Definition and Scope of Epidemiology

Abstract

Epidemiology is a methodological discipline offering principles and practical guidelines for the creation of new quantitative evidence about health-related phenomena. Its aim is to contribute to knowledge in support of clinical medicine and community medicine. Epidemiological research uses scientific methods, in which empirical evidence is obtained from a study population to make inferences about a target population. In this chapter we first establish a definition of epidemiology and describe the wide scope of epidemiology in terms of its subject domains, types of research topics, types of study designs, and range of research activities that occur from a study’s inception to its publication. Since epidemiology concerns both ‘scientific studies’ and ‘particularistic fact-finding investigations,’ we further orient the reader to the scope of epidemiology through a discussion of these. We then introduce general epidemiological principles that health researchers should continuously keep in mind during the planning, gathering and presentation of the empirical evidence. All of these topics are pursued in more depth in the chapters that follow.

I’m not sure there is a bottom line…. Continued discussion and dialogue on these important subjects, a whole range of subjects, is important.

John Snow