Project Description

The goal of the project is to work with peers in the class to analyze data to answer a population health question of your choosing.

The final product will be a structured paper typical of public health and population health peer-reviewed journals (roughly 3500 words, <5 tables/figures, 20-40 citations), with an Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion (IMRAD) structure. You will also have a presentation of your findings, either an oral or poster presentation akin to an academic conference.

This project will thus require developing some particular expertise in a population health topic; you will need to review the relevant literature of what has already been studied in this area and how your analysis contributes to that field.

You will have to hone further your ability to communicate your rationale and hypotheses, your methods decisions, your results and the broader conclusions and implications of those results for the topic you’ve chosen.

There will be smaller assignments due throughout the semester, often weekly, that will build to this paper and presentation at the end of the semester.

More details will be included here as the semester progresses.

Some relevant background for style and structure of writing for public and population health:

• Luby S, Southern D. The Pathway to Publishing: A Guide to Quantitative Writing in the Health Sciences. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Center for Innovation in Global Health, 2015.
• 11 steps to structuring a science paper editors will take seriously

Key Dates

• Mon 2/5: Group Roster
• Fri 2/9: Preliminary topics for Group Project
• Mon 2/19: Final Topic for Group Project
• Wed 2/28: Draft IRB Proposal/Project Proposal and Literature Review
• Fri 3/9: Final IRB/Project Proposal Application
• Mon 3/26: Draft Methods Section and Project Data Appendix
• Wed 4/4: Revised Methods Section and Draft Results
• Wed 4/11: Revised Results and Draft Discussion
• Wed 4/18: Revised Discussion and Draft Introduction
• Wed 4/25: Revised Introduction and Draft Abstract and Slides
• Mon 4/30: Project Presentations