For more information
To learn more broadly about the research in a published article, you
can turn to the news sections or press releases published by many
scientific journals. These pieces are often written by science
journalists rather than scientists, so they may be easier to comprehend
than the article itself. Many times, journals also include commentary
about an article from other scientists who are not involved with the
research. Journals also publish editorials and letters to the editor.
These types of pieces are helpful in your quest to understand the
importance of a finding, controversy or opinion in medical research.
Reading medical literature can be hard work, but if you master some of
the basics of finding useful information and comprehending the logic of
a study, you are in a good position to evaluate it and figure out if it
affects you or your loved one. You may want to ascertain whether other
researchers are finding similar results in their studies. Ultimately,
you decide whether you think the authors present a persuasive case.
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