reading and understanding research articles Flashcards
research articles vs media reports
media often oversimplifies, or misinterprets research findings; important study design factors may be missed, reading the primary research article allows for more informed evaluation
title & authors
provides main topic and research contributors
abstract
a 250 word summary outlining the research question methods results and significance
keywords
help index and make article searchable
introduction
explain research problem, background and objectives
methods
describe study design, data collection, statistical analysis
results
presents findings using text
discussion
interprets results, explains implications, and acknowledges limitations
conclusion
summarizes key findings and potential future research
references and supplementary data
cites previous research and provides additional materials
experimental study design
researchers test by treating one group and giving another group placebo
observational study design
researchers watch and collect data without manipulating anything
cohort study design
follows a group of people over time to see how different factors impact their health
case control study
looks at people who have cases already and compares to normal healthy individuals
single blind
reviewers know authors but authors do not know reviewers
double blind
authors and reviewers do not know each other
open peer review
authors and reviewers revealed post review
impact factor
measures a journals influence based on citations, higher IF = cited more frequently, IF’s should be compared across the field
article citations
reflect how often research is referenced by others
retractions
indicate flawed or fraudulent studies
alternative metrics
social media engagement and other metrics
