Research Methods

Catalog description

Review of different studies that utilize various nutrition research designs and data analyses. This course will provide information on how to evaluate the scientific literature and will promote the development of skills to enable students to identify the strengths and limitations of different types of experimental approaches (epidemiologic, etc.), individual studies, and a body of literature on a specific nutrition-related topic. The importance of generating hypotheses and testing them will be emphasized. The Bradford Hill criteria for evaluating a body of literature and making causal inferences will be utilized. In addition, development and use of the Evidence Analysis Library for making nutrition policy decisions will be discussed. The course will focus on major contemporary nutrition topics undergoing scientific inquiry. The review of a body of literature, as well as a single study in a practice setting will take place throughout the course. The knowledge gained in reviewing and critiquing the scientific literature will be applied to the preparation of a proposal for students' Capstone Project.