Syllabus
Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
APN 705 Online Research and Advanced Research Methods (Summer B 2021)
Credits - 3
Description
Advanced research methods and conducting online research will be examined. Appropriate use of qualitative and quantitative research design, methodology, data collection, and analyses will be emphasized. Topics include determining appropriate research design, population size, recruiting research participants, the use of valid and reliable measurement instruments to address research question(s), use of statistical software in analyzing and interpreting data, and presentation of research findings.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Program Outcomes
- Develop and utilize nutrition concepts and best-practices for nutrition and health promotion initiatives.
- Apply core research principles to measure the nutrition status and environment of individuals and communities.
- Interpret and modify explanations of complex nutrition concepts for various audiences.
- Research, develop and disseminate evidence-based and theory driven educational materials and work products at an audience appropriate level for topics related to nutrition and health promotion.
- Employ principles of ethics in social media as they apply to nutrition and wellness.
- Develop business assets for a competitive nutrition and wellness market.
Course Outcomes
- Compare various nutrition research methodologies, including strengths and weakness of each.
- Critically evaluate published nutrition research and recognize gaps in current knowledge.
- Apply ethical principles in the conduct of research and recognize research misconduct.
- Design a scientific literature supported proposal for an online research study.
Assignments
Research Bias: Due in week one. You will select recently published population-based observational human nutrition studies and evaluate for types of research bias in a short paper.
Dietary Assessment Methods: Due in week two. You will find three research articles that used a dietary intake assessment method as part of the research to study your selected topic for the course Key Assessment. You will analyze these studies to answer the questions in the assignment prompt in a short paper.
Consultation Call with Instructor: You will prepare for and complete two pre-scheduled phone calls with your instructor, one in week 3 and one in week 6. During that consultation you will discuss the first and second parts of the Key Assessment.
Key Assessment, Part One: Formulating the Research Question (Due in week 4): The purpose of the first part of this assignment is to formulate a research question designed to further the understanding of an applied nutrition topic of current interest. You will choose one food or nutrition health claim or popular belief from a provided list of topics. You will apply your knowledge of various research methods to evaluate and interpret peer-reviewed research papers and to identify gaps in knowledge related to your chosen topic. You will review a minimum of eight primary research articles related to your chosen health claim or common nutrition-related health belief, write a brief summary for each article and write the introduction section of a research proposal.
Informed Consent Agreement: You will draft an Informed Consent Agreement in week 5 for the online research study you are designing for Part Two of the Key Assessment. This will be a first draft that you will edit as needed and turn in again in week 7 with your online research study design.
Key Assessment, Part Two: Designing an Online Research Study (Due in week 7): With the ever-increasing role of the internet and social media in our professional lives, applied nutrition professionals must be prepared to take advantage of all of the opportunities these technological advances offer. The expertise to conduct ethical online research projects is a valuable tool for your career in the applied nutrition profession. The purpose of this part of the assignment is to design an online research study to answer the question that you formulated through part one. You will turn in your revised Informed Consent Agreement this same week.
Key Assessment, Part Three: Presenting your Research Proposal (Due in week 8): In the final assignment of the key assessment, you will create and deliver a proposal presentation designed for potential funders. Knowing how to effectively communicate your research proposal is an important skill. This assignment will help you develop the skills necessary to do so successfully. Your submission will be an 8-10 minute video recording.
Reflection Prompt/E-Portfolio: Due in week 8. You will review the work that you have done and select a piece to place in your Capstone portfolio. You will upload that piece and include a brief reflection.
Discussion Board:
You will be required to participate in discussions. Initial posts are due on Sundays, and responses are due by Tuesday. Please be sure to follow the individual directions provided with each Discussion Board Prompt, as the requirements may vary from Discussion Board to Discussion Board. Please review the late policy for discussion posts below.
