As college students continue to navigate a constantly changing world shaped by data, research and international health impacts, the MSU Global Health Institute is launching a new course to help students better understand the evidence and research they see around them.
Introduction to Global Health Research Methods is a new, asynchronous online course that is available to all MSU undergraduate students. Created by Global Health Studies program faculty Dr. Andrea Freidus Turner, Dr. Qing Xia and Dr. Rene Hinjosa, the three-credit course aims to give students foundational knowledge on the various research methods used in global health program decision-making, research, and informing policy. While the course has a focus on health-related concepts, the lessons and topics discussed can extend far beyond those fields.
"When we were designing this class, we had in mind students who had an interest in health broadly speaking," said Dr. Andrea Freidus Turner, one of the course developers. "Anyone who's interested in research methods ... this really is that. It gives students a chance to understand where our information comes from, how we collect data in a variety of ways on a variety of topics."
Throughout the semester, students learn how to evaluate research studies from a range of academic fields, along with identifying strengths and weaknesses in different research designs to determine not only if the methods being used are the best for that study, but also if the evidence in that study supports its own claims. This is a critical thinking skill, Dr. Freidus Turner believes, is becoming more important in an era of increasing potential for rapid misinformation spreading.
"What we're trying to do is have students look at the articles that they're reading. Look at the news stories that they're ingesting. What data supports these arguments? Is it good data? Is it good research?"
The course emphasizes the importance of these skills by using real-world case studies on global health issues, which can help students connect the topics they learn in the classroom to what they see in their everyday lives.
"These are stories you're going to see," Freidus Turner said. "Understanding where that story comes from is really important."
Another major focus of the course is on the importance of ethical responsibilities that come with conducting research. One concept in particular, decolonizing research, encourages direct collaboration with the communities being researched rather than simply observing and studying.
“What we want is to write with [research subjects] and to research with them," Freidus Turner said.
Furthermore, Introduction to Global Health Research Methods incorporates artificial intelligence as a tool students can use during the course. Rather than discouraging AI use entirely, students are taught how to evaluate AI-generated content and use AI models in a responsible and ethical way.
"The reality is for AI, we are going to expect people to use it the same way we expect them to use Google or PowerPoint or Teams," Freidus Turner said. "What we need to do is teach students how to use it responsibly."
While the course is particularly valuable for students pursuing careers in health care and international development, Freidus Turner believes its skills are applicable across disciplines.
"It will help you think critically and question things in all aspects of your life.”
OST 451: Introduction to Global Health Research Methods, is open to all MSU undergraduate students, with initial classes beginning in the Fall 2026 semester.
