The aim of this unit is to establish a context for study in the field of public health intelligence through an analysis of current principles and approaches to issues of health care development and research. This unit enables students (and practitioners) with the opportunity to become confident users of public health evidence, being able to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and analytical abilities to carryout rigorous collection, evaluation and analysis of public health data, and to integrate the resulting evidence with that derived from other sources, in order to answer public health questions and contribute to policy-making and decision-making that ultimately bring change in public health practice.