All scientific research in the health sciences should have a proposal or work plan that answers a particular research question. We recommend that the dental school faculty observe the following steps:

1. Notify the Office of the Assistant Dean of Research.
   
2. Consult the Research Proposal Guidelines.
   
3. Obtain the guidelines established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other pertinent guidelines.
   
4. If your research involves human or animal subjects. Submit proposal and informed consent forms to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Committee or the Institutional Animal care and Use Committee (IACUC).
   
5. Consult the guidelines of the journal to which you will submit the article for publication.