Check List for Reviewing Synopsis of Post Graduate Students

5. Title of the topic:

• Does the title convey in a concise manner the following elements?
1. Primary objective of the study
2. Study design
3. Place of intended work (optional and may be omitted if the title is too long)
4. Duration of study (optional and may be omitted if the title is too long)
6. Brief Resume of Intended Work:
6.1. Need for the study:
• Is there a brief description, including the following information, justifying the need to
conduct the proposed study?
1. the magnitude of the problem in the study population and the work done so far in
the area;
2. the gaps in knowledge, the unanswered questions, and
3. the rationale/justification for the proposed study, the research question and
hypothesis
• Is there supportive evidence from the literature or local data justifying the study?
• Is the problem addressed by the study defined clearly?
• Are the research question and hypothesis stated unambiguously?
• Are the references numbered as superscripts in the order in which they have been cited in
the text? (Vancouver style)
6.2. Review of Literature:
• Does the review of literature address the following areas in a brief and concise manner?
1. The scope of the area under investigation
2. Discussion of the findings of the previous studies – strengths and limitations
3. The approaches used by previous investigators
4. Areas that need further investigation
5. The specific area that the proposed study is trying to address
6. The magnitude of the problem in the study population
7. Why do the investigators feel that this is an important area that needs further
exploration?
• Is the narrative pertinent to the scope and nature of the problem addressed by the study?
• Is it presented as an essay written in the candidate’s own words with appropriate citations
of published literature wherever necessary?

© dome, jnmc 1
 • Is there a thematic narration or is it a mere compilation of information without any logical
flow of ideas from one segment to another?
• Are entire abstracts of journal articles or paragraphs from textbooks etc quoted verbatim?
(Is it just a ‘cut and paste’ job?)
• Are the references numbered as superscripts in the order in which they have been cited in
the text? (Vancouver style)
6.3. Objective of the Study:
• Is the study focused principally on a single objective?
• If there are multiple objectives, has one of them, directly related to the major focus of the
study, been designated as the Primary Objective and others as Secondary and Tertiary
Objectives?
• Are the objectives stated precisely and unambiguously and include the following
information?
1. The research question and hypothesis
2. The independent and dependent variables
3. The population on whom the study will be implemented
4. Are the terms – prevalence, incidence, association, risk, efficacy, safety, effectiveness
– used correctly in the context of the proposed study design?
• Are the objectives consistent with the Title, Study Design, Variables listed, and analysis
proposed?
7. Material and Methods:
7.1. Source of Data:
• Is the study population been defined clearly?
• Is the duration of data collection indicated?
7.2. Method of collecting data including sampling procedure if, any:
• Is the sample size mentioned?
• Is the sample size estimated on a scientific/rational basis?
• Is the procedure of sample size estimation described adequately?
• What sampling procedure is being adopted for recruiting the study participants from the
available population?
• Are the inclusion and exclusion criteria listed?
• If an interventional study, is the randomization procedure described?
• Have the comparison groups been defined clearly?

© dome, jnmc 2
 • In case the study involves follow up of recruited participants over a period of time, is the
schedule of data collection indicated?
• Is a list of the variables including units used for expressing these provided?
• Are the methods of measurement of the variables spelt out?
• What statistical measures are the investigators using to analyze the data?
7.3. Does the study require any investigations or interventions to be conducted on
Patients or other human participants or animals:
• Are investigations or interventions that will be specifically used (not routine
investigations or interventions) for the purpose of the proposed study listed?
• Are any special investigations necessary for the conduct of the study?
• Are the details of the proposed interventions and/or procedures been described?
7.4. Has ethical clearance been obtained from the institution?
• Is a consent form enclosed for studies involving data collection from human participants?
• Does the consent form have the necessary elements as per the format provided? (See
Annexure I)
• In case, the investigators are unable to obtain written informed consent from the study
participants, has an application for waiver of informed consent explaining the rationale
been enclosed?
• Does the study conform to ethical guidelines for research and merit approval by the
Institutional Ethics Committee?
8. List of References:
• Are the references listed in the order in which they have been cited in the text?
(Vancouver style)
• Are the references written in the prescribed format? (See Annexure II)
Overall assessment:
1. Compliance of the study with ethical guidelines for conduct of research.
2. Consistency between title, objectives, design, methods of data collection, sampling methods,
variables being collected, and analysis plan.
3. Adequacy of language – grammar, tense, spellings, use of abbreviations
4. Feasibility in view of the nature of the proposed study, requirement of budget, availability of
material and equipment, and the anticipated timeline.

