RHS 481

King Saud University
College of Applied Medical Sciences
Rehabilitation Sciences Department
Physical Therapy program
 
RHS 481
course Syllabus
2^nd semester 2015

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Course Title:  Independent Study
Course Number:         RHS 481
Credit Hours: 2 Credits
Course Instructor: Dr. Einas Al-Eisa
Contact Information: 0118052000
[e-mail]
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Course Description:  This course introduces the need for conducting research in the field of physiotherapy, stressing the importance of evidence-based practice.  The core of this course will be to teach the students how to conduct a scientific research, starting with a relevant clinical question and ending with how to interpret and analyze the research findings. 
 
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyze research articles and critique the research design or the methods used.
2. Develop skills in writing a research paper (following the traditional sequence used in publications).
3. Practice presenting their research orally (platform presentation) or visually (poster presentation).

 
Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding the process of inquiry. Discuss the essence of graduate studies while engaging in the process of inquiry. The process of inquiry allows one to form and to systematically examine unanswered questions within established scientific methodologies. Requisite in this engagement are critical thinking, problem solving and creative approaches in identifying and employing appropriate strategies in order to answer specific unanswered questions.
2. Understanding reported research. Learn the typical format (introduction, methods, results and discussion) of reported research. We will discuss how and why each section is constructed. Strategies for extracting, and synthesizing meaningful information from reported research will also be discussed and practiced.
3. Conducting a review of literature. Learn a set of strategies for conducting a review of literature that demystify the process. It will include but not necessarily be limited to the following:

• strategies for using keyword searches specific to pertinent databases to identify a reasonable pool of references
• strategies for cross referencing citations and reference lists
• strategies for identifying a critical mass of possible sources and then how to pare them down to those that are most on point
• strategies for reading and synthesizing literature into a compelling and intriguing argument that logically leads the reader to the problem statement.

1. Validity, Reliability and Generalizability. These concepts are central to quality research. Indeed threats to any of these ideas weaken the research design, methods and makes suspect any conclusions that are drawn.
2. Writing reported research. We will discuss how to write each of the four sections in reported research (introduction, methods, results and discussion).
3. Research Designs. The following common research designs will be discussed: Descriptive Research, Correlation Research, Experimental, Quasi Experimental, Survey Research, Qualitative Research, Mixed Methods designs and Meta Analysis.

 
Expectations from students:
Throughout the semester, students will:

• Choose a certain topic for research and come up with a question
• Generate a hypothesis
• Select appropriate sample
• Identify research variables and experimental measures
• Write a literature review
• Conduct the research and report the major findings
• Present the research findings in public

 
Grading:

Evaluation Method	%
Participation	10
Research Problem/ Questions	5
Literature Review	20
Written Proposal	15
Final project & presentation	30
Final Exam	20
Total	100

 

 

 
Course Outline
 
Week 1
Introduction to Principles of Research in Physical Therapy:

• Definition of research (What is research?)
• Reasons for developing research in physical therapy (Why research?)
• Evidence-based practice
• Who should research?
• Barriers of research
• Developing answerable research problem
• Methods of obtaining knowledge (research paradigms)
• Quantitative paradigm
• Qualitative paradigm
• Single-system paradigm

 
Week 2
Roots of Scientific Inquiry:

• Research design
• Quantitative research
• Basics of data
• Dependent & independent variables
• Research purposes
• Timing of data collection (retrospective versus prospective)
• Research manipulation (experimental versus non-experimental)

 
Week 3
The students present their research problem & questions
 
Week 4
Stages of Research:

• Identifying a problem
• Necessary attributes for a researcher
• Where do research problems come from
• Delimiting the problem
• Literature review
• Types of literature
• Research proposal
• Ethical considerations (risks & responsibilities, informed consent)
• Subject selection & recruitment: sampling versus assignment
• Probability sampling (random, systematic, stratified, cluster sampling)
• Non-probability sampling (sample of convenience, purposive, snowball sampling)

 
Week 5
Evaluating the Literature:

• Relevance of reviewing the literature
• Elements of a research article
• Guidelines for writing about published research
• Evaluation of studies (trustworthiness)
• Research validity (internal, external, & construct validity)
• Sequence for evaluating the literature

 
Week 6
The students present their literature review
 
Week 7
Research Design I:

• Observational versus experimental studies
• Case-series studies
• Case-control studies
• Cross-sectional studies
• Cohort studies

 
Week 8
Research Design II:

• Clinical trials
• Randomization & control
• Types of control in research
• Inter-rater & intra-rater reliability
• Instrument reliability & validity

 
Week 9
The students present their proposal
 
Week 10
Hypothesis Testing:

• Type I & II errors
• Science hypotheses (null versus alternative hypothesis)
• Reporting the p-value
• Tests of significance (statistical versus clinical significance)
• Confidence intervals

 
Week 11
Central Concepts in Statistics:

• Data analysis
• Probability & statistical inference
• Types of data
• Types of statistics
• The normal distribution & central limit theorem
• Parametric  & non-parametric statistics
• Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode)
• Measures of variation (range, variance, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, percentiles)
• Correlation & regression
• Power & sample size

 
Week 12
Critical Appraisal:

• Hierarchy of evidence
• Usefulness of medical information
• JAMA guide for evidence-based clinical practice
• Screening questions

 
Week 13
Final written Exam
 
Week 14
Students present their final Research Project
 
                                          
Required Materials:

1. Journal articles (these will be given to you weekly by the course instructor)
2. Domholdt E.  Physical Therapy Research: Principles and Applications.  WB Saunders Company.
3. Portney LG & Watkins MP.  Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice.  Prentice Hall Inc
4. Currie DP.  Elements of Research in Physical Therapy.  Williams & Wilkins.
5. Porter S.  Tidy’s Physiotherapy.  Butterworth Heinemann. [Chapter 17]