PPHS Courses

A profound understanding of research methodology is a key requisite for conducting scientific research and for the critical assessment of research results. As in any field of science, the methods applied in Health Research evolve continuously and rapidly. This course provides the participating students with a basic overview of the state-of-the-art research methods commonly used in Health Sciences, hereby facilitating their understanding of research methodology as a whole. Through four …

‘Meet to Write’ is a tailor-made framework of ongoing short modules to support PhD researchers in developing their writing style and habits that will guide them towards the completion of manuscripts. ‘Meet to Write’ consists of compact independent modules of four weekly sessions structured as follows: theoretical part (expert input), focused writing, and (peer) feedback.

The majority of PhD holders leave academia and choose one of the many job options outside research. Many young scientists struggle with finding their own career path and they rarely take the time to reflect on what kind of work they would actually like to do, on what their values, interests and goals in life are. This is where this workshop comes in that covers the following topics: - Discovering …

PhD students at the Medical Faculty and the Swiss TPH must write a thesis proposal within the first six months after registration as a PhD student at the University of Basel. In support, PPHS offers a course in writing a PhD thesis proposal in collaboration with supervisors. The training focuses on the structure and process of proposal development leading to a successful submission.

Writing a scientific article is a systematic process that can be learned and improved with guidance and training. The course provides hands-on training, applicable to quantitative scientific papers. Participants are expected to bring the analyses of their own data. They will receive guidance on how to develop each manuscript section (e.g., Methods, Results, etc.), and how to avoid or correct common mistakes and pitfalls of scientific writing. Students also get …

Every week, 2-3 articles pertaining to one central epidemiological theme will be discussed. The sessions will feature articles selected by the lecturer or the students. A selection of articles may center around a common aspect of public health or the use of an epidemiological method. Students will direct the discussion and the other students participate in critiquing the articles for epidemiological issues (e.g. study design, analysis, writing, sampling). Furthermore, we …

This course provides students with an overview of, and guidance on, what constitutes Good Scientific Practice in Health Sciences, including code of good conduct, definitions of scientific misconduct, rules for authorship on scientific publications, plagiarism, and gender/cultural issues in scientific collaborations.

In this course you will learn to effectively communicate your own scientific ideas and results by applying best visual communication practices to your research communication. You will understand the principles and useful design approaches used by experts. You will get feedback on a selection of your figures, slides and posters submitted ahead of the webinar. In an exercise, you will draw a sketch of your research (a graphical abstract) and …

The end of your PhD is coming closer and you would like to clarify your career expectations like (i) Does it make sense for me to concentrate on an academic career? (ii) Do I want to become a professor? (iii) Are there alternatives to academia and what do they look like? | This workshop gives you the opportunity to reflect on different work areas, career types, and job profiles. You …

In this 2.5-day course, participants will generate a video clip about their research project. On the first day, students will be introduced to the steps of filmmaking and will then draft their first storyboard. In a second step, students will generate footage about their research. On the second day, the students will learn about film cutting and editing and will then apply this new knowledge to their own videos to …

Evidence-based decision-making requires a systematic review and appraisal of the currently available evidence. Systematic reviews as part of grant applications, clinical trial publications in high-impact journals, and ethical approvals do not just improve the chances of acceptance but are often a pre-requisite. This course offers a theoretical introduction to literature search methods, systematic review processes, and the conduct and interpretation of meta-analyses as well as practical hands-on training using a …

Communicating research results in international peer-review journals is a critical aspect of scientific education and work. Preparing manuscripts for publication is a key skill acquired during PhD training. Concise writing and careful journal consideration greatly increase the chance of successful academic publishing. This workshop provides background information and training on academic writing in the Health Sciences. Basic and advanced knowledge and skills that are critical for successfully and concisely presenting …