The world wide web continues to make exchange of information be disseminated far too easily, so much so the public is starting to get more discerned ( and disenchanted).
For some of you, who may take heart in either sharing or reading medical research studies, this article gives a more holistic viewpoint on how and what one can look at when it comes to the new buzz word of research paper findings -- the "meta-analyses"
It is indeed eye-opening experience for me, as a fitness and health professional, to be aware of what is going on both in the private health arena as well as the academic /medical research world.
As professionals, we definitely have the duty and the right to keep ourselves as relevant as possible to the latest data findings, without having a "close-minded" perspectives of what we think is "definitely" right.
In the nut shell to summarize, how to ensure if meta-analyses papers are of good quality read:
1. Ensure that the authors of the meta analyses have communicated with the original authors of the studies to ensure that their findings have been accurately represented and interpreted.
2. Authors of the meta-analyses to reveal their research methods and interpretation
3. Meta-analyses to include all original data , not just the summary data
4. To have a "open-source -like log book of communications between all authors and parties involved, that is accessible to all to read (This is really one of the key component to ensure healthy collaboration towards moving forward as a collective for both the respective industry and care of the human population)
5. Lastly, editors and journalists who publish meta-analyses papers in their articles to be reviewed or regulated or accreditated to ensure they understand the analysis of the data published as well as demonstrate expertise in the field. ( The role of media continues to be even more powerful and important in today's hyper-connected world)
link to article:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2017/09/18/meta-analyses-nutrition-research-sources-of-insight-or-confusion/
