Lecture 2

Question 1

General considerations

Answer 1

What is the sponsoring agency? Does the journal have a stated purpose? Is there an editorial board (advisory board, editorial consultants not as good)? Does it have peer review? What kinds of papers are accepted (research, how-to, techniques, politics, opinions). Can you tell what kind of journal it is? Ratio b/w research papers and case reports or anecdotal reports. Are references cited consistently? Does it have a regular publication schedule? What is the cost of subscription (you should have to pay)? Advertising? How was the research funded? Does it have particular editorial viewpoint? Quality of writing?

Question 2

Impact Factor

Answer 2

Total number of citations to articles appearing in journal/total number of articles published.

Question 3

3 types of papers in primary journals

Answer 3

1. Research reports
2. Reviews of the literature to summarize knowledge in a particular area. Provides one author’s opinion on where we are on the topic.
3. Commentaries

Question 4

Research report

Answer 4

First person disclosure containing sufficient information to enable peers:
-to assess observations
-to repeat experiments
-to evaluate intellectual processes
The contents of the article should be new, true, important, and undertandable.

Question 5

Components of Research Report

Answer 5

Title, authors, date of submission/acceptance, abstract or summary, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion.

Does the title tell you the nature of the research?
Qualifications of authors (well konwn, evidence of training among them, affiliated with an institution)?
When was it published?
Was it superseded by more recent work?
Abstract (why it was doen, what was done, what was found, what was concluded).

Question 6

Intro

Answer 6

Is the problem clearly stated
Is review of current knowledge ballanced
Is the research question clear, hypothesis stated clearly or implied?
Are the measurement variables and other terms specifically defined (standard terms and measures, new measures introduced)?

Question 7

Materials and Methods

Answer 7

Is design clear, bias-free, taking into account variable influence
Is the design appropriate to test the hypothesis?
How was it funded (commercially funded issue)
Population studied? Are they detailed, valid?

Question 8

Results

Answer 8

Stats analysis appropriate for the data collected. Sufficient data presented in the way of tables or graphics?
Are tests used good for hypothesis?
Is there an overuse of stats tests to cover up data?

Question 9

Discussion

Answer 9

Are appropriate comparisons made with prior work?
Is fair assessment of the relevance of the work made?
Are some specifics given for the next steps?

Question 10

Conclusion

Answer 10

Clear? Warranted by results? Other possible explanations? Suitable distinction made between stats significance and clinical importance?

Question 11

Clinical Trial

Answer 11

Prospective study - choose an experimental population from a reference population. Diverge into treatment groups. Must be appropriately sized, randomized population. Double blind design, placebo as controls. Admin of testing agent closely controlled, long enough trial, specific endpoint, stat analysis is appropriate.

Very few studies have all of these things altogether. Proves cause and effect if down well.

Question 12

Longitudinal cohort studies

Answer 12

Prospective study (reference pop to experimental pop). 2 groups/cohorts. Looking for individuals that are identical as possible in every other possible part of life to compare the two. Groups are defined on basis of exposure to a suspected risk factor for disease. At start, subjects are free from disease. Subjects followed over a period of time to assess the occurrence of disease. After RCP (randomized), most effective.

Question 13

Case-control studies

Answer 13

“backwards” cohort. Subjects selected on the basis of whether they have a disease. Developed in 20th century when shift from acute to chronic disease occurred. Problem - remembering is different. Recall bias is this and it can really skew things. Suggests cause and effect (like cohort study), cannot prove.

Question 14

Descriptive and cross-sectional studies

Answer 14

Prospective study - from experimental population, we go to survey instrument, which branches to survey group 1 and 2. Prevalence surveys - snapshot in time. Disease and exposure assessed at the same time in a well defined group. May not be possible to distinguish whether exposure preceded or followed disease.

Question 15

Case reports and case series

Answer 15

Describe the experience of a single patient or groups w/similar diagnosis. An astute clinician observing a feature and reporting it. May lead to hypothesis formation.

Question 16

Case series

Answer 16

collections of individual case reports. Used as an early means to identify the beginning of a new disease/epidemic. Looking into activities of infected people. Tested by comparing those with and without disease in a later case-control study.