3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Much of the science that we are exposed to on a daily basis is not through original research articles but through sources such as news reports, articles from content aggregators, and social media postings. While these convenient sources of information can be useful in some respects, it is important to read the original scientific articles on which these reports are based. Only in this way can we better understand the state of science on the issues we care about. In this course, students will primarily learn about statistical concepts within the domains of association studies, causal inference, survey analysis, and survival analysis that provide the background necessary to read a wide variety of primary research in public health. Required readings from a custom course textbook will be supplemented by in-class lecture, discussion, and guided simulation exercises. Simulation exercises will use the Shiny environment in the R programming language which allows for point-and-click style exploration and does not require any coding. All code used to create these simulation activities will be made available so that students familiar with R or who want to learn more have the chance to explore on their own time. Secondary goals of the class include (1) examining the differences between information contained in original research articles and secondary sources and (2) improving written and oral communication about statistical ideas.