bibliography and resources
Burgos, R. (1998). Metodología de investigación y escritura científica en clínica. 3ª ed. Granada: Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública.
Burns, N.; Grove, S.K. (2004). Investigación en Enfermería. 3ª ed. Madrid: Elsevier.
Daniel, W. (2002). Bioestadística: base para el análisis de las ciencias de la salud. 4a ed. México D.F.: Limusa.
Martínez-González MA, Sánchez-Villegas, A., Faulín Fajardo, F.J. Bioestadística amigable (4ª ED). Díaz de Santos. Madrid; 2020.
Mayan, M. (2001). Una introducción a los métodos cualitativos. Módulo de entrenamiento para estudiantes y profesionales. México: Qualitative Institute Press. International Institute for Qualitative Methodology.
Pardo, A., Ruiz, M.A. Análisis de datos en ciencias sociales y de la salud (vols. I y II) (1ª Ed). Editorial Síntesis. 2012
Piédrola Gil, et al. Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública. 12ª Edición. Barcelona: Masson S.A. 2015.
Polit.D., Hungler, B. (2000). Investigación científica en ciencias de la salud. 6ª Ed. Madrid: McGraw-Hill Interamericana.