D H 350A: DENTAL HYGIENE RESEARCH & CAPSTONE PROJECT I

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading	Value
Effective Term:	Fall 2026
Units:	5
Hours:	5 lecture per week (60 total per quarter)
Degree & Credit Status:	Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE:	Non-GE
Transferable:	CSU
Grade Type:	Letter Grade Only
Repeatability:	Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

Develop a focused research topic by applying the PICO format to formulate clear, specific, and answerable research questions, as assessed through multiple weekly assignments, with an overall score of 75% or higher.
Write an introduction to a literature review that discusses the topic, problem, objectives, and research questions, demonstrating critical thinking, organizational skills, and academic writing, with a minimum score of 75% based on the grading rubric.

Description

First in the series of three courses, this course introduces students to the capstone research project, with a focus on identifying and developing an appropriate dental hygiene research topic. Students will explore diverse topics in dental hygiene research with the goal of aligning their project to their professional interests. Components of a scholarly review of the literature will be introduced, including literature search strategies, various study designs, and source evaluation. Students will also learn to formulate well-defined research questions and problem statements, applying these skills to writing the introduction of their chosen capstone project. Intended for students in the Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate Degree Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

Describe the purposes of conducting a scholarly review of the literature.
Describe the general topic areas for research in dental hygiene.
Develop a focused research objective appropriate for a capstone project.
Explain the PICO (problem, intervention, comparison, outcome) process for formulating a research question.
Explain the process for conducting a literature search using scientific databases.
Identify and describe the various methodologies/designs used in scientific research studies.
Describe the process for reading and tracking scholarly articles for a literature review/capstone project.
Describe the key components of the introduction of a narrative review of literature.
Describe the reference/citation styles used in scientific papers.

Course Content

Overview of literature review
1. What is a literature review?
2. Purposes of a literature review
  1. Multiple purposes
    1. Historical background
    2. Contemporary context
    3. Theoretical underpinnings
    4. Justification for further study
    5. Significance of a problem for research
    6. Definitions and discussion of terminology
3. Types of literature review
  1. Narrative review
  2. Systematic review
  3. Meta-analysis
  4. Scoping review
4. Steps in conducting a literature review
  1. Selecting a topic
  2. Searching the literature
  3. Gathering, reading, and analyzing the literature
  4. Writing the review
Selecting a topic
1. Identifying a general topic area
  1. Dental public health
  2. Dental hygiene education
  3. Basic science
  4. Oral health care
  5. Access to care
  6. Various dental hygiene career paths
  7. Choosing a research topic that aligns with professional interests
    1. National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda
      1. Areas of research
      2. Phases of research
2. Identifying a problem
3. Narrowing and broadening a topic
Formulating research objectives and research questions
1. The role and importance of research objectives and questions
2. Characteristics of well-written research questions
  1. PICO
    1. Patient problem
    2. Intervention
    3. Comparison
    4. Outcome
3. Steps in developing research objectives and questions
Conducting a literature search
1. Types of sources
2. Online databases
  1. Dentistry and Oral Sciences Sources
  2. PubMed/PubMed Central
  3. ScienceDirect College Edition
3. Keywords
  1. MeSH terms
4. Boolean operators
5. Limiting the output
  1. Applying filters
    1. Publication date
    2. Document type
    3. Language
    4. Text availability
    5. Study type
    6. Keywords
    7. Author-related filters
6. Strategies for finding relevant sources
  1. Developing a table
    1. Key concepts
    2. Related terms and synonyms
    3. Broader terms
  2. Citation chaining
7. Assessing relevance to the chosen topic
  1. Similarity of the target population, intervention, and study objective
Study designs
1. Quantitative research vs. qualitative research
  1. Purpose and approach
  2. Type of research questions answered
  3. Data collection method
  4. Data analysis approach
  5. Sample size
  6. Generalizability
2. Primary research
  1. Observational studies
    1. Cohort
    2. Cross-sectional
    3. Case-control
    4. Case report/series
  2. Experimental studies
    1. RCT (randomized controlled trial)
      1. Randomization
      2. Blinding
  3. Secondary research
    1. Systematic reviews/meta-analyses
    2. Narrative reviews
Reading and taking notes on scholarly articles
1. Approaching the article
  1. Reading with purpose
  2. Critical reading
  3. Reading strategy
    1. Techniques for reading efficiently
  4. Techniques of note taking
    1. Formats
      1. Annotation
      2. Pattern notes
Writing the introduction
1. Role of the introduction in a literature review
  1. Relationship to the full review
2. Structuring the introduction
  1. Broad to narrow structure
  2. Establishing the importance of the problem
  3. Discussing literature
3. Components
  1. Problem statement
  2. Research objective
  3. Research question
4. Citing sources properly
  1. In-text citations
  2. References
  3. Review of the NLM citation style

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

On-going access to a computer or personal device with internet. This course is taught online.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Quizzes
Discussions
Group/collaborative assignments
Written essay assignments
Writing the introduction
Reflections

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Online delivery of course content, including written and multimedia content
Written/annotated feedback on all assignments
Online discussions
Guiding discussions and facilitating the course throughout the term

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Galvan, J.L., and M.C. Galvan. Writing Literature Reviews, 8th ed.. 2024.

Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review, 2nd ed.. 2012.

Although the Ridley text is older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, it remains a seminal text in this area of study. The book is highly effective in engaging students and supporting their learning. Students frequently express that they enjoy the material and find it accessible, relevant, and directly aligned with the course content. Despite the publication date, the concepts and foundational knowledge presented remains highly applicable to what students learn in this course.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

Find an empirical research article or systematic review relevant to your topic. Answer the following questions
1. Example question: Is the scope of the review clearly defined, with a specific research question? Please explain
Critically analyze the selected article based on the provided criteria
Complete the "Researching a Topic" worksheet, addressing the questions regarding the process you followed to develop your research topic
Write the introduction to your literature review, incorporating a minimum of ten references. Your introduction should include a clearly defined problem statement, the research objective, and research questions

Discipline(s)

Dental Technology

Academic Catalog