(Unfortunately) You CanNOT Just Skip to the Discussion Section
Your Guide to Reading the Epidemiological Literature
As a professor of Epidemiology, my primary goal is to teach my students how to read, critically analyze, and apply the results of an epidemiological study to create healthy communities. I want to empower my students to read research papers from beginning to end (not just the Abstract and definitely not skipping the Methods section). I want them to confidently read the literature, determine for themselves the strengths and limitations of the study, and be able to communicate the findings and any applications of those findings to a group of community members without any knowledge of epidemiology.
And I want to invite all of you into my classroom (so to speak). I want to provide you with a guide to reading the epidemiological research and the opportunity to read, discuss, and apply the findings of epidemiological studies with me.
Together — with improved literacy and the ability to see the strengths and limitations that are inherent in every study — we can fight misinformation, spot disinformation, craft strategies to improve health, and create healthy communities.
Are you ready?
Do you want to learn how to read, analyze, and apply the epidemiological literature?
Let’s get started… (if you missed one of the previous posts, start here — Rule #1).
Students often tell me they only read the abstract and the Discussion Section of an epidemiological paper. The Discussion follows the Results and is the last section of an epidemiology paper.
It is definitely tempting to skip the Methods and Results and jump right into the Discussion because the Discussion is where the action is.
In this section, the authors will —
Provide a clear statement of their research findings.
Put those findings in conversation with the Canon of Epidemiology — they will make it clear how the results compare to what we already know and how the new results expand our understanding of and ability to create healthy communities.
Discuss the strengths and limitations of their work.
Provide an overview of the next steps — is more research needed? should public health policies change? are educational programs needed? should vaccines be recommended? is a new treatment preferred?
In the Discussion, we find the answer to the research question and how the results can be applied to create healthy communities.
For example, remember the study about the effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine? The Discussion Section looks like this —
However, as the reader/consumer of the epidemiological literature, it is important to note that the researchers writing the Discussion have been consumed by their research. They have been working day in and day out to get the paper you are reading (~3500 words) published for months (if not years). And while they are not trying to mislead you and likely have the best intentions, they may be having trouble seeing the forest from the trees, so to speak.
It is important to read the Methods and judge their reliability and validity.
And then it is important to read the Results — and interpret each of the findings.
Then you can read the Discussion and see if there is an alignment between what the authors are saying and your interpretation/assessment. If there is confusion or things do not line up — you might need to read the paper again, ask an epidemiologist or statistician to help you understand, or (if both of those do not satisfy) write a letter to the journal editor asking questions about a specific portion (a result, conclusion, or application that was presented in a particular paper).
Skipping the Methods and Results is like skipping the second book in a trilogy. It can be done and you will likely be able to pick up on the main storyline, but details and important storylines will be missed.
An epidemiological paper is meant to be read from start to finish as a whole — beginning with the Introduction, where we learn about the Canon, followed by the Methods & Results, and concluding with the Discussion.
It is a single narrative.
Each section builds on the previous one.
It is meant to be read as a whole.
Not in chunks.
And there you have it… detailed instructions for reading and understanding each section of an Epidemiology paper. The Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.
Next week, as we bring this series to an end, we’ll discuss how we move from data/results to action. Stay tuned…
And if you have questions, please ask.