This 2 day workshop for H2MR was held at the University of Ghana, School of Public Health on May 28 and 29^th 2016.

It was well attended with 36 participants including researchers, doctoral and masters students, faculty and educators.

Day One

Founder and facilitator, Dr Amos Laar delivered the opening speech where he highlighted future workshops planned for H2MR.

The session began with Dr Amos Laar facilitating an engaging discussion on Basic Concepts and Methods in Research. Participants were actively engaged in thinking through the process of scientific research. Participants were able to ask questions and have meaningful responses from our able facilitators.

Dr Adolphina Addo- Lartey followed with a thorough discussion on Research Questions and Study Objectives. During this stirring discourse, participants gained hands on experience on how to write study objectives that are measureable, specific and directly related to the research questions under study. Participants came prepared with research topics and questions and therefore were able to work on their individual projects and interests.

Dr John Ganle facilitated the subsequent discussion on Problem Statement, Rationale and Justification for research studies. During this session, workshop participants were able to further define the problem statement of their individual research topics with the help of a highly trained and experienced facilitator.

Mrs. Helena Baidoo, from the Institutional Review Board of the world renowned Nogouchi Memorial Institute facilitated the discussion on ethical research standards and requirements. All participant questions about the ethical considerations for their research projects and any others were answered.

Our visiting speaker from the University of Sheffield, Dr Robert Akparibo facilitated the discussion on literature and systematic reviews. In a demonstrative and practical manner, he walked participants through the process of searching for literature in an effective systematic way. Participants with laptop computers were able to follow demonstrations on how to find journal articles and reference managing techniques and tools.

Day Two

Mr. Dwomoh Duah began the second day with a two hour in-depth discussion on Study Hypothesis, Sampling and Sample Size. This segment allowed participants to engage in actual sampling estimators and calculations. Discussions and calculations on power and its statistical significance in developing a research project.

Dr Tony Danso-Appiah followed up with a discussion on study design and its importance. Building on principles of epidemiology, he helped participants develop their knowledge further by working to design their research topics.

Dr Robert Akparibo delivered the last talk on Mixed Methods study design. This was especially helpful for participants who were interested in study methodic that combined two or more types of study designs.

Wrap-up and Adjourn

The 2 day workshop ended with certificates of participation and completion being awarded to each participant. Facilitators were given certificated and tokens of appreciation for their time and support. Dr Amos Laar concluded with a few words about the next workshop and HM2R’s future capacity building and mentoring opportunities.

Training Agenda for Workshop 1 (PDF)