40 Questions
The title of a research paper should be technical enough to only be understood by specialists.
False
The corresponding author is responsible for the study design and data analysis.
False
The IMRAD format includes only three components: Introduction, Methods, and Results.
False
Reviews and case reports typically have structured abstracts.
False
The abstract should be a detailed summary of the entire paper.
False
The author(s) section typically lists only the primary authors of the paper.
True
Financial support is not typically mentioned in a research paper.
False
The title page is the last section of a research paper.
False
An abstract is a detailed summary of a research article.
False
Abstracts are only published together with the research article.
False
The abstract should be written in a highly technical language.
False
An abstract should be divided into multiple paragraphs.
False
Abbreviations and citations are allowed in the abstract.
False
The introduction of a research paper should be limited to a single paragraph.
False
The introduction should not summarize the relevant literature.
False
The Materials and Methods section should not provide enough information to repeat the experiment.
False
The Methods section should include the results of the experiment.
False
A diagram or table can be used to explain the methods used in the experiment.
True
The Results section should discuss the implications of the findings.
False
It is necessary to include all the data collected during the experiment in the Results section.
False
The Discussion section should highlight the most significant results.
True
The Discussion section should only repeat what has been written in the Results section.
False
A conclusion section of a research paper should reiterate the data or discussion.
False
Ethical considerations should be mentioned in the Methods section.
True
The acknowledgement section of a research paper is used to acknowledge the authors of the paper.
False
Preliminary results can be included in the Methods section to explain the design of the main experiment.
True
A case control study is a type of study where patients who already have a specific condition are compared with people who are healthy.
True
Systematic reviews are a type of study that involves a collection of reports on the treatment of several patients.
False
CINAHL is a type of online database used for bibliographic searches.
True
The abbreviation 'et al.' is used to refer to a single author.
False
A case series and case reports are a type of study that involves a control group.
False
Randomized, controlled clinical trials are a type of study that involves a systematic review of the literature.
False
A systematic review is a type of study that randomly assigns exposures and follows patients forward to an outcome.
False
A meta-analysis is a type of study that reviews, assesses, and summarizes the results of multiple studies according to predetermined criteria.
True
A literature review is a type of study that randomly assigns exposures and follows patients forward to an outcome.
False
The studies in a systematic review are reviewed, assessed, and summarized according to the predetermined criteria of the review question.
True
A controlled study randomly assigns exposures and follows patients forward to an outcome.
True
In a meta-analysis, the results of multiple studies are combined using accepted statistical methodology.
True
Sample questions for evaluating a study include whether the study's aim has been clearly stated and whether the conclusions are logical.
True
A systematic review and a meta-analysis are the same thing.
False
Study Notes
Structure of a Research Paper
- A research paper typically follows the IMRAD format: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion
- The title page includes:
- Title: specific enough to describe the paper's contents, but not too technical
- Author(s): primary authors, with remaining authors reviewing the work or aiding in study design/data analysis
- Corresponding Author: full name and affiliation for the primary contact author
- Financial & Equipment Support: specific information about organizations/agencies/companies that supported the research
Abstract
- A "structured abstract" is standard for research papers, including introduction, objective, methods, results, and conclusions
- Non-structured abstracts are used for reviews, case reports, and other articles
- The abstract should be a summary/synopsis of the paper, 1 paragraph, 100-250 words
- Avoid abbreviations and citations in the abstract
Introduction
- Sets the scene/background for the paper
- Summarizes relevant literature to understand why the question was asked
- Ends with a sentence explaining the specific question asked in the experiment
Material & Methods
- Explains how the question was answered
- Includes enough information to allow another scientist to repeat the experiment
- May include diagrams, tables, or flowcharts to explain methods
- Avoid including results in this section
Results
- Presents the findings, using graphs and tables if appropriate
- Summarizes main findings in the text, but avoids discussing the results or speculating why something happened
Discussion
- Highlights the most significant results, relating them to the original question
- Does not repeat what was written in the Results section
- Explains why the results are relevant and what further research is needed
Conclusions
- Does not reiterate the data or discussion
- Can state hunches, inferences, or speculations
- Offers perspectives for future work
References
- Complete citations for any articles or materials referenced in the text
- Uses "et al." for sources with multiple authors
Study Design
- Case series and Case Reports: collections of reports on treating several patients or a single patient
- Case control studies: compare patients with a condition to those without
- Cohort studies: follow patients forward to an outcome
- Randomized controlled clinical trials: randomize exposures and follow patients to an outcome
- Systematic Reviews: identify, appraise, select, and synthesize high-quality research evidence
- Meta-analysis: combines results from multiple studies using statistical methodology
Evaluating a Study
- Has the study's aim been clearly stated?
- Does the sample accurately reflect the population?
- Has the sampling method and size been described and justified?
- Have exclusions been stated?
- Can the results be replicated?
- Are there confounding factors?
- Are the conclusions logical?
- Can the results be extrapolated to other populations?
Learn about the IMRAD format and the structure of a research paper, including introduction, methods, results, and discussion. Understand the components of a scientific paper.
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