Why do I want to do research''' ''' and what types of research are there ASNEMGE YIM Course Vienna 1

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Why do I want to do research...... and what
types of research are there?ASNEMGE YIM
CourseVienna 18-04-2008

• Prof Reinhold W. Stockbrugger
• Emeritus Professor Gastroenterology, University
  Maastricht/NL
• Contract Professor, University Ferrara/I
• Editor Eur J Gastroenterology Hepatology/UK
• reinholdstockbrugger_at_gmail.com

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Target group of this presentation

• the PhD student to be, clinical or non-clinical
• the ones, who want to try research
• the ones, who are obliged to do research
• with preference the curious, who want to do
• it well from the beginning

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Why do I want to do research?

• I need the Nobel Prize to buy a red Ferrari
• My teachers inspired me
• I want to do something for mankind
• I cannot get a clinical training job without
• doing some research for my boss
• Mama has done it
• I always wanted to know why
• I am shy, I hate patients

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and what types of research are there?
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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (1)

• The in vitro experiment
• is Coca Cola more bactericidal at 37 C than at 2
  C?
• do probiotics influence the normal faecal flora?

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (2)

• The animal experiment
• Are rats more sensitive to bowel distension
  (after
• xylitol ingestion) when kept awake unnaturally
  long?
• closer to man, but still far from man
• only necessary when the question cannot be
  answered by in
• vitro or human studies

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (3)

• Human studies
• observational (descriptive) studies (Crohn)
• b. epidemiological studies (Crohn again)
• c. interventional studies (Crohn, indeed!)

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (3a)

• Human studies, observational
• physiology
• how much abdominal gas pre- and post-prandially?
• pathophysiology
• in IBS, more gas pre- and postprandially?
• more than in normals? (comparatative)
• clinical description
• is the gas production different in D-IBS, C-IBS,
  and A-IBS?

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (3b1)

• Human studies, epidemiological
• field observations
• small differences discovered by large numbers
• (aspirine and colorectal cancer)
• aetio-pathogenesis
• risk factor detection (obesity and colorectal
  cancer)
• (deduction)
• (environmental, genetic population-based)

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (3b2)

• Human studies, epidemiological
• retrospective
• (nested cohort studies)
• prospective

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (3c)

• Human studies, interventional (inductive)
• Nutritional, pharmacological, surgical,
  psychological, social
• Pilot or proof of concept vs. controlled
• Various types of controls

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (4)

• literature studies
• general, frequently leading to review articles
• good at the start of a research
• meta-analysis, a research method on its
• own good at the end of a research period
• (Cochrane)

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What type of research shall you choose? (1)

• It will depend on
• your character and background
• the career you plan
• the rules in the institution or faculty
• your boss
• chance
• The Swedish forests the girl from Genova

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What type of research shall I choose? (2)

• A logical example
• a review of a problem
• an epidemiological study
• several intervention studies
• a meta-analysis in one of your intervention
• areas

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Teacher, laboratory, institute

• Nowadays you cannot research on your own
  (certainly not in
• the beginning!)
• Read everything from your potential teachers
  see them, listen
• to them at meetings, try to meet them (and some
  staff) at their
• institution meet some (future?) fellows
• look at the general standard of the institute
• the first research project may become the
  decisive step in your
• professional career!

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My research is it worthwile?

• You might invest your time, money, pleasure,
  marriage, alternative career thus consider the
  importance of your research plan for yourself and
  for the rest of the world!
• If you have decided for research, avoid
• duplication
• ethical conflicts
• issues of marginal impact for patients and
  health
• (Is the honey of the Company A better for
  general health
• than the honey of Company B?)
• however, dare to test the crazy hypothesis
• if you can find some intellectual (and economc)
  support!
• Believe in surrendipity!

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Please help me!

• I believe that the increasing prevalence of
  obesity is responsible for the increasing
  incidence of IBS in the Western world.
• Please, design study proposals apt to test (or
  contest) this null hypothesis

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Types of Research in Gastroenterology and
Hepatology (2)

• The prospective intervention study
• (does laparoscopic cholecystectomy give more
  hepato-biliary complication than conventional
  approach?)
• (is low-molecular heparin useful in moderately
• active ulcerative colitis?)
• The search for scientific evidence
• (overview, review, meta-analysis)

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My research is it worthwile?

• You might invest your time, money, pleasure,
  marriage, alternative career thus consider the
  importance of your research plan for yourself and
  for the rest of the world!
• If you have decided for research, avoid
• duplication
• ethical conflicts
• issues of marginal impact for patients and
  health
• however, dare to test the crazy hypothesis
• if you can find some intellectual support!YIM
  What type of research is for you?