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Information
| Unit | INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES |
| BIOSTATISTICS (MEDICINE) (MASTER) (WITHOUT THESIS) (EVENING EDUCATION) | |
| Code | BIST524 |
| Name | Academic Writing and Critical Appraisal |
| Term | 2025-2026 Academic Year |
| Term | Spring |
| Duration (T+A) | 2-2 (T-A) (17 Week) |
| ECTS | 6 ECTS |
| National Credit | 3 National Credit |
| Teaching Language | Türkçe |
| Level | Lisansüstü Dersi |
| Type | Normal |
| Mode of study | Yüz Yüze Öğretim |
| Catalog Information Coordinator | Prof. Dr. GÜLŞAH SEYDAOĞLU |
| Course Instructor |
The current term course schedule has not been prepared yet.
|
Course Goal / Objective
To enable students to write scientific texts in health sciences in accordance with ethical standards, conduct appropriate literature searches, and develop the ability to critically appraise scientific publications from methodological and statistical perspectives.
Course Content
Scientific article types; formulating research questions/aims; literature searching strategies and reference management; academic writing style; preparing tables/figures; writing abstracts and keywords; citation practices and avoiding plagiarism; research and publication ethics; peer-review process, journal selection and submission; critical appraisal (methodology, sampling, bias, correctness of statistical interpretations); reporting guidelines (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, etc.); appraisal of evidence in clinical and field studies; term project focusing on a manuscript draft and/or a structured critical appraisal report.
Course Precondition
No prerequisites. (Basic biostatistics knowledge is recommended.)
Resources
Day, R. A., Gastel, B. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper
Notes
EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, CARE, etc.) PubMed / Web of Science / Scopus search guides Selected up-to-date clinical/epidemiological articles (used as in-class material)
Course Learning Outcomes
| Order | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| LO01 | Explain scientific article types. |
| LO02 | Formulate a research question/aim in health sciences. |
| LO03 | Conduct a literature search in relevant databases and manage references. |
| LO04 | Apply proper citation and referencing rules. |
| LO05 | Explain and apply publication ethics and plagiarism prevention principles. |
| LO06 | Critically appraise an article in terms of methodology, sampling, bias, and coherence of conclusions. |
| LO07 | Check statistical reporting at a basic level for correctness and interpretation. |
| LO08 | Select appropriate reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT/STROBE/PRISMA) and use checklists. |
| LO09 | Prepare sections such as tables/figures/abstract in line with scientific writing standards. |
| LO10 | Produce a manuscript draft and/or a structured critical appraisal report. |
Relation with Program Learning Outcome
| Order | Type | Program Learning Outcomes | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLO01 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Explain basic biostatistics, probability, and demographic concepts used in health sciences. | 1 |
| PLO02 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Define research designs, sampling methods, and data types used in health research. | |
| PLO03 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Explain the foundations of statistical approaches used in healthcare decision-making processes. | 1 |
| PLO04 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Explain the basic logic of regression, modeling, and advanced statistical methods used in health sciences. | |
| PLO05 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Analyze and interpret data obtained from health research using appropriate statistical methods. | 1 |
| PLO06 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Perform statistical analyses and generate outputs using statistical software packages. | |
| PLO07 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Apply basic data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications in health sciences. | |
| PLO08 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Evaluate multiple regression and survival analysis results in a clinical context. | |
| PLO09 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Analyze genetic and biomedical data using basic analytical approaches. | |
| PLO10 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Apply scale development, validity, and reliability analyses. | |
| PLO11 | Yetkinlikler - Bağımsız Çalışabilme ve Sorumluluk Alabilme Yetkinliği | Conduct data analysis and reporting within the scope of a term project. | 3 |
| PLO12 | Yetkinlikler - Bağımsız Çalışabilme ve Sorumluluk Alabilme Yetkinliği | Apply and manage sampling procedures in health studies. | |
| PLO13 | Yetkinlikler - Öğrenme Yetkinliği | Critically evaluate scientific studies from a statistical perspective. | 5 |
| PLO14 | Yetkinlikler - İletişim ve Sosyal Yetkinlik | Present analysis results in accordance with ethical principles. | 5 |
| PLO15 | Yetkinlikler - Alana Özgü Yetkinlik | Applies fundamental concepts of epidemiology and health statistics to clinical and field settings. | 1 |
Week Plan
| Week | Topic | Preparation | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course introduction; purpose of scientific writing; framework of research/publication ethics | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 2 | Article types; journal instructions and formatting | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Soru-Cevap |
| 3 | Research question/aim; scope and population | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Tartışma |
| 4 | Literature search (e.g., PubMed); keywords, MeSH; search strategy | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Tartışma |
| 5 | Reference management and citation styles; basic use of reference software | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 6 | Academic writing style; paragraph structure; common mistakes | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 7 | Abstract and keywords; tables/figures; visual reporting | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 8 | Mid-Term Exam | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Ödev, Sözlü Sınav |
|
| 9 | Publication ethics: plagiarism, authorship, conflicts of interest, ethical approval | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 10 | Peer-review process; journal selection; cover letter; responding to reviewers | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Tartışma |
| 11 | Critical appraisal I: methodology, sampling, bias; internal validity | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 12 | Critical appraisal II: reporting of results; common statistical interpretation errors | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Tartışma |
| 13 | Applying reporting guidelines (CONSORT/STROBE/PRISMA) using checklists | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 14 | Manuscript draft / critical appraisal report | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Tartışma, Soru-Cevap |
| 15 | Overall review | Reading | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Tartışma, Soru-Cevap |
| 16 | Term Exams | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Ödev |
|
| 17 | Term Exams | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Sözlü Sınav |
Student Workload - ECTS
| Works | Number | Time (Hour) | Workload (Hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Related Works | |||
| Class Time (Exam weeks are excluded) | 14 | 4 | 56 |
| Out of Class Study (Preliminary Work, Practice) | 14 | 4 | 56 |
| Assesment Related Works | |||
| Homeworks, Projects, Others | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Mid-term Exams (Written, Oral, etc.) | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Final Exam | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Total Workload (Hour) | 157 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 (h) | 6,28 | ||
| ECTS | 6 ECTS | ||