Epidemiological Study Design & Analysis
10 weeks · 0 milestones
Design and analyse an epidemiological study using real or publicly available health data. Proof requires: (a) a study design document (research question, study type, population, sampling strategy, outcome measures, bias considerations — minimum 1,000 words); and (b) a data analysis of a real dataset (publicly available datasets from WHO, CDC, ONS, or equivalent are acceptable) with documented methodology, results, and a critical discussion of limitations. Reviewed by a public health practitioner or researcher with epidemiology experience who can challenge the study design choices. Proof is the analysis and design reasoning, not the dataset itself.
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Choose a public health question relevant to your training area. Structure it as a PICO question (Population, Intervention/Exposure, Comparator, Outcome). Then select and justify an appropriate epidemiological study design (RCT, cohort study, case-control, cross-sectional, ecological study) for your question. Justify: why this design fits the question, what its main strengths and limitations are, and what alternative design you considered and rejected and why.
Proof required
Submit your PICO question, your study design selection with justification (1 page), and a brief analysis of one alternative design you considered and its limitations for your specific question.
What gets checked
- PICO is specific and answerable — 'does diet affect health?' is not a PICO question; 'in adults 40–65 (P), does a Mediterranean diet vs. standard Western diet (I vs. C) reduce 10-year cardiovascular event rate (O)?' is.
- Design justification addresses both strengths and limitations specific to your PICO — not generic strengths/limitations of the design type.
- Alternative design comparison is genuine — explains specifically why the alternative is less suitable for this question, not just less common.