How to Set Up a Clinical Research Project: Analytical Science vs. Anecdotal Evidence

To discover the cause of a disease or to decide if a new treatment is effective requires using scientific method. Anything short of critical evaluation leaves the potential for recommending an ineffective treatment or applying an incorrect diagnosis and subsequently the wrong treatment. Proper clinical research takes time, and frequently appropriate financial support and technical resources are needed. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts to solving these problems, and our scrutiny in evaluating new ideas must be as vigorous as our search for them. Authors’ addresses: Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, VMRCVM-Virginia Tech, P.O. Box 1938, Leesburg, Virginia 201771938 (White); and Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, USDA:APHIS:VS, 555 South Howes St., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (Kane). © 2001 AAEP.