Your success in the course relies on robust discussion, critical thinking, and peer response. Weekly posts responding to prompts posed are meant to facilitate a deeper understanding of the broader themes of the course as well as enrich the readings, handouts, and lectures. Your initial response should be no less than 400 words. Peer responses should be no less than 200 words and must be thoughtful, contain compliment as well as constructive criticism, and maintain a professional tone.
Specific statements about nutrition and health outcomes should be supported appropriately with citations of peer-reviewed research.
Furthermore, in regard to all assignments, please observe the following:
- All assignments must be completed using AMA formatting where appropriate.
- All times refer to Eastern Time (ET).
- All questions about assignments, and all questions in general should be sent through email.
Writing Statement
As professionals in the field, you will consistently be expected to clearly and concisely articulate advanced concepts for diverse audiences at a variety of educational levels.
Graduate students are expected to produce their best quality work, including screening their work prior to submission for clarity, grammatical, spelling, formatting and mechanical issues.
While there is often a portion of each assignment’s rubric dedicated specifically to grammar, spelling, mechanics, and formatting, it is critical to understand that failure to submit work that has been adequately proofed may result in a reduction of points in other areas of the rubric. These may include, but are not limited to metrics rating professionalism or content knowledge and synthesis; work submitted in graduate courses should provide evidence of strategic reading, writing, and academic speaking skills essential for success in the discipline.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Discussion Board (8 at 2.5 points each) | 20 |
| Student Syllabus Contract | 1 |
| Research Bias | 8 |
| Dietary Assessment Methods | 8 |
| Consultation Call with Instructors (2 at 5 points each) | 10 |
| Key Assessment Part One | 15 |
| Informed Consent Agreement | 8 |
| Key Assessment Part Two | 15 |
| Key Assessment Part Three | 10 |
| Reflection Prompt/E-Portfolio | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Schedule
Weekly Dates
Week One: June 23 – June 29
Week Two: June 30 – July 6
Week Three: July 7 – July 13
Week Four: July 14 – July 20
Week Five: July 21 – July 27
Week Six: July 28 – August 3
Week Seven: August 4 – August 10
Week Eight: August 11 – August 15
Module One: Introduction & Nutrition Research Using Human Subjects
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Summarize the various individuals, organizations, and institutions that conduct human nutrition research studies.
- Critically evaluate nutrition research studies that use human research subjects.
- Describe the importance, and challenges, of including different population groups in human nutrition research studies.
- Compare and contrast the strengths and limitations of the different types of population-based, and intervention study designs
Lectures
- Welcome to APN 705: Online Research & Advanced Research Methods
- Who Does Human Nutrition Research?
- Simple Learning Pro. Placebo effect, control groups, and double blind experiments [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMqrOdCx4Yg. Published November 25, 2015.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NHANES: Past, present, future [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=NHANES%3A+Past%2C+Present%2C+Future. Published December 30, 2015.
Readings
- Nutrition Research Methodologies textbook, chapters 1, 2, 3, 8
- Campbell H. Are Large Population Studies Worth The Cost? ACSH. http://www.acsh.org/news/2017/03/29/are-large-population-studies-worth-cost-10778. Published March 29, 2017. Accessed July 3, 2017.
- Ioannidis, JPA. Implausible results in human nutrition research. BJM: British Medical Journal. 2013;347:f6698-f6698. Read also the eight responses to the editorial found at http://www.bmj.com.une.idm.oclc.org/content/347/bmj.f6698/rapid-responses
- Satija A, Yu E, Willett WC, Hu FB. Understanding nutritional epidemiology and its role in policy. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). 2015;6:5-18.
- Arah OA. On the relationship between individual and population health. Medicine, health care, and philosophy. 2009;12:235-244.
Assignments
Research Bias
Discussions
Introduce Yourself
Module Two: Researching Food Composition, Dietary Intake, and Energy Expenditure
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate how to produce, manage and use high quality food composition data in a standardized way.
- Describe strengths and weaknesses of common dietary assessment methods in the context of particular populations.
