Information for new researchers
Overview
Professor Brian Draper
Deputy Director Dementia Collaborative Research Centre—Assessment and Better Care
Professor (Conjoint), School of Psychiatry University of NSW, Sydney, Australia
There are a number of issues to consider if you are intending to undertake clinical dementia research. The first issue to address is the actual research question that you want to address. For novice researchers one way of identifying potential gaps in the literature is to consult the Dementia Research Mapping Project. This was revised by the DCRC in 2010 and provides a comprehensive summary of the state of play of dementia research.
Having decided on a particular research question, the second issue you will need to consider is the design of your study and here the involvement of a biostatistician in the early phases of your project may save you a lot of time later. It is also wise to consult experienced research colleagues about your intended project and perhaps workshop your ideas in a laboratory meeting. The DCRC holds monthly laboratory meetings where ‘work in progress’ – be it at the planning stage or in a later phase – can be workshopped in a friendly meeting.
A third issue is the involvement of people with dementia and their carers in the project development in planning as well as implantation stages. Alzheimer’s Australia has a Consumer Dementia Research Network that would be pleased to assist you in this.
All research has to be undertaken in an ethical manner. If you have any concerns about how to deal with ethical issues such as privacy, informed consent and the running of clinical trials some information is available on the NHMRC website. You should also consider talking with the secretariat of your local Human Research Ethics Committee if there are any specific concerns relating to your project.
