Research Ethics & Infant Feeding: How to Utilise the Four 'D's of a Brief Assessment
- Duration: 60 Mins
- Credits: 1 CERP, 1 E-CERP, 0.1 Midwifery CEU, 1 Dietetic CEU
- Handout: Yes
Abstract:
Research ethics institutions protect the rights, safety, dignity, and well-being of research participants, and also have a duty to ensure ‘good’ research. Conducting poor research is unethical, and there are many studies in the field of breastfeeding and lactation that have been challenged when published, simply because their findings and results are, at best, incorrect. Proper definitions, project design and industry conflict of interest are important factors, and these can be critiqued and challenged at the ethical review stage.
Participants will learn how to use the method of the '4 Ds of a Brief Assessment' to scrutinise the research questions, definitions of words used, disclosures and even the research methodology to decide if a study will have both scientific and ethical merit in the field of breastfeeding and lactation. If you are a donor, an applicant, a manager or a researcher you need to be aware of the process of ethical review of research protocols, the possibility of specialist review, and also of how to sift through published studies that have questionable study designs, and the findings.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the primary principles of research ethics and application of these, and how to review studies in the field of breastfeeding, lactation and infant feeding.
2. Explain how to use the '4 D’s of brief assessment’ to assess a research protocol or peer review published paper, and the importance of transparency of Declarations of Interests in research.
3. Describe the impact of the gap of participant enrolment in research as it pertains to pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the impact of this on our field literature.
