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Journal Club

Welcome!

The purpose of this journal club is to facilitate learning in the critiquing and knowledge of research articles. 

Please do not hesitate to join in on the discussions, ask questions and gain more confidence in learning about different methodologies and assessing articles to decide if findings will have an impact on our practices.

Reviewing and critiquing an article is a skill that is not acquired quickly.  It takes time and practice and a willingness to subject yourself to unfamiliar terms, but with increased exposure and with an "I'm going to give this a shot - I don't have to understand everything right away" attitude, it gets easier.  Everyone always learns something new by looking at research, no matter what level they are at.  You should also remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question when learning.  If you find the discussion too difficult to understand, ASK A QUESTION.  Also remember that all of us are at different levels of understanding, but the main objective is to help each other reach a level of understanding of research.  If you find the subject totally boring, ASK WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS.  If you find yourself falling asleep, take a break and come back to it, and then propose to present a research article that is much more exciting!

 

HERE IS A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU CAN USE WHEN ASSESSING A STUDY

The main question for debate from critiquing the study is;

"Do the results of this study affect clinical practice?"

 

Also, when researchers and those in academia are contributing to the discussion, please keep this in mind:

".....to evaluate an article critically, we seek to answer two questions. First, are the results of the study valid? Second, are the results clinically useful? Many young trainees are frustrated with their early journal club experiences because too often the more senior faculty focus on the minutiae that make the answer to the first question ‘maybe’ or ‘no’, without giving a satisfactory answer to the second question." [1]

 

Please use this forum as a method of mentoring therapists and others interested in research.

 

This month's article discussion is on a study conducted on the question:

"Touching the brain: Does massage promote visual development?".

Join the discussion .....

Each month a new research article on massage therapy is chosen for discussion.  Anyone can propose an article, however, the criteria for the article choice should be reviewed before making a suggestion.  Please use the contact form to suggest an article that you wish to present.

If you wish to present an article for the journal club, please ensure that it meets the following requirements to be eligible:

  • the article should have been published within the past 2 years (this one is a preferred recommendation, not an absolute requirement)
  • the study's result should have clinical significance
  • the study should be on massage therapy (and not involve other CAM therapies)
  • the study should have no *major* methodological flaws (although enhancements/improvements to the study may be identified in the critique)

 

When presenting the article, it is recommended that you follow these guidelines:

  • Describe WHY you picked this paper
  • Explain how you came across the article
  • BRIEFLY describe the study
  • Describe the research question using the 4 basic components of the question (PICO):

   Population  (who was studied?)
   Intervention (what therapy was applied, tests etc?)
   Comparison or control (how was the intervention controlled?)
   Outcome

  • What is the importance or relevance of the question asked?
  • State your questions (and answers, if you wish) on the threats to validity in the study.
  • Summarize the results.
  • Describe the implication of results in clinical practice.
  • Give your own conclusions on the study.
  • Do not presume that the journal club audience has a high level of knowledge about research methods--connect the dots, explain your reasoning, and be user-friendly. Give the audience an opportunity for successful learning. 
  • Invite commentary and ask questions

 

Journal Club archive

September 2011: Does massage therapy reduce cortisol?

October 2011: Oil massage for infants in the developing world

November 2011: Is body-oriented therapy feasible for and acceptable to female veterans with PTSD?