|
Evaluating Information Contained in a Newspaper Article
Often investigators who have completed a research project have a news release where the results of the research are summarized. This could occur as an oral presentation to a group of reporters and/or a written article in a newspaper. In either case, what should the consumer look for in determining if the research results are to be seriously considered?
1. Has the research undergone peer review and the news release occurs when the article actually is being published? It is not good policy to announce results of studies before they have undergone peer review or for a consumer to take seriously the results prior to the results having undergone the peer review process. A newspaper article should not be the first vehicle of publication for research results.
2. If the results have been published in a peer reviewed journal, does this mean that the research was of the highest quality? No. Often the specific journal is an indication of the quality of the research. For example, The New England Journal of Medicine is considered, by many, to be one of the better, if not the best medical journal in which to publish the results of a study. Good arthritis specific journals would include Arthritis and Rheumatism, Arthritis Care and Research, and the Journal of Rheumatology. If the results were published in any of these journals, you can feel pretty good that the results can be taken seriously. It is relevant to note that there are other high quality journals in addition to the ones named here.
3. Are the treatment and control conditions clearly stated in the article?
4. How many subjects were included in the treatment and control group?
5. Are the implications of the results of the study for me clearly delineated in the article?
These are questions which need to be answered before giving serious consideration to the results being presented.
|
|