© dome, jnmc 3
 Annexure I
Elements of an Informed Consent Document
Each element should have a paragraph (or more) describing the issue for the participant. Each section
should provide a brief, common language description of answers to the questions listed under that
section. Try to address all the questions that are applicable to the research study. If the issue does not
apply the heading must still be there, with a "does not apply to this research" statement.
Descriptions must be in simple, clear language, with a minimum of technical terms. The consent form
should be read aloud to the participants. Typically after participants have read the consent form or it
has been read aloud to them, they must be asked to describe each element in their own terms;
participants who cannot understand or recall the key consent elements should not be enrolled in the
study.
• Objective/purpose of the study:
Why am I being asked to participate in this research?
Who is being recruited or selected?
Why is this research being done? What is the purpose of this research?
Who are the investigators? Who is funding the study?
• Procedures:
What procedures are involved?
• Risks and Benefits:
What are the potential risks and discomforts?
Are there benefits to taking part in this research?
• Alternatives:
What other options are there? What happens if I decline participation?
Will I be told about new information that may affect my decision to participate?
• Privacy and Confidentiality:
What about privacy and confidentiality? Will my identity be disclosed?
• Institutional/Sponsors policy:
What if I am injured as a result of my participation?
• Financial Incentives for participation:
What are the costs for participating in this research?...e.g., for services, etc.
Will I be reimbursed for any of my expenses for participation in this research?
• Authorization to Publish Results:
How will the results of the study be used?
• Consent Statement:
How was the information in the consent form provided to you?
Did you read the contents or were the contents read out to you?
Can I withdraw or be removed from the study?
Were you informed that participation is voluntary?
Did you have adequate time to clarify any doubts about the study or your rights as a study
participant?
Who should I contact if I have questions about the study?
Who should I contact if I have questions about my rights as a study participant?

Signature or left thumb print of participant or legally authorized representative

____________________ Participant's name ___________ Participant's signature/thumb print
____________________ Experimenters' name ___________ Experimenters' signature
____________________ Witness' name ___________ Witness' signature
____________________ Date
If the participants are Minors (under 18), the parents sign the form, rather than the participants.

© dome, jnmc 4
 Annexure II
Format for writing References
Printed publications
Book
Example:
Neal MJ. Medical pharmacology at a glance. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific; 1987.
Rinsgiven MK, Bond D. Gerontology and leadership skills for nurses. 2nd ed. Albany (NY): Delmar
Publishers; 1996.
Note: Where there are more than six authors list the first six names, followed by et al. (and others).

Government publication/Corporate author

Example:
Department of Health. Saving lives: our healthier nation. London: Stationery Office; 1999 (Cm 4386).
Institute of Medicine (US). Looking at the future of the Medicaid program. Washington: The Institute;
1992.

Report
Example:
Confidential enquiries into stillbirths and deaths in infancy. 5th Report. London: Stationery Office;
1998.
Chief Medical Officer's Committee on Medical Aspects of Food. Nutritional aspects of the
development of cancer. London: Stationery Office; 1998. (Department of Health report on health and
social subjects 48.)

Conference paper in published proceedings

Example:
Bengtsson S, Solheim BG. Enforcement of data protection, privacy and security in medical
informatics. In: Lun KC, Degoulet P, Piemme TE, Rienhoff 0, editors. MEDINFO 92. Proceedings of
the 7th World Congress on Medical Informatics; 1992 Sep 6-10; Geneva, Switzerland. Amsterdam:
North-Holland; 1992. p.1561-5.

Journal article
Example:
You CH, Lee KY, Chey YW, Menguy R. Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained
nausea, bloating and vomiting. Gastroenterology 1980;79:311-4.
Vega KJ, Pina I, Krevsky' B. Heart transplantation is associated with an increased risk for
pancreatobiliary disease. Ann Intern Med 1996 Jun 1;124 (11):980-3.
Parkin DM, Clayton D, Black RJ, Masuyer E, Friedl HP, Ivanov E, et al. Childhood leukaemia in
Europe after Chernobyl: 5 year follow-up. Br J Cancer 1996: 73: 1006-12.
Cancer in South Africa [editorial]. S Afr MEd J 1994: 84:15.

Note:
Journal titles which are just a single word are not abbreviated.
The titles of other journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus.
Consult the List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus, published in the January issue of Index
Medicus. The list can also be obtained through the NLM=s web site (http://www.nlm.nih.gov). If more
than six authors, list the first six and then use et al.

© dome, jnmc 5
Newspaper article
Example:
Lee G. Hospitalizations tied to ozone pollution: study estimates 50,000 admissions annually. The
Washington Post 1996 Jun 21; Sect. A:3 (col. 5).

Electronic media

Individual works
Example:
COI, clinical dermatology illustrated [monograph on CD-ROM]. Reeves JRT, Maibach H. CMEA
Multimedia Group, 2nd ed. Version 2.0. San Diego: CMEA; 1995.

Journal article
Example:
Morse 55. Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis [serial online] 1995 Jan-Mar
[cited 1996 Jun 5]; 1(1): [24 screens]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm

Computer File
Example:
Hemodynamics III: the ups and downs of hemodynamics [computer program]. Version 2.2. Orlando (FL):
Computerized Educational Systems; 1993.

© dome, jnmc 6