Three stages. In order.
Every Vault handbook moves through three stages before it ships. The stages are named below in the order they happen.
Research synthesis
Every chapter starts with a structured research synthesis pass.
- A topic-specific systematic literature search across primary sources
- Cross-referencing of clinical claims against multiple peer-reviewed studies
- Drafting of structured chapter outlines aligned to the ADIME framework
- Compilation of protocol summaries with documented effect sizes, gram-targets, and risk thresholds
The Stage 01 output is a structured working document. It is not the handbook. It is the raw material the dietitian then reviews.
Dietitian review
Every claim, protocol, and recommendation is read by a Registered Dietitian with working clinical knowledge of the domain before it reaches the handbook.
Review criteria:
- Clinical defensibility. Does this hold up at the bedside?
- Currency. Does this reflect 2025–2026 evidence, not legacy?
- Specificity. Are gram-targets, monitoring intervals, and risk thresholds precise?
- Edge cases. What does this miss?
Claims that fail review are edited or rejected outright. The reviewer's discretion is absolute. A handbook does not ship until it has cleared this stage.
Citation verification
Every citation is checked against the original literature before publication. Not a quick reference scan. The actual paper, opened, the relevant claim located, the magnitude verified.
This is the slowest part of the pipeline. It is also the part that catches errors that survive earlier stages. Where a citation cannot be verified to a primary source, the claim is removed.
Anchored to primary literature.
Every clinical claim in a Vault handbook is anchored to primary literature. Citations appear inline at the point of claim, not buried in a bibliography page.
Acceptable primary sources
- Randomised controlled trials, named by trial (STEP-1, REDUCE-IT, SURPASS-2)
- Meta-analyses and systematic reviews
- Clinical guidelines from professional bodies (ACC/AHA, ESC/EAS, KDOQI, ESPEN, NLA, AACE)
- Cohort studies of meaningful size
- Mechanistic literature where physiology is the claim
Excluded
- Textbooks, unless cited for definitional purposes
- Secondary review articles, unless landmark
- Opinion pieces and editorials
- Industry-funded studies without independent corroboration
The citation count for each handbook is published on its catalog page. The Hyperlipidemia handbook (Volume Nº 22) cites 47 primary sources. The GLP-1 handbook cites 47. The Oncology handbook cites 52. We list the count because the count is the work.
Quarterly review. Versioned editions.
Each handbook is reviewed on a quarterly cycle. When clinical guidelines update or significant new evidence emerges, the handbook is revised to a new edition.
For existing buyers
- Significant evidence shifts (new trial outcomes, guideline retractions, new approved therapies) trigger an email update with the key clinical takeaways, often before the next edition ships.
- When a new edition is published, existing buyers receive notification with a meaningful discount on the new edition.
- This way the catalog stays current without retroactive changes to the file already on your drive.
Edition numbering follows the format 2026.06 (year and month of publication). The current edition appears on every cover and on every chapter footer.
Small by design. Review depth over volume.
The Vault is led by a small team of Registered Dietitians with clinical practice experience and continuing professional education across the catalog's specialty areas. Editorial decisions, clinical positions, and review discipline are team-managed.
The team is small by design. We are not optimising for production volume. We are optimising for review depth. A handbook that ships every quarter, fully reviewed, is more useful than a handbook factory shipping monthly with thinner review.
Where specialist content sits outside the team's clinical scope, we bring in named specialists for review. Future handbooks involving paediatric, neurodevelopmental, or sports nutrition content will list the reviewing specialist by name and credential on the chapter that reflects their input.
The boundaries. Stated plainly.
We are explicit about the boundaries of what the handbooks are.
- The handbooks do not constitute medical advice. They are written for credentialled clinicians. They are not patient-facing materials except where clearly labelled. The Patient Handout pack within each handbook is the patient-facing layer.
- The work is verifiable. We publish the citation count, the chapter structure, and the methodology open for inspection. Pull any source. Check it against the original paper.
- We don't cover every edge case. Each handbook is built for the most common clinical reality. Edge cases are flagged as such, with referral pathways indicated.
- We don't claim every patient responds the same way. Every protocol is contextualised to subgroups (age, comorbidity, medication, life stage) where evidence supports stratification.
Methodology questions welcome.
Methodology questions, peer review interest, or specific clarifications. Topic suggestions for future handbooks go through the same email. Most of the catalog has come from real RD requests.
hello@thedietitiansvault.comLast revised 2026-05-08. The methodology evolves with practice. Versioned updates to this page are noted here when material changes happen.