Assessment 3: Research and statistical analysis report (40%)
Length: 3,000 words
Rationale:
In this final assignment students will be asked to read a peer-reviewed article from medical or health literature in order to provide a detailed critical appraisal of the reported association between an exposure and disease outcome, reanalyses the data used in the study with improved statistical methodology, interpret the findings and draw conclusions. It is an important skill for an epidemiologist to be able to provide a high-level critique of an epidemiological study in terms of statistical methods, interpretation of results and inferences or conclusions drawn, and the students have a great opportunity to develop this skill through completing this assignment. For those students who may not have had previous experience with conducting such critical appraisals in an introductory bio statistics unit or in a second level bio statistics unit such as this, this assignment will provide them with the first opportunity to engage in critical appraisal of the article using the principles of bio statistics taught in the unit.
Task :
The objective for this assignment is to critically assess the pros and cons of statistical analysis for a peer-reviewed medical or health science article which had already investigated an exposure-outcome association, and to re-analyse, interpret and draw conclusions based on more appropriate or improved statistical methodology. You are required to present all these in a report.
Criteria :
You will be assessed on the following:
•Discussion of the criticisms and strengths of statistical analyses conducted in the published article
•Reanalysis of the article data using SAS or R based on more appropriate or improved statistical methodology
•Discussion for the justification of your choosing a particular statistical method in contrast with that used in the article,
•Finally, interpretation of your results and drawing of conclusions based on your reanalysis of the data used in the article