6003 Chapter 2 Key Terms

Boolean operator

words used in a database search that helps you to relate key terms (advanced search option in PubMed allows you to use these)

• common ones are AND, OR, and NOT

database

organized collection of digital data, a compilation of evidence within a serachable structure

• often focuses on a specific area of research

impact factor

a calculated number based on the yearly average number of times articles in a particular journal are cited in other articles

institutional animal care and use committee

ethical board that approves research involving animal subjects

• ensure animals are cared for and not subject to unnecessary pain/suffering

institutional review board

ethical board that approves search involving human subjects

• ensure benefits of research outweigh risks

• ethical principles are adhered to

• subjects are adequately informed before consenting

peer review process

• process used by scholarly journals to determine whether a study meets quality standards for that particular journal

• should not be regarded as a guarantee of credibility or accuracy

• weakness is that it can fail to identify fraudulent reporting

predatory journals

• pose as scholarly journals and often include unethical business practices

• taking advantage of people under pressure to publish by requiring a fee and promising a quick acceptance to publication time

primary source

• most reliable sources because they have not be interpreted or summarized by others

• ex: original research studies, professional or governmental reports based on original research or data collection

publication bias

inclination for journals to publish positive (significant) outcomes more frequently than negative (non-significant) outcomes

secondary source

• documents or publications that interpret or summarize a primary source

• ex: websites (typically), newspaper, television

trade journal

• published by industries and organizations that include topics of interest to individuals within a specific profession

• typically not peer-reviewed

• can make sharing health-care information more accessible

  • as practitioners, be comfortable going to original source and appraising evidence there