- Propose appropriate dietary assessment methods for different research goals and study designs.
- Select daily energy expenditure assessment methods for subjects of varying age, gender and body size.
Lectures
- Assessing Diet & Physical Activity
- ILSI NA Tech Summit: Innovation Tools for Assessing Diet & Physical Activity for Health Promotion; November 30-December 1, 2016. La Jolla, CA. http://ilsi.org/event/tech-summit-innovative-tools-for-assessing-diet-physical-activity-for-health-promotion/
Readings
- Nutrition Research Methodologies textbook, chapters 4, 5, 6, 12
- NIH National Cancer Institute: Dietary Assessment Primer. NIH. https://dietassessmentprimer.cancer.gov/
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
Dietary Assessment Methods
Discussion
USDA Food Composition Study
Module Three: Investigating Food Related Behaviors, Nutrition Status & Body Composition
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Choose appropriate qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods protocols for investigating food-related behaviors considering demographic and psycho-social variables.
- Identify research methods, including statistical approaches to analyzing data, to accurately assess nutritional status in specific populations.
- Critically evaluate commonly used methods for assessing body composition in humans.
Lectures
- Developing methods to study nutrition status
- Choosing the best statistical methods to interpret your data
- See course for additional lectures
Readings
- Nutrition Research Methodologies textbook, chapters 9, 10, 11
- Elmadfa I, Meyer AL. Developing suitable methods of nutritional status assessment: a continuous challenge. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). 2014;5:590S-598S.
- See course for additional readings
Assignment
Consultation Call with Instructor
Discussion
Food waste
Module Four: Advanced Nutrition Research Methods
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Apply an understanding of the scope of omics research and methods in evaluating human nutritional research studies.
- Explain how epigenetics is related to public health issues impacting the U.S. population.
- Recognize how nutrient-gene interactions can be studied by researchers trying to better understand human nutrition and metabolism.
Lectures
- Advanced nutrition research methods (Dr. Falls)
- ILSI Global. ILSI NA: NIH Perspective on Personalized Nutrition [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1dVtuUmBoY. Published February 10, 2017.
- Szyf M. How early life experience is written into DNA Gene [Video]. YouTube. https://www.ted.com/talks/moshe_szyf_how_early_life_experience_is_written_into_dna. Published July 2016.
- See course for additional lectures
Readings
- Nutrition Research Methodologies textbook, chapters 13, 14, 15
- Odriozola L, Corrales FJ. Discovery of nutritional biomarkers: future directions based on omics technologies. International journal of food sciences and nutrition. 2015;66 Suppl 1:S31-S40.
- Gene Expression. Scitable by Nature Education. https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/gene-expression-14121669
- Elsamanoudy AZ, Neamat-Allah MAM, Mohammad FAH, Hassanien M, Nada HA. The role of nutrition related genes and nutrigenetics in understanding the pathogenesis of cancer. Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure. 2016;4:115-122.
Assignments
Part One: Formulating the Research Questions
Discussion
Personalized Medicine
Module Five: Ethics in Nutrition Research
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Outline the many ethical considerations that are a part of planning, conducting, and communicating nutrition research.
- Summarize the historical events that lead to the development of research ethics codes and policies.
- Recognize accepted and contested issues in online research ethics.
- Apply ethical codes and theories to your research design and plan.
- Draft an appropriate consent agreement.
Lectures
- Why Ethics Matter in Nutrition Research (Dr. Falls)
- SciShow. Human Experimentation: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRwWxELXakA&t=591s. Published September 18, 2013.
Readings
- Doing Qualitative Research Online textbook, chapters 4, 5
- Rucker RB, Rucker MR. Nutrition: ethical issues and challenges. Nutrition Research. 2016;36:1183-1192.
- 18th WMA General Assembly. Helsinki Declaration. World Medical Association. https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/. Published March 29, 2017.
