This document provides guidance on how to present a journal club. It discusses the definition and history of journal clubs, their aims to keep participants up to date on current literature and teach critical appraisal skills. Journal clubs can cover a range of topics and formats. The document outlines best practices for selecting articles, presenting critically on the content, and facilitating discussion. It emphasizes the benefits of journal clubs for improving knowledge, skills, and evidence-based practice.

1. How to present a journal club?

2. Contents
Introduction
Definition of journal
 Need of the journal club
Evolution of journal
Definition of journal club
Aim and goal of journal club

3. Contents contd….
Types of journal club
How to start a journal club
Impact of journal club
Evaluation of journal club
Conclusion
References

4. Introduction
Medical literature is continually
expanding
Concepts, ideas, beliefs are undergoing rapid
transformation.
Imperative on the part of academicians,
practitioners, students and the researchers to keep
up with the vast amount of information available.

5. Introduction contd…
The journal club provides a forum to remain
current with the literature and also offers an
opportunity to learn methods of critically
evaluating journal articles.
Journal clubs are usually organized
around a defined subject in basic or
applied research.

6. Definition of journal
It is a periodical , aimed at a particular discipline.

7. Different from a magazine

8. Why do we need to read
journals?
To impress
To keep abreast
of professional
news
To understand
patho-biology
Learn clinical
features and
cause
Whether to use a
new or existing
diagnostic test
Handling of a
problem
To distinguish
useful from
harmful
Need of health
care, quality
and cost
effectiveness
To be titillated
by letters to
the editors

9. Different types of scientific
writing
Original article
Case report
Review article
Editorial
Letters to the editor

10. Key dates in evolution of
scientific publishing
1665 – first scientific journal
1820’s – first specialist journal
1870’s – references began to be collected at the end
of the articles.
1920’s – first summaries appeared in the end of the
article.
1930’s – first paper on the use of statistics
1950’s – widespread use of IMRAD format

11. Key dates in evolution of scientific
publishing contd…
1960’s- summaries at the end became abstract
1970’s – database introduced
1980’s – first international conference on peer-review.
1990’s – introduction of electronic journal.

12. Classification of scientific
papers
Data driven papers
Tutorial papers
Method mongering papers
Consciousness raising papers.
Theoretical papers.
Review papers.
Demonstration of concept papers.

13. Definition of journal club
A journal club is a group of individual who meet
regularly to critically read, understand and evaluate
recent articles published in medical or dental
literature.

14. Historical background of
journal club
Journal clubs have been used as a teaching or
learning format in academic medicine for over a
hundred years.
The earliest reference to a journal club is found in
a book of memoirs and letters by the late Sir James
Paget, a British surgeon.

15. Historical background of journal
club contd…
He describes a group at St. Bartholomew’s
hospital in London 1835-1854 AD.
Sir William Osler is often recognized as the
founder of journal clubs in North America in
McGill University in 1875 AD.

16. Aim of Journal club
Till 1980’s it was to provide its member with up-to
date medical literature but quite recently it has
become a forum for teaching and learning critical
appraisal techniques and a method to promote
evidence-based medical practice.

17. Common journal club goals
1. Providing participation with an update of medical
or dental literature.
2. Teaching and learning the technique of critical
appraisal of available literature.
3. Promoting the importance of valid research
findings into regular practice at individual
or community level.

18. Benefits
Learning presentation skill
Feedback to the presenter.
Better performance.

19. Responsibility

20. Timetable and location

21. Preparation
Encourage the presenter to plan ahead.
Confirmed presentation.
Papers should be handed out to participant to read
in advance.

22. Presentation
Chalk and talk
Overhead projector
Power point

23. Delivery

24. Types of journal clubs
1. Journal clubs aimed at updating knowledge related to a
field of interest.
2.Journal club aimed at updating clinical practice.
3. Journal club which aim at teaching and learning critical
appraisal techniques with evidence based medicine and
dentistry.
a) critical appraisal Journal club
b) evidence based Journal club

26. 4. Problem based journal club- centered on a problem.
- format
5. Alternative journal club- video, book, review and
storytelling
6. Innovative journal club-a)
relating the learning task to immediate work
experience
b) use of problem solving
c) use of multiple teaching format
d) use of frequent constructive format.

27. How to start a
journal club?
1. Select a director
2. Define the goals
3. Optimize attendance
4. Generate participant interest
5. Special preparation for journal club with critical
appraisal techniques.

28. Guidelines
Introduction
Short review
Presenting and evaluating the data from the research
article
Briefly outline the experimental design for the paper.
By using the key figures from the paper, how the
data support the conclusion
Conclusion

29. Journal club should include
Title
Author and place of work
Introduction
Material
Methods
Results
Discussion
What questions to ask?
General rules.

30. Journal club format
Articles are selected by director and proposed by
student earlier.
Approval 2-3 weeks before.
A specific participant is assigned the task of
presenting the article.
Student should confidently present the content,
evaluation report with his/her own opinion and
defend with proper reasoning.

31. Journal club session

32. Journal club session
Round table
conference
Horse shoe
shaped

33. Journal club session contd…
1. Horse shoe or round table
2. Presenter initiates and lead the discussion
3. Moderator solicit the comments from participating
to stimulate discussion when they are not
forthcoming.
4. Director should direct the session and break
impasse when confronted by one
5. An attempt should be made by the members to
reach consensus especially in the wake of divergent
opinions.

34. Do’s and don’ts
Organizer
Presenter
•Timetable
•Snacks
•Supportive senior clinician
•Things for last minute
•Choose clinically relevant
papers
•Summary in own words
•Don’t run over the
allocated time

35. Select articles which have different study designs
Creating a controversy
Meticulous analysis of a single article
Problem based learning

36. Why journal club
Journal clubs are valued as a means
of keeping abreast with the literature.
Journal club offers a forum for teaching and learning
critical appraisal techniques.

37. Impact of journal club
Improves reading habits by enabling critical
thinking, meta-questioning, meta-thinking etc.
It expands the body of knowledge within a person.
It facilitates acquisition of new skills.
It induces scientific temperament by promoting
questioning attitude.

38. Impact of journal club contd…
Make the members to be more skeptical of the
authors conclusion.
It improves knowledge of clinical epidemiology and
biostatistics.

39. Evaluation of journal club
In order to keep the journal club stimulating to its
audience it will probably have to undergo periodic
refinement.
The best way to decide whether any adjustment are
necessary is to ask the participant whether they are
satisfied with the conference.

40. Conclusion

41. References
Nagesh L. a hand book on journal club and critical
evaluation.1st edition Davangere: kavitha printers and
book binding works.
Daniel RS. Techniques in medical education.BMJ
2002;325:137.
Valentini RP. The journal club. Technique in medical
education 96; 16:5-10.