Analysing the literature: A research primer for low- and middle-income countries

Christopher R Carpenter; Bonaventure Hollong; Erin L Simon; Colin A Graham

doi:10.1016/j.afjem.2020.04.003

Analysing the literature: A research primer for low- and middle-income countries

Afr J Emerg Med. 2020;10(Suppl 2):S100-S105. doi: 10.1016/j.afjem.2020.04.003. Epub 2020 May 24.

Authors

Christopher R Carpenter¹, Bonaventure Hollong², Erin L Simon³, Colin A Graham⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Emergency Care Research Core, USA.
² Yaoundé Emergency Centre, Cameroon.
³ Northeast Ohio Medical University, Cleveland Clinic Bath, USA.
⁴ Chinese University of Hong Kong, Morningside College, Hong Kong.

Abstract

Effective critical appraisal of medical research requires training and practice. Evidence-based medicine provides a framework for standardised review of manuscripts of nearly any research design. Online resources and communities exist to provide free access to electronic search engines and critical appraisal of emergency medicine and non-emergency medicine research. An emerging array of Free Online Open Access medical education (FOAMed) resources also provide opportunities to observe Evidence-based medicine critical appraisal in written or audio format and to actively participate as a learner. This chapter will highlight accessible resources that provide both methodological background and virtual mentoring for readers to develop EBM skills.

Keywords: Evidence-based medicine; Librarian search strategies; Patient safety/QI; Social media.