- Golder S, Ahmed S, Norman G, Booth A. Attitudes Toward the Ethics of Research Using Social Media: A Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2017;19(6):e195.
Assignments
Informed Consent Agreement
Discussion
Ethical issues related to food, agriculture, and nutrition
Module Six: Designing online research studies
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Consider ways in which qualitative research approaches can use online communications for data collection.
- Demonstrate the importance of aligning the purpose of the study and the design elements.
- Compare and contrast characteristics of online communication tools.
- Assess options for online research settings.
Lectures
- Designing an online study that will answer your research question
Readings
- Doing Qualitative Research Online textbook, chapters 1, 2, 3, and 6
- Holloway I, Biley FC. Being a Qualitative Researcher. Qualitative Health Research. 2011;21:968-975.
- Kurtz LC, Trainer S, Beresford M, Wutich A, Brewis A. Blogs as Elusive Ethnographic Texts: Methodological and Ethical Challenges in Qualitative Online Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 2017;16.
- Chambers C, Etchells P. Fresh concern raised over academic conduct of major US nutrition and behaviour lab. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2017/mar/02/fresh-concerns-raised-over-academic-conduct-of-major-us-nutrition-and-behaviour-lab. Published March 2, 2017.
Assignment
Consultation Call with Instructor
Discussion
Study design feedback
Module Seven: Collecting data online
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Compare and contrast approaches to sampling and selecting participants or materials for online research.
- Distinguish between types of extant data.
- Describe and distinguish the different ways data can be elicited from individuals and groups.
- Consider the value of enacted data as compared to extant and elicited data
- Analyze ways in which different types of data can be used to achieve the study purpose.
Lectures
- Collecting the right data to answer your research questions
- Boles RE. Statistics for Survey Design: Solutions for Success [SNEB Webinar]. Society for Nutrition Education. https://vimeo.com/74374466. Published November 9, 2013.
Readings
- Doing Qualitative Research Online textbook, chapters 7, 8, 9, 10
- Nestler S, Thielsch M, Vasile E, and Back MD. Will they stay or will they go? Personality predictors of dropout in an online study. International Journal of Internet Science. 2015;10:37-48. http://www.ijis.net/ijis10_1/ijis10_1_nestler_et_al.pdf
- Hendrie G, Baird D, Golley R, Noakes M. The CSIRO Healthy Diet Score: An Online Survey to Estimate Compliance with the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Nutrients. 2017; 9:47. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5295091/pdf/nutrients-09-00047.pdf
Assignments
Part Two: Designing an Online Research Study
Revised Informed Consent Agreement.
Discussion
Online Survey Tools
Module Eight: Translation of Nutrition Research & Course Wrap-Up
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Compare communication channels that can be used to disseminate nutrition research results.
- Describe how the internet has transformed information exchange and nutrition communication.
- Assess the value of the various aspects of nutrition research covered in APN 705 for an applied nutrition professional.
Lectures
- The Value of Nutrition Research
- Shander B. Data Visualization Fundamentals [Video]. Linda.com. https://www.lynda.com/Design-Infographics-tutorials/Data-Visualization-Fundamentals/153776-2.html. Published 4/25/2014.
- Wrap-up to APN 705: Online Research & Advanced Research Methods
Readings
- Nutrition Research Methodologies textbook, chapter 20
- Drolet BC, Lorenzi NM. Translational research: understanding the continuum from bench to bedside. Translational Research. 2011;157:1-5.
- Field B, Booth A, Ilott I, Gerrish K. Using the Knowledge to Action Framework in practice: a citation analysis and systematic review. Implementation science : IS. 2014;9:172-172.
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
Part Three: Presenting Your Research Proposal
Reflection Prompt/E-Portfolio
Discussion
Importance of Nutrition Research to Applied Nutrition Professionals
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Applied Nutrition page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Applied Nutrition Database
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
In keeping with the requirements of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course and is available at both UNE libraries under the title "AMA Manual." Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in AMA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.