The design, implementation, and dissemination of
high quality research not only helps to advance the field of nutrition support,
it also promotes professional development, provides training and mentoring
opportunities, and contributes to the collaborative nature of nutrition support
research. Like most proficiencies, the ability to conduct high quality research
requires accumulation of a diverse set of skills that, when combined with
appropriate mentoring and collaboration, results in creativity, scientific
debate, and ultimately progress for the field.
The resources that are provided in A.S.P.E.N.’s
Research Toolkit are designed to encourage emerging investigators to skills
that are necessary to implement high quality research in nutrition support.
These resources are diverse, ranging from short articles on highly specialized
topics (e.g., randomization) in clinical nutrition research to extensive slide
sets that cover broader topics in study design and data analysis.
A.S.P.E.N. offers many resources that detail key
issues in nutrition support research. These issues vary from how to optimize outcomes
research to approaches that ensure a sufficient evidence base
underpinning nutrition support. The following reports provide a solid rationale
for the need to conduct high quality research, and offer a framework for designing
and implementing nutrition support research.
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August DA, Serrano D. Outcomes Research in Specialized Nutrition Support. NutrClinPract. 2007;22:602-608.
•
Braunschweig C, Lown D. Evidence-Based Medicine for Nutrition Support: An
Overview of the Process. NutrClinPract. 2007;22:599-601.
The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health offers
a wealth of online courses, lectures, and slide decks on numerous topics in
public health. A lecture series in nutrition provides an overview of some of the larger public health issues
in nutrition and nutrition research and may be useful to emerging researchers
in nutrition support. Course materials are available for food and nutrition policy and in issues related to international nutrition, including malnutrition and undernutrition.
The University of Southampton offers
an eLearning portal dedicated to
nutrition and public health nutrition learning.