Lecture 4 Flashcards
(27 cards)
What factors should guide the selection of a journal article topic?
Clinical relevance, novelty, gaps in literature, personal interest, and feasibility.
What are key considerations when forming a research team?
Reliability, complementary strengths, shared goals, work ethic, and communication.
What are the pros and cons of solo vs team research?
Solo: full control, credit, but high workload and risk of bias.
Team: shared workload, triangulation, but requires coordination and trust.
When is ethics approval required?
Any research involving human/animal subjects, including surveys, interviews, case studies, and clinical trials.
Which studies do NOT require ethics approval?
Literature reviews, editorials, commentaries, and biographies.
What are key steps in the ethics approval process?
Submit to institutional Ethics Review Board (ERB), justify methodology, ensure consent, protect confidentiality.
What is a conflict of interest (COI)?
Any situation where personal or financial interests may bias research outcomes.
Why must COIs be declared?
To maintain transparency and research integrity.
What is an Impact Factor (IF)?
A metric reflecting how frequently a journal’s articles are cited over time, indicating its influence.
What are limitations of using IFs?
They can be manipulated (e.g. through self-citations), and do not necessarily reflect quality.
What are the main stages of developing a journal article?
Topic/team selection → Ethics approval → Data collection → Manuscript writing → Submission → Peer review → Publication.
What are the key sections of a journal article?
Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Limitations, Conclusion, References.
What factors should be considered when selecting a journal?
Scope, audience, impact factor, open access policies, turnaround time, submission fees.
Why is pre-selecting a journal before study design helpful?
It ensures the study aligns with journal expectations for format and methodology.
What are the four possible peer review outcomes?
(1) Accept, (2) Minor Revisions, (3) Major Revisions, (4) Reject.
What happens during peer review?
Experts evaluate the manuscript’s quality, validity, clarity, and contribution to the field.
What is a double-blind review?
Both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.
What is a Letter to the Editor (LTE)?
A public response to a published article, often to commend, correct, or criticize.
What are key elements of a case study design?
Patient history, clinical presentation, assessment, diagnosis, management, outcomes, and discussion.
What format is commonly used for case studies?
Structured Abstract (Intro, Presentation, Management/Outcomes, Discussion, Summary).
What are strengths of case studies?
Clinically relevant, exploratory, cost-effective, hypothesis-generating.
What are weaknesses of case studies?
Lack of generalizability, no control group, high risk of bias, cannot infer causality.
What distinguishes a systematic review from narrative and literature reviews?
Systematic reviews use predefined methods and inclusion/exclusion criteria, often registered (e.g. PROSPERO). Narrative/literature reviews are more flexible and subjective.
What is a literature review?
A summary of existing knowledge, often grouped by theme.
