Medicine - Critical appraisal
The high yearly production of medical literature results in difficult decision: which of the many studies should we trust? The aim of the course is to equip you with knowledge and skills to critically appraise methodological quality of an article.
Learning outcomes:
After attending this course, you will able to:
- Answer key questions about any article: What is this paper about? Is its study design sensible? Does it contain systematic biases? Does it use correct statistical analysis?
- Critically appraise primary studies, such as experimental (basic) research, randomized clinical trials, cohort-studies
- Critically assess secondary studies, such as systematic reviews and clinical guidelines
- Find literature and web-sites that can help you critically appraise medical literature
Recommended previous knowledge: Basic knowledge and understanding of the scientific method and statistics.
Working methods
Presentations, demonstrations and practical exercises in a computer lab. You will be asked to read a few articles in advance. These will be discussed in the practical part of the course.
Target group
PhD-students, master students and other interested in the topic at the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Dentistry at University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital.
Teacher
Senior academic librarian / PhD in Medical biology