Essentials of Clinical Research

ISBN: 9781402084850
ISBN-10: 1402084854
Copyright: 2008
Edition: 1st
Editor: Glasser, Stephen P.
Doody's Expert Review    Score: 80
Reviewer: James Torner,  PhD, MS  (University of Iowa College of Public Health)
Description
This book provides a framework for clinical research and an overview of the current clinical research environment. While it has a methodological orientation, chapters address application of these methods in the career development of clinical research scholars.
Purpose
The purpose appears to be to present an overview, the design, the analytical issues, and the application of clinical research. As the title suggests, it provides the essentials for clinical researchers in developing a successful career. In general, this book provides that beginning.
Audience
The book will be useful for clinical fellows, young clinical faculty, and clinical epidemiologists. Readers don't need a background in statistics or epidemiology to learn from and understand the design, methods, and issues presented. The editor and authors have expertise in career development and understand the scope needed for successful clinical research.
Features
The first of the book's four sections section focuses on history, concepts, and design. The second describes research methods. The third section presents statistical issues, and the fourth addresses getting external input and producing output of clinical research. This book does a better job than others in the field of putting clinical research in context. For example, it describes study design in the realm of knowledge or treatment development and evaluation, as well as in terms of the FDA. Excellent chapters on clinical research design, placebo effects, and implementation research are well presented. A little more discussion of the development of research ideas and appropriate analysis methods would make this book more complete.
Assessment
Instead of just another in the growing clinical research library, this book is unique in the contextual framework that clinical scholars need. It would provide a great start for those interested in a clinical, academic career. I would recommend it for introductory clinical research courses or for clinical programs that don't have courses that are interested in training clinical academicians. The unique aspects of this book make it different from the rest and worth reading.
Review Questionnaire
Range Question Score
1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 8
1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 10
1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5
1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 3
1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4
1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 4
1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? 3
1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. 3
1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. 3
1-5 Are there sufficient references? 5
1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 4
1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. 4
1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 4
1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book 4
1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 8
1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? N/A