Overview
This intermediate course examines the principles and application of epidemiological study design. Students compare descriptive and analytic approaches, including ecological, cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, randomized controlled, community trial, and quasi-experimental designs, and develop skills for translating research questions into testable hypotheses and appropriate estimands.
The course addresses source and study populations, eligibility criteria, sampling, exposure and outcome definitions, temporality, comparison groups, measures of disease frequency and association, matching, restriction, stratification, randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, sample size and power, missing data, loss to follow-up, measurement error, selection bias, information bias, confounding, effect modification, interaction, causal diagrams, validity, ethical review, informed consent, data management, and transparent reporting. Students critically appraise published studies, construct basic analytic plans, evaluate evidence quality, and communicate limitations and implications responsibly.
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate epidemiological research questions and formulate testable hypotheses with appropriate estimands.
- Compare descriptive, analytic, experimental, and quasi-experimental study designs and justify design choices for specified research questions.
- Construct basic epidemiological analytic plans incorporating populations, eligibility criteria, sampling, exposures, outcomes, comparison groups, and temporality.
- Calculate and interpret incidence, prevalence, risk ratios, rate ratios, odds ratios, risk differences, and attributable measures with introductory confidence intervals and p-values.
- Distinguish confounding from effect modification and interaction using stratification, restriction, matching, and causal diagrams.
- Assess the effects of selection bias, information bias, measurement error, missing data, and loss to follow-up on study validity.
- Evaluate ethical review, informed consent, data management, allocation procedures, and transparent reporting in epidemiological research.
- Appraise published epidemiological studies using structured tools and communicate evidence quality, limitations, and implications responsibly.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Study design appraisal assignment | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Analytic plan assignment | 20.00% |
| Tutorial | Structured study appraisal tutorial (4 × 5%) | 20.00% |
| Test | Practical methods test | 15.00% |
| Exam | Final examination | 25.00% |
Prerequisites
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
