Open AccessCaveats in the interpretation of the surgical literature
Author(s) -
Guller U.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
british journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.202
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1365-2168
pISSN - 0007-1323
DOI - 10.1002/bjs.6156
Subject(s) - medicine , interpretation (philosophy) , general surgery , medline , surgery , linguistics , philosophy , political science , law
The ability to appraise research literature critically is an invaluable tool in the era of evidence‐based medicine. The objective of this educational article is to highlight certain caveats that are important to those who seek to interpret the surgical literature. These caveats are illustrated with intuitive examples drawn from the field of surgery. It is hoped that the article will help surgeons to recognize the common pitfalls encountered when interpreting scientific reports. This is important if research findings are to be transferred appropriately into the realm of clinical practice. Copyright © 2008 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.