Journal Club is a part of Post Graduate Curriculum. But we often fail to understand its importance and hence neglect it during our PG days.

1. JOURNAL CLUB
Dr. Saswata Biswas

2. CONTENTS
• What is Journal Club
• Historical Background
• Benefits of a Journal Club
• Characteristics of a successful
Journal Club
• The future of Journal Club

3. What is a Journal Club
• A newspaper or magazine that deals
with a particular subject or
professional activity.
• A club is an association of people
united by a common interest or goal.
• A journal club is a group of individuals
who meet regularly to critically
evaluate recent articles in the
academic literature, such as scientific
literature, medical literature, or
philosophy literature.

4. Historical Background
• The first mention of a journal club is found in
the 1835–54 memoirs of British surgeon Sir
James Paget.
• Sir William Osler is widely credited as
establishing the first organized journal club at
McGill University in 1875.
• In the 1990s the concept of evidence based
medicine was introduced.
• The skill of critical appraisal and the ability to
use the current evidence base in medical practice
has evolved, with journal clubs being integral to
this process.

5. Benefits of a Journal Club
• Critical appraisal skills are developed.
• Participants keep abreast of current
medical literature.
• Research literacy and evidence-based
practice are developed.
• The needs of continuing medical
education are met.

6. Benefits of a Journal Club
• Interview skills are developed.
• Academic debate is stimulated
• Intradepartmental social and
professional networking take place
• Publications are generated (e.g. letters
to editor, further research)

7. Characteristics of successful
Journal Club
• They are held at regular intervals
• They are held at a set time convenient
for the members
• Attendance is compulsory and an
attendance register is held
• The attending clinicians share common
clinical interests

8. Characteristics of successful
Journal Club
• There is a nominated chairman, who
possesses research experience and is
widely respected. His/her role is to chair
meetings as well as guide club members
in their choice of journal articles
• The club has a clear purpose which is
agreed by the members and is
periodically reviewed

9. Characteristics of successful
Journal Club
• The articles selected for discussion are
aligned with the agreed ‘overall aim’ of
the club and of clinical relevance to the
members
• Original articles are the most frequent
papers discussed
• The papers are read in good time before
the meeting
• Food is available at the meetings

10. The future of Journal Club
• Recently, journal clubs have used web-
based platforms like Google Meet,
Microsoft Teams and Zoom platform
• Social media platforms such as
LinkedIn and Twitter have also been
used to host journal clubs
• In this period of pandemic use of
social media is no more a future of
journal club

11. Presenting at a Journal
Club

12. Presenting at a Journal Club
• Step 1: Introduction
• Step 2: Who wrote the paper
• Step 3: What is the hypothesis
• Step 4: Appraise the evidence base
• Step 5: Study design

13. Presenting at a Journal Club
• Step 6: Is the method thorough
• Step 7: Results
• Step 8: Discussion and interpretation
• Step 9: Clinical context
• Step 10: Output