Lesson 5 - Research/Literature

Question 1

Why is reading forensic literature important?

Answer 1

Crucial to developing expertise within a scientific discipline
Keeps you up to date with advances in your area of expertise

Question 2

List the 6 types of forensic research.

Answer 2

Method validation
Case reports
Literature reviews
Retrospective case reviews
Reactive research based on current landscape
Prospective research

Question 3

What is method validation?

Answer 3

The process of providing objective evidence that a method, process or device is fit for the specific purpose intended.

Question 4

What is a literature review?

Answer 4

A comprehensive summary of the currently available knowledge in a particular area

Question 5

What are retrospective case reviews?

Answer 5

Historical reviews of groups of cases that share a new or unusual condition or trait

Question 6

What is reactive research?

Answer 6

Performing research to answer a qusestion in reszponse to an issue of current relevance to medico-legal investigators

Question 9

What is prospective research?

Answer 9

Anticipation of future needs

Question 10

What is a scoping review?

Answer 10

Used to determine the scope of published literature on topic and to provide an overview of its focus

Question 11

What is a systematic review?

Answer 11

Uses explicit, systematic methods that are selected with a view to minimizing bias, thus providing more reliable findings from which conclusions can be drawn and decisions made

Question 12

What is a meta-analysis?

Answer 12

The statistical process of analyzing and combining different results from multiple studies to identify overall trends

Question 13

Outline the review process

Answer 13

What are the questions?
Literature search and strategy
Data collection
Inclusion/exclusion criteriaz
Meta analysis

Question 14

List the different types of published journal articles.

Answer 14

Case report
Short communication
Full research article
Technical note
Review
Invited review

Question 15

When do short communications tend to be used?

Answer 15

when not enough time to go through extensive peer review but need to get critical info out

Question 16

What is a technical note?

Answer 16

Research ab out a specific element of a larger issue

Question 17

What is an invited review

Answer 17

Leaders in field asked to collab on a review

Question 18

Outline the peer review process

Answer 18

Author submits article to journal
Journal editor screens paper
If accepted, reviewed by two independent reviewers
Editor assessment of reviews then either makes revisions, rejects or accepts

Question 19

How long does the peer review process take?

Answer 19

Can take 2+ months depending on length of article

Question 20

What are some general questions to ask when reviewing a paper?

Answer 20

Does the title accurately reflect the content?
Is the abstract accurate?
Are the key words relevent?
Does the paper have a logical conclusion?
Is the study design valid?
Is there enough detail in the methodology so you could recreat the study?
Are the results accurately depicted in any tables/graphs?
Are the conclusions supported b y the data?
Has the author cited pertinent and only pertinent lit?
Is the lit cited accurate?

Question 21

How do you determine the impact factor of a journal?

Answer 21

Total number of times its articles were cited during previous 2 years
divided by
Total number of citable articles in the same journal during those 2 years

Question 22

What is a good impact factor? Excellent?

Answer 22

Good: 3
Excellent: 10

Question 23

Why don’t forensic journals ofcten have high impact factors?

Answer 23

Niche en vironment
Traditionally less focus on publishing and research

Question 25

Outline a benefit and con associated with open access journals.

Answer 25

+ = broader n etwork for research t\o get oujt
- = opens door to predatory publishikng