Class Research Methodology I

The Research Methods I course aims to introduce students to the methodological, statistical and ethical foundations of scientific research applied to nutrition and health. In a context where clinical practice must be increasingly supported by scientific evidence, it is essential that future nutritionists develop skills that enable them to understand, interpret and produce quality research. Throughout the course, the main research methods will be addressed, from the formulation of problems and hypotheses to the development of scientific projects, the use of international bibliographic databases and the critical analysis of literature. Special emphasis will also be given to ethical issues in clinical and nutritional research. This course is a pillar of academic and professional training, enabling students to apply science in the service of health and clinical nutrition.

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1. Research Methodology 1.1. Stages of the research process 1.2. Structuring and developing a scientific project 1.3. Formulating research problems and hypotheses 1.4. Types of study 1.5. Bibliographic research strategies (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) 1.6. Scientific writing: standards, citations, and bibliographic references 2. Statistical Analysis 2.1. Review of biostatistics concepts (variables, sampling, representativeness) 2.2. Descriptive statistics (means, medians, frequencies, dispersion) 2.3. Hypothesis testing (parametric and non-parametric) 2.4. Notions of regression and correlation applied to clinical research 2.5. Presentation and interpretation of results (tables, graphs, critical discussion) 3. Ethics in Clinical and Nutritional Research 3.1. Fundamentals, principles and concepts 3.2. Ethical challenges in clinical practice 3.3. Informed consent and confidentiality of participant data

The course will be taught through theoretical and practical classes, encouraging active student participation in the learning process. To this end, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Case-Based Learning (CBL) methods will be used to stimulate critical analysis, knowledge integration and the practical application of content to real and simulated clinical nutrition situations. This pedagogical model promotes the development of scientific and cross-cutting skills, such as problem solving, informed decision making, teamwork, and scientific communication skills.

Hulley, S. B., Cummings, S. R., Browner, W. S., Grady, D., & Newman, T. B. (2013). Designing Clinical Research (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Field, A. (2017). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). London: SAGE Publications. Greenhalgh, T. (2019). How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine and Healthcare (6th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. World Medical Association (2013). Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2194. Conselho Nacional de Ética para as Ciências da Vida (CNECV). (2018). Parecer n.º 98/CNECV/2018 – Investigação clínica em Portugal: desafios éticos e regulamentares. Lisboa: CNECV.