Elements of Clinical Research in Psychiatry

Clinical research is often thought of as a dry and somewhat arcane
pursuit.

Not so, assert the editors of Elements of Clinical Research in
Psychiatry. The editors, all actively engaged in clinical research, bring this
topic to life by combining a boundless enthusiasm for their chosen field with a
depth of knowledge rarely seen in the literature. They show that clinical
research can be rewarding not only because the research results contribute to
improving the welfare of psychiatric patients, but also because the research
process itself is exciting.

Arguably the definitive guidebook on clinical
psychiatric research, this volume discusses Careers in clinical mental health
research-Describes what clinical psychiatric researchers do and how to get
started on this career path.

Research design, measurement, and
assessment-Covers all aspects of research design, defines and evaluates
measurement types, and details various assessment methods (from interviews and
questionnaires to lab tests and brain images).

Descriptive and
inferential statistics-Shows how statistics are used to analyze and summarize
measurement data.

Research support-Provides a roadmap for those seeking
research support in the U.S. (more than 90% is funded via NIH), detailing how to
write grants from the ground up.

Use of human subjects (the
Institutional Review Board [IRB]) and ethics and misconduct-Demystifies the
often intimidating process of seeking and receiving IRB approval, with tips on
how to work with the IRB and complete its consent forms; uses a series of
practical scenarios, including a highly publicized case of alleged misconduct,
to illustrate complex ethics and misconduct issues.

Writing journal
articles, reviewing manuscripts, and giving scientific presentations-Presents
the nuts and bolts of publishing journal articles; gives step-by-step advice for
reviewing manuscripts and giving oral presentations, symposia, poster sessions,
and colloquia.

Carefully chosen appendixes provide readers with
additional information they can use right away, augmented by an index and
detailed reference list for further investigation.

Anyone considering
clinical psychiatric research as a career option will find in this succinct and
eminently practical volume the single source they need. Practicing psychiatrists
interested in specific areas of clinical research, such as human subject use or
biomedical ethics, will also find much of interest here. Replete with useful
information, these stimulating discussions provide the building blocks for
embarking upon-and enhancing-a successful career in clinical psychiatric
research.