Types of research
There are different methods to conduct scientific research
Meta-analysis
A meta-analysis is a method of summarizing the results of the same research purpose and comprehensively evaluating its combined effect. It can be an objective, systematic, comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative statistical analysis. It has functions that improve estimates of effect, construct a general review method for omitting inadequate study conclusions, and reinforce the effectiveness of statistical results to yield more comprehensive and reliable study results that are more representative of the general population.
Systematic review
An analysis comparing and summarizing the data from different studies on a certain topic.
Randomized control trials
A study comparing the relation cause-effect into two groups, where one receives the real treatment and the other one a placebo or no treatment. Participants are randomly assigned to either the control or intervention group, reducing the selection bias.
Cohort studies
Cohort studies are longitudinal studies that follow research subjects over a period of time to examine outcomes across different groups.
Case-controlled study
A study comparing two groups: one with and the other without a certain disease, however with similar characteristics. The aim is to try identifying the factors leading to the disease.
Case report
The case report is a specific type of research design that reports on an aspect of the management of one or two patients. It is the first piece of research writing in the health field and represents the most basic type of study design.
How to read research statistics
Absolute
Risk
Absolute risk is the risk of an individual developing a disease such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), or cancer over a certain period. The higher the absolute risk, the more likely it is that something happens, even though it is not guaranteed to take place.
Relative
Risk
The relative risk is the risk for individuals exposed to a factor compared with the risk among those not exposed. The relative risk expresses how much more or less likely the outcome is to occur in exposed individuals.
