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A complete online version of this course will be available to a limited number of students on a first come, first served basis. Other students may choose to participate in any combination of in-person and online activities. Please note the online computer lab session will be held on Thursdays from 8:00 to 9:30 am (Pacific Time).

OBJECTIVES

Performing clinical research in the current era requires the use of computers, meaning a high level of competency in the use of database, spreadsheet, and statistical software programs. This course is designed to introduce you to these programs, prepare you for subsequent courses in the clinical research curriculum, and teach you the skills you will need to start exploring your own clinical research data.

The specific objectives of this course are to provide students with an introduction to:

• The roles of spreadsheet, relational database and statistical software packages such as STATA in analyzing clinical research data;
• Using STATA for importing, cleaning, managing, describing and analyzing clinical research data;
• Applying concepts from other TICR courses using STATA and Excel; and
• Applying these skills to analyzing data from your own research project.
  
  

PREREQUISITES

None.

FACULTY

FORMAT

Both an in-person, online, and hybrid versions of the course are offered. The online version will feature the exact materials as the in-person version, with content being delivered through online recordings of the weekly lectures as well as online web conferencing for computer lab sections. The online version also features the same access to course faculty for discussion and questions as the in-person version.

1. Lectures: Tuesdays: 1:15 - 2:45 pm, July 31 to Sept. 11. Lecture recordings will be available online later in the day. To determine if you have sufficient bandwith to view online lectures, please visit our demonstration site.
   
   
2. Computer Labs: The purpose of the computer labs is for students to have access to course faculty for questions as they work the weekly material. Students may elect to attend the in-person or online sessions or a combination of both.
   A. In-person Labs: Tuesdays: 3:00 - 4:00 pm, July 31 to Sept. 11.
   B. Online Labs: Thursdays 8:00 - 9:30 am (Pacific Time). Note: a high-speed internet connection is required.
   

SOFTWARE AND TEXTBOOKS

Required:

STATA 12 (or prior version)
The statistical software package Stata (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas) is used in the program. This software package is required for the course. We strongly recommend that you purchase a personal copy of this program and bring a laptop to all lab sessions. Along with wireless Internet access, the computer lab at China Basin has a very limited number of computer terminals that may be used during labs. You can also get access to STATA in the Technology Commons computer lab on the 2nd floor of the library at Parnassus (using your mail@UCSF, UCare, or your staff computer credential). The lab sessions will be much less useful, however, if you cannot actually work on the assignments during the lab, so make every effort to bring your laptop with Stata loaded.

Microsoft Excel
Widely available including on all UCSF library computers and China Basin terminals.

Optional:
Some students find it is helpful to have an additional reference resource. these books are not required but might be useful.

Getting Started with Stata - Stata Press, 2011. This manual comes with your purchase of STATA if you get the Base Stata Documentation Set.

A Visual Guide to Stata Graphics by Michael N Mitchell. Stata Press, 2012. Useful reference for creating figures.

An Introduction to Stata for Health Researchers by Svend Juul & Morten Frydenberg. Stata Press, 2010. Nice overview and instruction on many basic topics.

Books may be purchased either through the publisher or a variety of commercial venues (e.g., Amazon.com).

GRADING

Grades will be based on the Lab assignments and the Final Project. Lab assignments will be due by the start of lecture the following week, and should be emailed to the course email address at either Biostat212_section1@yahoo.com or Biostat212_section2@yahoo.com. Labs turned in <1 week late will receive half credit; after that, no points will be awarded. The Final Project, a Table and Figure created from your own data, will count for about half of the roughly 320 total points possible for the course, and will be due on 9/18/12.

Students must hand in all six labs (even if late), must complete a satisfactory Final Project, and must receive at least 80% of the total number of points assigned during the quarter to receive a Satisfactory (if taking Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) or B (if taking for a letter grade) in the course.

Students who satisfactorily pass all course requirements will receive a Certificate of Course Completion.

ENROLLMENT

APPLICATION

Partial scholarships may be available, upon justification, to scholars residing in countries with low income or lower middle income economies as defined by the World Bank. If you believe you are eligible for a scholarship, please send a justification of less than one page to Olivia DeLeon at olivia@epi.ucsf.edu. In the justification, include the country in which you reside, your current income, and your access, if any, to educational funds from local institutions. Please also send your curriculum vitae (CV). Note that the scholarship does not include cost of textbook, any software, or any local costs associated with accessing a high-speed internet connection.