PH 122/QBS 129 Survey Methods

This course will approach the topic of survey methods from the perspective of how professionals working in healthcare and public health encounter and work with survey data today. Students will learn the basic principles of survey methodology including question development and sampling strategies to produce the best data possible. Students completing the course will also be equipped with the ability to critically evaluate the methodology and findings reported in both lay and scientific forums. Emphasis will be placed on identifying meaningful trends and patterns in the data to be able to support effective policy planning, program monitoring and generating hypotheses for future studies. In addition to learning the foundational principles of survey development, students will be expected to analyze and interpret existing data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and do so using Excel Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts – the tools most commonly used in the public health workforce. Students will be given weekly assignments that will illustrate the didactic concepts using real data. At the end of the course, students will be given policy-relevant questions that they will need to be able to answer on their own using BRFSS data.

1.0 Dartmouth units; (HP, P, LP, NC) This course is cross-listed with QBS 129.

*Core Requirement for MS

Prerequisites: PH 139, PH 140 (P or HP)

Offered: Winter - Tuesday 10:15 am - 11:55 am

Instructor

Christine Gunn