Overview
This Advanced Training Course aims to equip students with essential skills for conducting quantitative research in health and pharmacy practice, with a particular focus on studies that assess the impact of pharmaceutical interventions or public health initiatives within the context of primary healthcare. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Identify an appropriate theoretical and conceptual framework for a research study, defining hypotheses and expected outcomes;
- Select the most suitable study designs to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in pharmacy practice, including those focused on the responsible use of medicines;
- Recognize the state of the art in a specific area of scientific knowledge through literature reviews and corresponding critical appraisal;
- Use primary and secondary data sources, performing data extraction, quantitative analysis, and acknowledging their limitations;
- Understand patient-reported outcomes, and identify and use questionnaires and other data collection tools to assess various health outcomes, including the validation and cultural adaptation of such tools;
- Communicate and disseminate research findings effectively, using different platforms and tailoring the message to various target audiences.
This course is therefore designed to prepare participants to address the challenges of advanced quantitative research in health and pharmacy practice, contributing to scientific progress in these fields.
It is primarily intended for PhD students and researchers in the fields of health sciences, medicine, nursing, and pharmaceutical sciences.
Coordination:
Filipa da Palma Carlos Alves da Costa Azevedo e Silva, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon
Afonso Miguel das Neves Cavaco, Full Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon
Collaborations:
This course will feature contributions from various experts from other institutions, including:
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal
- Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Faculty for Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck, Austria
- Lisbon School of Health Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon (ESTeSL-IPL), Portugal
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Legislation:
Programme
This course will run from March 13, 2026 to April 4, 2026, on Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (GMT time) and will be entirely distance learning (e-learning).
The course has a total of 32 training hours, which are equivalent to a total of 6 ECTS.
The training hours are distributed as follows:
- Theoretical training hours: 16 hours
- Practical hours: 16 hours
- Tutorial hours: 06 hours
- Independent study hours: 130 hours
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This course addresses quantitative methodological approaches applied to health research, including their use in evaluating the impact of pharmacy services or services under development.
The focus will be on quantitative studies, including both observational and experimental designs, using primary as well as secondary data. One component of the course will concentrate on the statistical analysis of different types of quantitative data. Another component, more focused on primary data, will cover the development of various tools for data collection, such as questionnaires administered to individuals or checklists used for observing behaviors.
The course will also explore different methodologies for conducting literature reviews and critical appraisal, as well as scientific writing.
All supporting materials, including presentations and recommended readings, will be made available two weeks in advance, allowing participants to prepare adequately for the topics to be discussed. During the live sessions, time will be optimized for discussions on the practical application of concepts to ongoing projects and for exercises designed to consolidate the knowledge acquired.
The course is structured into seven modules (one of which is longer) and will be taught in English, featuring contributions from several lecturers from renowned higher education and research institutions.
Teaching Methodologies
TEACHING METHODOLOGIES:
The primary teaching methodology will consist of lectures delivered by internationally renowned experts. Each lecture will have a maximum duration of 40 minutes, followed by 20 minutes dedicated to interactive discussion and/or practical application of the concepts introduced. Depending on the topic, the practical component may focus on refining research questions, data analysis using SPSS, information retrieval in PubMed, critical appraisal of articles, development of questionnaires or checklists, and briefing-debriefing activities.
LEARNING AND THE SKILLS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE STUDENT:
Throughout the course, the focus will be primarily on developing research skills in health services, including critical analysis of the literature, formulation of research questions and anticipation of limitations, discussion of methodological options, and skills for data collection and analysis.
EVALUATION METHODOLOGY:
Students will be assessed individually, although some of the proposed tasks may be developed in groups.
The first assessment will take place during the first week and will contribute to the final grade. Students will be asked to deliver a brief presentation of their proposed research project, during which possible quantitative approaches to the project or its components will be discussed.
At the end of the course, students will be required to submit a written assignment (maximum of 5 pages), as well as an oral presentation. Through reflective practice, students will be expected to reconsider their initial research question in light of the methodologies explored during the course. This reflection may include a justified argument for the inapplicability of any quantitative technique to the specific project. This component will account for 40% of the final grade and requires a significant amount of independent study time.
Students will be provided with a selection of methodological articles to choose from, which they will analyze critically in groups. This component will contribute 20% to the final grade.
There will also be an online written assessment in the form of a Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ), which will carry a weight of 40%. The final grade may be adjusted by up to ±10% based on participation throughout each course or across both courses.
If students take only one of the two courses, the first component will count for 20% and the MCQ for 60% of the final grade.
Application
Application period:
1st phase: November 1 to November 30, 2025
2nd phase: January 15, 2026 to February 15, 2026
Course start and end date: from March 13, 2026 to April 4, 2026
Admission requirements:
Integrated Master’s degree in Health or equivalent
Scientific areas or specialization:
Pharmacy Partner
Selection and ranking criteria:
For selection and ranking purposes, the final course average, the doctoral specialization area of the applicant (for doctoral candidates), and the current research area (for researchers) will be taken into consideration.
Minimum number of trainees: 08
Maximum number of trainees: 30
Fees and tuition:
Application fee: €10 (Note: the application fee will not be refunded if the candidate is excluded or not selected).
Course fee: 500€ , 250€ for PhD students from other universities.
School Insurance: 2,10€
Note: FFUL doctoral students who wish to take the course as part of their compulsory 1st year curricular component are exempt from paying the application fee and the Course Fee.
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Application Process:
Applications for the course are made exclusively through the FenixEdu Platform of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon (FFUL).
Access to the FenixEdu Platform:
- If you have never been a student at FFUL you must pre-register on the FenixEdu Platform.
- If you are a former student of FFULisboa and have already had an account campus@ulisboa or @edu.ulisboa.pt you should access the FenixEdu Platform and authenticate yourself with your account data. If you have lost access to your account, you can recover your password in the ULisboa users area.
- If you are a former student of FFULisboa and have never had an account campus@ulisboa or @edu.ulisboa.pt you must send an email to cncg@ff.ulisboa.pt indicating your full name and ID document number.
Access the FenixEdu Platform.
- On the tab “Candidate”, choose the type of application: “Advanced Training Courses”, select the desired course.
- Fill out the online form and attach all the required documents in digital format. In the application process you can indicate whether you want the invoice to be issued in the name of another entity/company/institution.
- Select the “Submit” option.
Applications will only be validated by the Academic Services once the applicant has paid the Application Fee.
Contacts
For information regarding the application process and the course organization, please contact the Academic Office: doutoramentos@ff.ulisboa.pt
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