Making Sense of Epidemiological Research: A Student's Guide

by Katherine W. Reeves

Overview

Using clear language and real-world examples, this accessible textbook provides a concise guide to the understanding and critical evaluation of journal articles in epidemiology.

The book offers a step-by-step process, beginning with how to find epidemiologic studies on a given topic. It then shows readers how to identify and assess the key features of a study’s design, the methods of data collection and analysis, the conclusions that can be drawn, and finally the questions that remain. Including a chapter exploring the misuse of artificial intelligence, this complete companion shows students not only how to evaluate individual studies but also to synthesize findings across multiple studies on a single topic, as well as guidance on writing a critique of a given article.

Written by an experienced instructor with over 15 years of experience teaching, and including activities so that readers can practice the skills they learn, this will be essential reading for any student of epidemiology, public health, and medicine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041069256
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Katherine W. Reeves is Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Table of Contents

Introduction. 1.Why do I need to critically evaluate epidemiologic articles? 2.What basic epidemiology and biostatistics concepts should I know? 3. How do I read an epidemiologic article? 4.What'study design was used? 5.Who was in the study population? 6. How was the exposure measured? 7. How was the outcome measured? 8. How were the data analyzed? 9. How do I write a critical analysis of an article? 10. How do I synthesize evidence across studies? 11. How do I perform a systematic literature review? 12. Why can’t I just use artificial intelligence (AI) to critically analyze epidemiologic articles? Appendix A.System for Taking notes on Articles (STAR) Template. Appendix B.Critical Analysis of Mirick et al. (2002)

Editorial Reviews

Reading and critiquing scientific articles can be daunting, but this book offers a clear, structured, and comprehensive framework. Dr. Reeves has an extraordinary ability to break down complex concepts and make them accessible, relatable, and enjoyable to learn. This book is an invaluable resource for students.”

Nina Heilman, PhD student in Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh

"With the explosion of epidemiologic research over the past decade, learners often struggle to navigate the landscape. Fortunately, Dr. Reeves provides a succinct, disciplined, and fun approach for appraising research so students can quickly evaluate the literature and use it to succeed as scholars and healthcare professionals."

John Norbury, MD, Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University and former Inaugural Residency Program Director at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

From the Publisher