Critical Paper Analysis

Question 1

What is a CONSORT flow diagram?

Answer 1

Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials- a flow diagram of the process through the phases of a parallel randomised trial of 2 groups

Question 2

What is a CONSORT statement?

Answer 2

An evidence based minimum set of recommendations for reporting RCTs, comprises of 25 item check list

Question 3

Define validity

Answer 3

The extent to which a research instrument measured what it is set out to measure

Question 4

Define reliability

Answer 4

the extent to which measurements taken at different points in time or across different people remain stable and constant

Question 5

Define standard deviation

Answer 5

Measured the spread of data about the mean value

Question 6

Define standard error

Answer 6

measured the spread/variation of multiple means from multiple sets of measurements

Question 7

Parametric tests work on which assumptions?

Answer 7

• data follows normal distribution

- standard deviations are approximately equal

Question 8

What is Mann-Whitney Test used for?

Answer 8

Tests for the difference between 2 group medians of independent variables

Question 9

What is Wilcoxen signed rank test used for?

Answer 9

Tests for the difference between 2 group medians of related variables

Question 10

In scatter plots what is r?

Answer 10

r= correlation coefficient (-1 to +1) measured the strength and direction of a linear relationship

Question 11

In scatter plots what is R2?

Answer 11

R2= coefficient of determination (0 to 100) measured how well the regression line represents the data
ie 0: the model explains none of the variation
100: the model explains all the variability

Question 12

What is Chi2 Test used for?

Answer 12

tests for strength of association between 2 categorical variables