Understanding Clinical Papers

For two decades, Understanding Clinical Papers has been helping students and professionals understand the research that supports evidence-based practice. Now in its fourth edition, this popular introductory textbook covers every major aspect of reading and evaluating clinical research literature, from identifying the aims and objectives of a paper to analysing the data with different multivariable methods. Numerous excerpts from actual clinical research papers make learning real and immediate, supported by a unique visual approach that reinforces key points and connects examples with the chapter material. The fourth edition includes extensively revised content throughout, including four brand-new chapters covering qualitative studies, Poisson regression, studies of complex interventions, and research using previously collected data. New and updated material discusses the difference between clinical and statistical significance, the consequences of multiple testing and methods of correction, how topic guides are used to explore and explain participants' experiences, standardised guidelines for writing trials and reviews, and much more. Offering clear explanations of important research-related topics, this reader-friendly resource: Offers a clear, concise, and accessible approach to learning how to read and analyse clinical research literature Features new coverage of qualitative research, including descriptive studies, sampling and populations, and identifying, summarising, and measuring qualitative characteristics Provides new material on missing data, sub-group analysis, feasibility and pilot studies, cluster randomised trials, and adaptive trial designs Includes new tables, abstracts, and excerpts from recent clinical research literature Understanding Clinical Papers is essential reading for all healthcare professionals and students, particularly those involved in clinical work and medical research, as well as general readers wanting to improve their understanding of research literature.

For two decades, Understanding Clinical Papers has been helping students and professionals understand the research that supports evidence-based practice. Now in its fourth edition, this popular introductory textbook covers every major aspect of reading and evaluating clinical research literature, from identifying the aims and objectives of a paper to analysing the data with different multivariable methods. Numerous excerpts from actual clinical research papers make learning real and immediate, supported by a unique visual approach that reinforces key points and connects examples with the chapter material.The fourth edition includes extensively revised content throughout, including four brand-new chapters covering qualitativestudies, Poisson regression, studies of complex interventions, and research using previously collected data. New and updated material discusses the difference between clinical and statistical significance, the consequences of multiple testingand methods of correction, howtopic guides are used to explore and explain participants' experiences, standardised guidelines for writing trials and reviews, and much more. Offering clear explanations of important research-related topics, this reader-friendly resource:* Offers a clear, concise, and accessible approach to learning how to read and analyse clinical research literature* Features new coverage of qualitativeresearch, includingdescriptive studies, sampling and populations,and identifying, summarising, and measuring qualitative characteristics* Provides new material on missing data, sub-group analysis, feasibility and pilot studies, cluster randomised trials, and adaptive trial designs* Includes new tables, abstracts, and excerpts from recent clinical research literatureUnderstanding Clinical Papers is essential reading for all healthcare professionals and students, particularly those involved in clinical work and medical research, as well as general readers wanting to improve their understanding of research literature.

Preface to the First Edition viiPreface to the Second Edition ixPreface to the Third Edition xiPreface to the Fourth Edition xiiPart I Setting the Scene: Who Did What, and Why 11 Some Preliminaries 32 The Abstract and Introduction 83 The Aims and Objectives 15Part II Design Matters: What Type of Study Is It? 214 Descriptive Studies: Qualitative 235 Descriptive Studies: Quantitative 296 Analytic Studies 367 Intervention Studies 458 Mixed Methods Research 579 Studies of Complex Interventions 6010 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 6511 Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies 75Part III The Cast: Finding Out About the Subjects of the Research 7912 The Research Setting 8113 Populations and Samples in Quantitative Research 8514 Research Using Already-Collected Data 9015 The Sample in Qualitative Research 9516 Identifying and Defining Cases 9917 Controls and Comparisons 102Part IV Establishing The Facts: Starting With Basic Observations 10718 Identifying the Characteristics of Quantitative Data 10919 Summarizing the Characteristics of Quantitative Data 11620 Identifying and Summarising the Characteristics of Qualitative Data 12121 Measuring the Characteristics of Participants: Quantitative 12422 Measuring the Characteristics of Participants: Qualitative 13023 Diagnostic Tests: Measuring the Characteristics of Measures 13324 Measurement Scales 13825 Exploring and Explaining: Topic Guides 150Part V Establishing More of the Facts: Some Common Ways of Describing Results 15326 Fractions, Proportions, and Rates 15527 Risks and Odds 15728 Ratios of Risks and Odds 160Part VI Analysing the Data: Estimation and Hypothesis Testing 16729 Confidence Intervals for Means, Proportions, and Medians 16930 Confidence Intervals for Ratios 17631 Testing Hypotheses - The p-value 181Part VII Analysing the Data: Multivariable Methods 19732 Measuring Association 19933 Measuring Agreement 20634 Linear Regression 21135 Logistic Regression 22236 Poisson Regression 22837 Measuring Survival 23738 Analysing Qualitative Data 244Part VIII Reading Between the Lines: How Authors Use Text, Tables, and Pictures to Tell You the Story 24939 Results in Text and Tables 25140 Results in Pictures 26041 The Discussion and Conclusions 270References 274Index 282