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Teaching

How to run a successful 'Journal club'


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.