METHOD-2

REPAIRING EXAM

Name

:..................................................

SRN

: .................................................

MEDICAL PROGRAM
FACULTY OF MEDICINE UB
2015

THE TITLE OF THE JOURNAL

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POINTS WHICH MUST BE ASSESSED TO FIND OUT THE CAUSALITY OF
RELATIONSHIP:
Points to be evaluated
Topics to be evaluated
A. Description of the evidence

1. What was the exposure or the intervention?

2. What was the outcome?
3. What was the study design?
4. What was the study population?

B. Internal validity - consideration of noncausal explanation

5. What was the main result?

6. Are the results likely to be affected by bias?
7. Are the results are likely affected by confounding?

C. Internal validity - consideration of

positive feature of causation

8. Are the results likely to be affected by chance

variation?
9. Is there a correct time relationship?
10. Is the relationship strong?
11. Is there a dose-response relationship?
12. Are the result are consistent within the study?

D. External validity - generalization of the

results

13. Is there any specificity within the study?

14. Can the study results be applied to the source
population?
15. Can the study results be applied to the study
population?

E. Comparison of these results with other

evidence

16. Can the study results be applied to other relevant

population?
17. Are the results consistent with other evidence,
particularly to other studies with similar or more
powerful study design?
18. Do the total evidences suggest any specificity?
19. Are the results plausible in term of the biological
mechanism?
20. If a major effect is shown, is it coherent with the
distribution of exposure and the outcome?

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A. DESCRIPTION OF THE EVIDENCE

1. What was the exposure or the intervention?
........................................................................................................................
............
........................................................................................................................
............
2. What was the outcome?
........................................................................................................................
...........
........................................................................................................................
............
3. What was the study design?
........................................................................................................................
...........
4. What was the study population?
........................................................................................................................
............
........................................................................................................................
...........
5. What was the main result?
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........................................................................................................................
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A. INTERNAL VALIDITY - CONSIDERATION OF NON-CAUSAL EXPLANATION

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6. Are the results likely to be affected by bias?

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7. Are the results are likely affected by confounding?

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8. Are the results likely to be affected by chance variation?
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C. INTERNAL VALIDITY - CONSIDERATION OF POSITIVE FEATURE OF CAUSATION

9.

Is

there

correct

time

relationship? .........................................................
10. Is the relationship strong? ........................................................................
11. Is there a dose-response relationship? ......................................................
12. Are the result consistent within the study? ..........................................
13.

Is

there

any

specificity

within

study? ...................................................
D. EXTERNAL VALIDITY - GENERALIZATION OF THE RESULTS
14. Can the study results be applied to the source population?
.............................................................................................................................
15. Can the study results be applied to the study population?
.............................................................................................................................
16. Can the study results be applied to other relevant population?
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
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E. COMPARISON OF THESE RESULTS WITH OTHER EVIDENCE

17. Are the results consistent to other evidence, particularly to other studies with
similar or more powerful study design?
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
18. Do the total evidence suggest any specificity?
..............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................
19. Are the results plausible in term of the biological mechanism?
.............................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................
20. If a major effect is shown, is it coherent with the distribution of exposure and the
outcome?
..................................................................................................................

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