Critiquing and Evaluating Health Literature and

Manuscripts

Topics to be discussed

• Evaluation of Research and Scientific Literature.

• Critique published researched in Nutrition

Elements of a Research Critique

• Determine the purpose of the study

• Research Design

• Presentation of literature review relating to the problem/ research question.

• Research questions and Hypotheses

• Study Sample

• Data Collection

• Study Results

• Analysis of Results

• Study Recommendations

• Study Conclusions

Study Purpose

• Is the purpose/ objective of the study clear?

• Is it relevant to your field of study?

• Is there a need for this study in literature

• Will the study improve or impact health practices/ polices and add to the existing body of knowledge?

Research Design

• What was the study design which was implemented?

• Is there a framework/ theory which guides the study?

• No framework?- Are you able to identify how data will be collected?

• Who is being studied and why are they being studied?

• Is there a planned strategy for conducting the study?

Literature Review

• Is the literature review presented comprehensive? (Usually seen in the background/ introduction)

• Is the literature review current? (within the last 5 years of the article published)

• What are the sources of information? (primary or secondary)

• Is the literature review well organized, including a introduction and a summary?

Research Question/ Hypothesis

• Is the research question clearly stated within the body of the text?

• Does it match the purpose of the study?

• Does the hypothesis describe all variables of interest?

• Is the hypothesis clearly stated?

• Does the hypothesis mirror the purpose of the study?

Study Sample

• Who is identified as the target population?

• How were the subjects/ participants chosen (randomly, conveniently)?

• What was the inclusion and exclusion criteria?

• What was the final sample size for the study?

Data Collection• What steps were taken to collect the data?

• How often and for how long was data collected for?

• What tools or instruments were used to collect the data?

• Are the tools/ instruments valid and reliable?

• Are the tools/ instruments described in sufficient detail?

• Was the statistical analysis procedures appropriate for the study?

Study Results and Analysis

• Is the research question/ hypothesis answered?

• Were there any strengths of the study?

• Were there any limitations of the study?

• Can any generalizations be made from the results presented?

• Are the results supported by the literature?

• Were there any unexpected findings from the study?

Study Recommendations and Conclusion

• Are suggestions for further use in practice/ policy included?

• Is there an identified need for further research?

• What are the benefits to using the information learned?

• Is the conclusion stated clearly and related to the purpose of the study?

What is STROBE?

• Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE)

• It is a checklist of items which should be addressed in articles reporting on observational studies (Cohort, Case-Control and Cross-Sectional Studies).

• Used to provide guidance on how to report observational research well.

• It is not used to report on clinical/ trials, diagnostic studies nor meta-analysis studies

STROBE Components

• Title and Abstract• Introduction

– Background/rationale– Objectives

• Methods– Study Design– Study Setting– Participants– Variables– Data Sources– Bias– Study Size– Quantitative variables– Statistical Methods

• Results– Participants– Descriptive Data– Outcome Data– Main Results– Other Analyses

• Discussion– Key Results– Limitations– Interpretation– Generalizability

• Other Information– Funding

STROBE CHECKLIST

Additional Information

• STROBE Statement- http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/11/07-045120.pdf

• STROBE Checklist- http://www.strobe-statement.org/fileadmin/Strobe/uploads/checklists/STROBE_checklist_v4_combined.pdf

• Developing a Framework for Critiquing Health Research- http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/2981/1/Developing_a_framework_for_critiquing_health_research.pdf