Course Description

This course is taught in journal club format and is designed to give learners additional practice with critical appraisal skills through an understanding of validity issues related to reducing bias in clinical studies. Using an interactive journal club format, learners will review and discuss the criteria for determining internal validity of systematic reviews and qualitative research. After completing this course, learners will be better able to identify the criteria for a good study; to recognize how this impacts searching for the evidence; and to understand how this knowledge helps the library support evidence-based practice within their own institutions. Teaching methods will include discussion, case studies, group exercises, and practice in appraising articles.

Educational objective

After attending this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the key validity criteria for systematic reviews


• Identify strong and weak search strategies
  


• Understand they key features and methodology for qualitative research


• Identify appropriate search strategies for qualitative research


• Identify ways to use this information to help support evidence based practice within hospitals and academic medical centers
  

Agenda

• Introductions, student goals, course objectives (15 min)


• Validity criteria for systematic reviews [discussion and group case study exercise] (60 min)


• Peer review of search strategies (30 min)


• Break (15 min)


• Review of Qualitative research [discussion and group case study exercise] (60 min)


• Search Strategy exercise (30 min)


• Putting it into Practice and Wrap-up [discussion] (30 min)

Wi-Fi will be available in the classroom.  Participants will need to bring their own fully-charged devices, such as laptops or tablets.  Access to electrical outlets will be very limited. The workshop will be in journal club format, so devices are not needed for hands-on exercises.