How to run a successful 'Journal club'

Journal clubs are a great way to bring trainees/undergraduates with an interest in research together and to practise the skills of paper criticism and presentation.

Decide the following logistics:

• Who will take responsibility for the Journal club – will this be on a rolling basis?
• Who will be invited to attend – just trainees/undergraduates or consultants too?
• Where will you meet – who will book the venue? Will food be provided?
• How often and when will you meet?
• Will you provide certificates?
• How will you collect feedback so that you can improve?

When presenting:

• Choose a paper. You may choose something current/topical, a paper which considers a specific technique or a specific topic.
• Read the paper including the supplementary material.
• Check the impact factor of the journal and the background of the research group.
• Create a presentation which outlines and critically appraises the:
  
  
  • Introduction: purpose of the research
  • Methods: be able to explain these (look up anything you’re not familiar with)
  • Results: go through each figure in turn
  • Discussion: do you agree with the conclusions? what are the clinical/research implications?
• Email the paper in advance to the group.
• Allow time for questions, discussion and debate.

Don’t forget to record your involvement on your CV.