This document outlines the key points that will be covered in the PHRM 523 lecture on biostatistics. It introduces the course objectives, which are to understand that biostatistics is relevant and useful, and to learn the statistical language. It then discusses the syllabus, communication processes, and questions that will be answered about research methodology, quantitative and qualitative research methods, how research questions can be confidently answered, the role of statistics in research, examples of different fields of statistics like biostatistics and pharmaceutical statistics, concepts of population and sample, and provides an example exercise on these topics.

1. PHRM 523
Lecture -1
Introduction to Biostatistics: an overview
of relevant concepts
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra,MBBS,MPH
Email: shuvra.gwu@gmail.com
Phone: 0171-41-33-937

2. Unwritten Course Objective
At the end of the course PHRM 523, you
should be able to say……
• Biostatistics IS FUN
• I can speak in statistical language
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

3. Housekeeping
1.Introduction to the syllabus
1.Objective of the course
2.Content
3.Assessment
2.Communication process – fill up the email
sheet
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

4. at the end of this session you will be able to
answer:
• What is the process of inquiry leading to
research? – the philosophy behind research
• How may research questions be answered?
• What are the types of inquiry approach ?- The
Quantitative and Qualitative research methods
• When can the answers be accepted?
• What is the role and process of statistics in
answering research questions?
• What is biostatistics and how is it used in
various disciplines?
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

5. Process of inquiry to research
• Question – Is there any difference in the
drugs produced locally compared to drugs
produced internationally?
• Answer - ……..
• Should I believe you? Why or why not?
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

6. Process of inquiry to research
• In ordinary daily life – we ask questions
• We seek answers
• Trust on the answer depends on several
issues; e.g.
o The person providing answer – authority
o Relationship with the person
o Logical statements made
o Response with flawless evidence
o Scientific process of analyzing the evidence
o Any alternative answers or explanation
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

7. Process of inquiry to research
• We usually ask the questions beginning
with –
o Who
o When
o What
o Where
o How
o Is
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

8. Basic Types of Research Method
• Quantitative research:
o Data in numerical form
o Data analyzed using statistical calculation
o Sample size is calculated
o Hypothesis tested
o Generalization is an objective
• Qualitative research:
o Data in words and phrases
o Data analyzed by subjective perspective
o Sample size calculation is not involved
o Hypothesis is generated
o Transferability is an objective
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

9. How may research questions be answered
confidently?
• Phrase the question properly: related issues
o Literature review
o Feasibility of exploring
o Measurable (for quantitative research)
o Operational definition
• Collect data or evidence properly: guaranteed
by
o Research design
o Measurement tool development
o Reliability and validity of the data collection
procedure
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

10. How may research questions be
answered confidently?
• Analyze data:
o Examine the data
o Use appropriate analysis technique(based
on)
 The nature of the data
 The research question
• Interpret results appropriately:
o Look at outputs from data analysis software
o Examine and interpret all the estimates
properly to answer the research question
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

11. Basic Types of research questions
1.Descriptive: Any research question that helps to
describe the status of something in numbers.
E.g. how much does a Paracetamol tablet weigh for
company A, company B, company C
2. Relational/differences: Research questions that
asks about relationship or difference between/among
some issues.
E.g. is there a relationship between the weight of
Paracetamol tablet and the onset of its action?
E.g. what is the difference between the mean weight
of Paracetamol tablets from different companies
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

12. Basic Types of research question
3. Causal: Any research question that asks
about issues causing a certain effect
E.g. does paracetamol help to relieve fever
and reinstate normal body temperature?
Any more examples?
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

13. What is the role and process of
statistics in research
• Statistics analyzes quantified and empirical
data to answer research questions.
• Most of the time analysis do not require
recognizing the disciplines from where data
came from.
• It only recognizes numbers.
• E.g. in data analysis - mean weight of tablets
and mean weight of potato sacs make no
difference. In statistical analysis the two
means are merely numbers
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

14. What is the role and process of
statistics in research
• So, statistical analysis help answer research
questions by analyzing numbers obtained as
data
• Different disciplines have slightly customized
use of statistics, likewise different branches of
statistics have been created: (example)
o Pharmaceutical statistics
o Biostatistics
o Agricultural statistics
o Business statistics ….etc.
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

15. Pharmaceutical statistics and its role
• The branch of statistics that analyzes
data from the discipline of Pharmacy
• Pharmaceutical Statistics can play a
role in
o Answering research questions
 For developing new drugs
 Quality assessment
 Consumer Market and practice
 Informing policy
 Anything else????
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

16. Why biostatistics?
• Biostatistics kind of harbors the element of
statistics and applies to any discipline that
has something to do with biological entities.
• Therefore, aside from some special issues of
pharmaceutical statistics (e.g.
bioequivalence) it is equivalent to
biostatistics.
• Common and basic skills from statistics can
be applied almost in any branch of statistics.
• The trick is to focus on the fundamental
elements of statistics and develop capacity
to use them in any branch.
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

17. Trying to answer research question: the concept
of Population & sample
• Population is the whole, everything that
you should be able to consider
• Sample is any part of the whole
e.g. Bangladesh has a population of 160
million = Population
100 People form any part of Bangladesh
is a sample (since 100 is a part of this
160 million)
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

18. Pictorial representation of population and
sample
Population
Samples
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra

19. Exercise
In the effort to try to develop a new anti
cancer drug a pharmaceutical called Android
wants to test a drug among cancer patients.
1.What question would you ask to figure out
the population?
2.What would be your population?
3.What would be your sample?
Another exercise/quiz example?
Muhammad Mizanur Rashid Shuvra