“What, Why and How of Journal club”.

Time: 10.00AM – 11.00AM

DEFINITION OF JOURNAL

It is a periodical, aimed at a particular

discipline. It differs from a magazine in several
ways. The journals are intended for specialists,
not general readers, and normally journal
articles are written by academicians, not
journalists. They are more prestigious than
magazines.
TEN REASONS TO READ CLINICAL JOURNALS

1. To impress others
2. To keep current with the literature
3. To understand Patho -biology
4. Seasoned clinician -----------handles a
particular problem
5. Whether to use a new or old diagnostic test.
TEN REASONS TO READ CLINICAL JOURNALS
6. To know causality.
7. To understand manifestations.
8. Distinguish useful from useless or even harmful
9.To find out the needs, utilization, quality and
cost-implications of clinical and community
interventions.
10. To be titillated by the letters to the editors
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCIENTIFIC WRITING

1. Original article
2. Case report
3. Review article
4. Editorial
5. Letters to editor
SOME KEY DATES IN THE EVOLUTION OF
SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING (IN MEDICAL SCIENCES)
• 1665 – First scientific journal in France and
United Kingdom.
• 1820’s – First specialist journals.
• 1870’s – References began to be collected at
the end of articles.
• 1920’s – First summaries appeared at the end
of articles.
• 1930’s – First paper on the use of statistics.
• 1950’s – Widespread acceptance of the IMRAD
format.
• 1960’s – Summaries at the end became
abstracts at the beginning.
• 1970’s – Databases introduced.
• 1980’s – First international conference on
Peer-Review.
• 1990’s – Introduction of electronic journals
(Online journals).
CLASSIFICATION OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS
1. Data driven papers.
• Survey reports and formal experiments.

2. Tutorial papers.
• Analytical papers on methods

3. Method mongering papers.

• describing a method with rhetoric language.
 4. Consciousness raising papers.
• Raise awareness of issues which are untouched or less
attended

5. Theoretical papers.
• Theoretical issues which are highly influential.

6. Review papers.
• Deal with secondary research.

7. Demonstration of concept papers.

• Demonstrate a particular concept as feasible, useful and
interesting. To apply for funding.
DEFINITION OF JOURNAL CLUB

A journal club is a group of individuals who

meet regularly to know, describe, critically
read, understand and evaluate the articles
published in medical or dental literature.
1.Who said history is boring?

2.What we are today is because of what happened in

the past with us, do you agree?

3.Should we know the past, to understand the

present?
1. It’s boring only to those who are bore to others.

2. Yes, science approves this.

3. We learn out of our errors

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF JOURNAL
CLUB

• First information --------in book of memoirs and

letters by Sir James Paget, a British surgeon.

• Sir William Osler is called the founder of journal

clubs.
DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO AIM OF
JOURNAL CLUBS
The primary aim of journal club
• Until 1980’s
To provide up-to-date medical literature.
• After 1980’s
A forum for teaching and learning critical
appraisal techniques
• In 1990’s
To teach and learn EBM and EBD
COMMON JOURNAL CLUB GOALS
1. To provide an update of literature.

2. Teaching and learning the techniques of

‘Critical Appraisal’ and ‘Critical Reflection’ of
available literature.

3. Importation of findings into clinical and public

health practice.
TYPES OF JOURNAL CLUBS
1. Journal clubs
Aimed at updating knowledge related to a field
of interest
2. Journal clubs
Aimed at updating clinical practice
3. Journal clubs
Aimed at teaching and learning critical appraisal
techniques and EBM OR EBD.
4. Problem based journal clubs
Aimed at problem solving
5. Alternative journal clubs

6. Innovative journal clubs

 FORMATS OF PROBLEM BASED JOURNAL
CLUB
1) Implied hypothesis is given and asked:
» To design a study,
» To define the variables,
» To define the sample etc.

2) Title of the article is given and asked:

To prepare the methodology.
3) The title and methodology are given and asked
-To recognize the methodological pitfalls.

4) The methodology is given and asked:

-Generalizability and implications.
HOW TO START A JOURNAL CLUB?
1. Select a Director
-Having academic appetite and strong conviction

2. Define the goals

-To describe, to appraise, to reflect, to apply and to innovate.

3. Optimize attendance
-Fixed schedule and serving snacks.

4. Generate participant interest

-Select articles of interest and create controversy

5. Special preparation for journal clubs with Critical Appraisal

Techniques
-Prior orientation of epidemiology and statistics
JOURNAL CLUB FORMAT

The articles for journal club are

- Proposed by the students
- Selected by the director

Selection and approval of articles

-Be done two to three weeks before
HOW TO CONDUCT A JOURNAL CLUB
• Student as a presenter
- Should collect all pertinent information,
-Study that in detail
-Discuss with the director, moderator and
subject experts

• Student should confidently present

- the content,
- evaluation report
- Self-opinions with justifiable line of defense
 JOURNAL CLUB SESSION
SEATING:
• Round table (seat audience in a circle) or horse-shoe.

• Presenter:
- should initiate and lead

• Moderator
-should solicit comments and stimulate discussion

• Director
- Should direct and break the impasse
- Attempt should be made to reach consensus
METICULOUS ANALYSIS OF A SINGLE ARTICLE
- In-depth evaluation of one article for its
methodological flaws and strengths including its
implications at clinical and public practice levels
SELECT ARTICLES WHICH HAVE
DIFFERENT STUDY DESIGNS
CREATING A CONTROVERSY

• Engage a debate format.

• Select articles with opposing hypothesis.

• Engage a neutral faculty member as

‘facilitator’.
PROBLEM BASED LEARNING
A problem faced by a clinician by the chair side is
picked up for journal club
. One session is spent on thorough literature search
related to the problem
. Relevant articles are critically evaluated for internal
and external validity
. A consensus is reached about the solution for the
problem
. Advocated for trial on the subjects
REACH CONCENSUS
WHY JOURNAL CLUB?

1. Journal clubs are valued as a means of

keeping abreast with the literature
2. Journal clubs offer a forum for teaching
and learning critical appraisal
techniques.
IMPACT OF JOURNAL CLUBS
1) Improves reading habits
-By enabling critical thinking
-By meta-questioning
-By meta thinking

2. Expands the body of knowledge

within a person.

3. Facilitates acquisition of new

skills.
IMPACT OF JOURNAL CLUBS

4. Induces scientific temperament:

-By promoting questioning attitude.

5. Makes the members to be more skeptical of

the author’s conclusions.

6. Improves knowledge of clinical epidemiology

and biostatistics.