NitN: Sources NUT11

Nutrition research is frequently presented in the news. Sometimes the information is contradictory to
other articles, so which should you believe? The overarching purpose of this group of assignments is
for you to investigate and think critically about how the news interprets and reports nutrition science.
You may find that the news correctly reports the outcomes of a scientific article; however, you may
also find that the news either misinterprets or drastically overemphasizes the size or importance of
the reported results.

Step 1: News Source. Find a nutrition or physical activity-related news article from an online news
source within the last five years (e.x. BBC News, New York Times, Washington Post, etc). The
news article must be referencing a specific original research article that investigates how a
component of nutrition or physical activity affects any health or performance issue. Blogs and news
articles that summarize research on a topic are not suited to this particular assignment and cannot be
used. Please do not use articles relating to smoking, steroids, or other drugs—these aren’t nutrition.
Make sure you save the URL for your source and take a capture as well! You will need to provide
this information on Canvas.

Tip: To take a capture of a webpage, right-click and select print. Then under your printer
options, choose “Save as PDF.”

Step 2: Original Research Article (ORA). In the news article, note any keywords that might help
you locate the specific research being reported on. Helpful pieces of information would include
things such as the author’s name, article title, journal title, health or performance issue, or predictor
variable. If you are lucky, the journalist will provide either a link to PubMed within the text or a full
citation at the end of the news article. Go to PubMed and use the keywords you identified to find and
open the PDF of the original research article. This can be tricky sometimes so please get the help of
a TA if needed. Save this PDF because will upload this it to Canvas.

Step 3: Review Article. The purpose of this source is to provide additional insight into the topic that
you are reporting on. This information could include information such as whether the information
presented in the news and research aligns with the prevailing opinion within the scientific
community, if there is another explanation for the results presented, potential safety considerations,
or answer any other questions that you may have about the topic.

To find a review article, search PubMed using keywords such as the influencing factor and health or
performance issue then filter your results for a review article. Picking an appropriate review from
your search results will require a little thought and you will probably have to read the abstract from a
few different reviews. Once you have chosen a review article, read the pertinent parts of the article
and note any evidence that supports, refutes, or furthers the information in your news article and
original research article. Save this PDF for uploading onto Canvas.
 NitN: Sources NUT11
Step 4: Complete the Sources worksheet and upload it on Canvas! Also, in the comment box, copy-
paste the URL to your news article AND upload a screen capture of the full news article. Lastly,
upload full-text PDF copies of the original research and review articles.