Nutrition and Food Sciences: Intro to Research Methods

Basic introduction to research methods at the Master's level, including formulation of a research question and hypothesis, literature searching and preparation of a literature review, analytical methods and experimental design, data analysis and presentation, and journal article publication.

Open to degree and PACE students

This course provides training in the principles and practices of research in nutrition and food science. Students will learn to develop researchable questions, evaluate existing literature, design ethical studies, and communicate findings effectively. Special emphasis is placed on the role of emerging tools—including artificial intelligence—in shaping research design, literature reviews, data collection, and knowledge dissemination. Students will critically engage with both traditional and AI-enabled methods to produce research designs and concepts suitable for graduate-level thesis or dissertation work.

Develop researchable questions and design ethical, rigorous studies. Conduct comprehensive literature reviews, with and without AI assistance. Assess the opportunities, limitations, and biases of AI tools in research design, analysis, and scientific writing. Communicate research effectively to academic, policy, and community audiences. Develop a research design suitable for thesis or dissertation development.