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Research Fundamentals for Ophthalmology Residents and Clinical Fellows Toolkit

This toolkit is a sharable curriculum on key topics of relevance to performing research in Ophthalmology and Vision Science. The content is compiled from publicly-available websites, YouTube, individual member departments and organizations (AAO, ARVO), and is targeted primarily at residents and clinical fellows.

A. Believing What You Read
Fundamental issues in scientific publishing – what to consider when performing research, submitting results for publication, and evaluating published works

B. Critically Evaluating the Literature
Best practices when critically reading published manuscripts - use of established checklists and norms, identifying strengths and weaknesses, credibility and inherent bias

A. Responsible Conduct of Research
Principles for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in peer-reviewed journals

B. Developing the Research Plan

Generating Research Questions
Stepwise approaches to understand the literature, identify unanswered questions and ascertain if questions can be answered in a practical way

Study Design
Understanding different study methodologies and differences between observational, experimental, qualitative, and systematic review studies; application in appropriate selection of study design for a research question

Special Considerations for Population Health Research in Ophthalmology
Topics relevant to population health research

C. Execution of the Plan

IRB Survival Tactics
Principles of IRB organization, mission, review process; guidelines for protocol formulation, submission and interactions with IRB

Funding Your Research Ideas
Resources and approaches to identify appropriate funding sources and crafting a successful grant application

D. Data Analysis

Biostatistics: Research Methods in Ophthalmology
Understanding biostatistics, utilization of appropriate tools and interpretation of data to obtain clinically and statistically meaningful outcomes

Working with Big Data in Ophthalmology
Definition of big data; current examples of application in Ophthalmology; how to access, organize, and secure it; potential utilization in eye care in the future

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ophthalmology
Definition of artificial intelligence; current examples of application in Ophthalmology, how it is used to build algorithms and understanding of ocular diseases

A. Principles of Good Research Presentations

Writing a Compelling Abstract
Principles of crafting a competitive conference abstract

Making and Presenting a Poster
Role of a poster presentation; principles for designing and presenting a communicative, succinct and effective poster

Composing and Giving a Talk
Guidelines for how to create a good PowerPoint presentation; how to prepare for delivering an engaging and effective oral presentation

B. Developing a Publishable Manuscript

Writing a Clinical Paper/Book Chapter
Information and guidelines on how to write and publish effective clinical articles and book chapters

Writing a Good Scientific Paper/Book Chapter
Information and guidelines on how to write and publish an effective scientific article

A. Clinician-Scientist Career Path
Information, resources, advice and reflections on the challenging career path of clinician-scientists

B. Industry Interactions and Intellectual Property
Information regarding intellectual property and fostering industry-university relationships

C. Getting the Most Out of Professional Conferences
Guidance on what to expect, how to plan, and how to strategically participate in a conference to maximize the experience

ARVO Learn (Member-only Access)