Research Toolkit

Having been built with the intention of creating collaborative networks to better understand, prevent, treat and cure dermatologic diseases in children, PeDRA provides support for groups of two or more investigators collaborating on approved research studies (“PeDRA Studies”). This Research Toolkit includes an overview of the collaborative research process, an overview of the support that PeDRA provides at each stage, and links to external resources intended to help PeDRA Studies get off the ground and succeed. Click the links below to jump directly to a content section.

To connect with PeDRA’s research support offerings or learn more about the resources described, email PeDRA’s Research Programs Manager.

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Turning an Idea into a Study

A day in the life of a PeDRA investigator has no shortage of unique observations or novel ideas. Where things might get more challenging is in turning an idea or an observation into a hypothesis-driven research study, fruitful long-term registry, or meaningful case-series. PeDRA is here to help you make this transition, while also exposing you to promising new ideas from colleagues, patients, advocates, and industry partners.

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Building a Team

PeDRA wouldn’t exist if you could execute every study on your own. It’s important that studies are supported by teams big enough to collect necessary data on an appropriate timescale, and that they account for the expertise and resources (e.g. statistics) necessary to do a high-quality study. At the same time, it’s important to limit team size to minimize regulatory and administrative burden, control the complexity of correspondence and publication, and preserve continuity over lifetime of a project.

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Designing your Study and Setting a Timeline

Design your study, set goals, and establish a project plan to execute your study on a realistic timeline, without being overly ambitious. This will establish a foundation for your project and help you communicate with collaborators, funders, and other stakeholders. But be ready to adapt, evolve, and roll with the changes. Having a plan will help you identify and respond to course changes. Resist the urge to say you’ll do too much too quickly – it’s better for team morale and funder relationships to over-deliver on a reasonable promise.

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Getting Funded

While some projects can be done with little or no funding, this is rarely the case. Your project will have a better chance of succeeding with appropriate financial resources. Adequate funding will allow you to protect time for research, access the latest equipment and technology, and make your project a priority in the eyes of collaborators, institutions, and staff.

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Getting Regulatory Approval

When in doubt, assume that you need regulatory approval. Studies involving human subjects require IRB/REB (or equivalent) approval or exemption, and studies involving animals require IACUC (or equivalent) approval. PeDRA can help you understand your options and requirements, navigate institution-specific regulatory offices, and even help you prepare the paperwork.

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Gathering Data

The act of gathering data might seem simple and straightforward. You have eager collaborators and no shortage of subjects flowing through your clinic. But be careful! Plan ahead and test your processes so that the data you gather is clean, complete, and usable for the project you’re doing as well as secondary analyses in future. Work with your team to make sure processes are consistent and consult with expert statisticians early and often.

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Ongoing Communication and Dissemination

It’s important to keep collaborators, funders, and interested stakeholders connected and informed over the course of a study. This is even more significant in cases (like most PeDRA Studies) where study duration is long, collaborators are many, email inboxes are cluttered, and schedules are packed with clinic duties and multiple ongoing studies. PeDRA can streamline and centralize your efforts to communicate with necessary people and disseminate important events and outcomes. All you need to do is keep us up to date via brief phone calls or the occasional email.

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Data Analysis

Data analysis takes expertise, technical resources, and an appreciation for the audiences who will be interested in your methods and your outcomes. Consider the layperson, the peer-reviewer, the methods expert, the content-area expert, and the audience of your target journal. Avoid bias, stay transparent, and be responsible with your analyses even if what you learn may be surprising or contrary to your hypothesis. PeDRA can’t do your stats for you, but it is here to connect you with people who can (and to help you pay them) and can provide another set of eyes on your methods, results, and interpretation.

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Publication

Publications may arise multiple times over the lifetime of a project. PeDRA is here to streamline and support this process and to let the world know that your paper is out there by sharing on the PeDRA website.

Acknowledging PeDRA (papers, abstracts, posters, presentations):

To acknowledge PeDRA simply name “Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA)” in the acknowledgment (or funding, if applicable) section of an abstract, poster or paper, or on the final slide of a presentation.  When appropriate you are also encouraged to acknowledge your working group, project team, or specific individuals. Recommended language:

1. Financial Support
   • “This project was (partially) funded by a XXX grant from the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA).”
2. PeDRA Study
   • “This study/project/review was developed through multi-site collaboration supported by the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA).”
3. Presentation (poster, oral) at PeDRA Annual Conference
   • “This work was presented at the 20XX PeDRA Annual Conference.”
   • Please include a high-quality image of the PeDRA logo if space allows.
   • Download PeDRA’s Award Acknowledgement slide. (Available as a PDF here).

Spread the word about PeDRA and acknowledge our support publicly.  Investigators should acknowledge PeDRA whenever presenting results from PeDRA Studies, PeDRA Research Grants, or other projects that benefited from resources or opportunities made available by PeDRA.  This applies to all abstracts, posters, presentations, and papers.

View PeDRA’s Grants and Fellowship Communication Guidelines here.

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Identifying the Next Study

As long as patients and families are in need there will be a need for research. Use your experience conducting one study to launch into the next. Build on the strengths of your team, observations you made, new techniques you may have mastered, and regulatory and contractual arrangements you already have in place. Or go back to the drawing board and start fresh. Your connection to PeDRA will help ensure that your studies are part of an ongoing continuum that leads to the improvement of patients’ lives.

Last updated June 2021.