Why Reading Research Papers Matters

Introductory

Before we delve into the specifics, we will reflect on why reading research papers holds such significance. Research papers serve as the cornerstone of academic discourse, encapsulating the collective knowledge, discoveries, and innovations within a field. By understanding evidence based research we can gain access to a wealth of information, insights, and perspectives.

While reading through research papers is beneficial, engaging in a critical review is where true value lies. A critical review entails more than just skimming through the content; it involves analyzing the methodology, evaluating the evidence, scrutinizing the arguments, and discerning the implications of the findings. By adopting a critical lens, we can cultivate a deeper understanding of the research landscape, identify strengths and limitations, and unearth opportunities for further exploration and refinement.

 

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How to Read a Paper (Why Reading Research Papers matter?)

In this lesson we will discuss the importance of reading research papers. As aspiring scholars and practitioners, delving into the realm of academic literature is paramount for our growth and development. In this session, we'll explore the profound importance of engaging with research papers, understanding their impact, and honing our critical appraisal skills.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand why reading research papers is important​
  2. The importance of a critical review​
  3. An overview of the presentation structure
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Hierarchy of Evidence in Research

It's essential to understand how different study designs contribute to the body of knowledge in their respective fields. The hierarchy of evidence provides a framework for evaluating the quality and reliability of research findings.

You will learn about the hierarchy of evidence. This is a concept used to rank the quality of evidence from various research study designs. Picture it as a pyramid, with the highest quality of evidence positioned at the top and lesser quality evidence toward the base.

This includes: Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), Cohort Studies, Case-Control Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Case Series and Case Reports.

 

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How to Critically Review a Paper

Critically reviewing research takes years of practice. It takes time to develop the skills to review different types of research. However, there are certain criteria that research studies should adhere to, so by understanding the main tenets of a research study, one can start to cast a more critical eye over research and distinguish between more thorough research vs research that might need move evidence.

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Course Summary

Key Terms

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Research Papers

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All Levels

Literature Review: What they say about us without us, Centric.
Please read this literature review from Centric on Air pollution. Centric Community Research are a community research organisation that build a bridge between institutions and our communities by making research more accessible for the excluded. Their research represents their lived experience.

Advanced

Research paper: The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials.
The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias aims to make the process clearer and more accurate. It discusses flaws in the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of randomised trials that can cause the effect of an intervention to be underestimated or overestimated. Higgins, J. P., Altman, D. G., Gøtzsche, P. C., Jüni, P., Moher, D., Oxman, A. D., Savovic, J., Schulz, K. F., Weeks, L., Sterne, J. A., Cochrane Bias Methods Group, & Cochrane Statistical Methods Group (2011). The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 343, d5928.

Advanced

Research paper: Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement
This paper summarize a revision of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, which are used to address several conceptual and practical advances in the science of systematic reviews. Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

Examples of misinformation

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Introductory

WEB LITERACY FOR STUDENT FACT CHECKERS
For students who are interested in fact-checking a particular claim, quote, or article, the simplest thing you can do is to see if someone has already done the work for you. This book from Michael A. Caulfield discusses information from webpages, quotes and articles. Caulfield, M. (2017, January 8). Web literacy for student fact checkers. Web Literacy for Student FactCheckers. https://pressbooks.pub/webliteracy/front-matter/web-strategies-for-student-fact-checkers/

Introductory

Coronavirus: vaccine misinformation and the role of social media
This report developed by the Policy Institute at KCL includes findings from a survey of 2,244 UK residents aged 16-75 by King’s College London and Ipsos MORI, conducted on 20-24 November 2020. It finds that: • 1 in 3 people in (34%) and nearly half (46%) of all 16-34-year-olds say they’ve seen or heard messages discouraging the public from getting a coronavirus vaccine. • Facebook is by far the top source of such messages, with 1 in 5 Britons (20%) saying they’ve seen this kind of content on the social network. • A quarter of the population (26%) say they’ve seen or heard Covid anti-vax messages on social media, with people’s friends or family members most likely to have shared them.

Introductory

How Covid-19 is revealing the impact of disinformation on society
Research produced at KCL has looked at the causes and consequences of disinformation in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided new evidence of the impact of disinformation on people’s behaviour, according to a new report by researchers in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. They also argue there has been too much focus on blaming social media for spreading false content, whist neglecting the spread of misleading content in traditional media by domestic political actors.

Free training resources

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Introductory

Cochrane Evidence Essentials
Cochrane have developed these short modules on research evidence. You will need to create an account to access the materials, but it is free to use. Cochrane Evidence Essentials is an introduction to Evidence Based Medicine, clinical trials and Cochrane evidence. It is designed for healthcare consumers (patients, care givers, family members), policy makers and members of the healthcare team You will be guided through the modules by the personal learning journey of ‘Eleni’, a fictional consumer. The modules are presented in the form of a story, but you are free to skip this and explore the learning in any way you choose. The learning is interactive, with things to read, film and audio, quizzes, and ways to check your learning. There are links to further resources if you wish to continue learning about a particular topic. This learning has been co-produced by healthcare consumers, researchers and specialists from Cochrane’s Central Executive Team, with contributions from a range of experts in their fields. To find out more please access cochrane’s webpage.
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