Research activities and interests of dietetic educators

Dietetic educators need to conduct research for academic promotion and tenure, and they are often called upon to provide leadership for research in the profession. A study was conducted to develop a profile of the research productivity, skill needs, and research environment of dietetic educators. Questionnaires were sent to 854 full-time faculty members in coordinated, didactic (Plan IV), technician, and graduate programs in dietetics; responses were received from 354 (41%). More than one-fourth of respondents (26.2%) reported spending no time in research, while 29.2% spent 9 or more hours per week in that activity. Those with doctoral degrees, at the rank of professor, working in major research institutions spent significantly more time in research than did other faculty members. In the previous 5 years, 67.3% had written proposals and served as principal investigator for at least one study, and 58% had received research funding. Half had written research papers, and 65% had written other publications. Only 60.2% had presented research papers, but 74.8% had given other types of presentations. Nearly 75% of educators indicated interest in collaborative studies; more than half reported a need for skills in getting funded, generating statistics, and writing research protocols. Most educators had a personal interest in research, had access to computers, and agreed that research was both rewarded and essential for academic advancement. Only 15.2% agreed that research was financially or administratively supported, and 22.8% said that they were confused about the relative importance of research in relation to teaching and service. These findings provide baseline data for setting goals and making recommendations for further research involvement.