Medical Research: Methods

Source: Gil Carvalho, MD PHD

Disclaimer: Listing these tools are not condoning the legality of use for such tools.

1. Research Tools

• Google Scholar
  • General search compiling from different sources. The preferred method to PubMed Search.
• PubMed Search
  • A source directly from an online medical research aggregator
• Sci-Hub
  • A search engine for unaccessible medical research behind a paywall
• The Cochrane Library
  • An aggregator of meta-analyses, and useful for comparing between national output. Top-end standard of research.

2. Concepts

• Hierarchy of evidence (Descending):
  1. Meta-Analyses
  2. Clinical
  3. Observation
  4. Mechanistic
• Study Anatomy
  • Abstract: Summary of findings
  • Introduction: Background of the field, how research fits in
  • Methods: Experimental Details
  • Results: Meat of the paper
  • Discussion: Implications, limitations, future work
  • Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References: Self explanatory
• Pitfalls:
  • Lack of proper expertise.
    1. Drs know everything
       • Drs do not know everything, but stay receptive of expert opinion
    2. Drs know nothing
       • reading blog articles do not equate to scientific research as information is passed through multiple cognitive filters.
    3. Shopping for Advice
       • Leaves you vulnerable to confirmation bias
    4. Clinging to the 1st idea
       • In order to avoid being wrong, people stay wrong
    5. Isolation
       • Avoiding interacting with experts can lead to longer time spent finding profound insights. Use communication.
  • Red Flags
    1. Conspiracy Theories
    2. Resistance/Resentment for challenging core beliefs
       • Science invites scrutiny