Research Methods in Medical Rehabilitation

At the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. explain the importance of research, scholarly activities, and the continued development of a body of knowledge relevant to the profession of occupational therapy; 2. locate and evaluate information, including the quality of research evidence; 3. use research literature to make evidence-based decisions; 4. utilise basic descriptive, correlational, and inferential quantitative statistics and code, analyse, and synthesize qualitative data; 5. critique the validity of research studies, including designs (both quantitative and qualitative) and methodologies; 6. demonstrate the skills necessary to design a research proposal; 7. implement one or more aspects of research methodology. These may be simulated or actual and may include, but are not limited to, designing research instruments, collecting data, and analysing or synthesising data. These research activities may be completed individually, with a group, or with a faculty member; 8. demonstrate basic skills necessary to write a research report in a format for presentation or publication; and 9. demonstrate the process of locating and securing grants and how grants can serve as a fiscal resource for research and practice.

Introduction to Biostatistics. Definitions of statistics and biostatistics. Applications of biostatistics. Data collection from experiments & surveys. Variables: qualitative & quantitative, discrete and continuous. Presentation of data: tabular presentation of data – statistical table, format of a table. Frequency distribution – construction of frequency distribution table, cumulative and relative frequency distribution. Exclusive and inclusive method of classification of data; Diagrammatic presentation of data: bar diagrams, pie diagram, line diagram, pictogram, cartogram or statistical map. Graphical representation of a frequency distribution – histogram, frequency, polygon, frequency curve, ogives or cumulative frequency curves. Quantitative research methods. Qualitative research methods. Research methodology: Introduction to Research methodology. Meaning of research. Objectives of research. Types of research & research approaches. Research problem: statement of the research problem. Statement of purpose and objectives of research problem. Necessity of defining the problem. Research design: meaning of research design, need for research design. Sampling techniques: criteria for selecting a sampling procedure. Measurement & scaling techniques: measurement in research, measurement scales, sources of error in measurement. Methods of data collection: collection of primary data, sampling fundamentals, need for sampling. Analysis of data: types of analysis. Testing of hypothesis. 500 Level