Clinical Research: Concept Tutorials

This guide is to help students in PCC's Clinical Research course to find and understand professional and research literature.

Library and research concepts

Below are several videos and materials that introduce some concepts we'll use in the Library & Research module. These are:

  • Types of articles
  • Bibliographic databases
  • Peer review process for scientific and scholarly journal articles
  • How to read a scientific article

Video: What are Library Databases and Why do you Need Them?

How to read a scholarly journal article

The hidden side of clinical trials, TEDxMadrid

Clinical Research, from ECRAN Project

Types of Articles

There are many different types of articles. The chart below can help you figure out which type(s) you're looking for or identify an article you've already found:

Decorative image of a newspaper News articles provide the most current information. Certain newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, are also known for thoughtful, in-depth analyses of important topics and events.
Decorative image of a magazine cover Popular magazine articles can help you generate ideas about issues, controversies, or unanswered questions about a topic, which you might want to explore further. They sometimes refer to studies or scholarly work that you can track down for more information.
Decorative image of a trade magazine cover Trade publications are written by and for professionals within an industry. These are an excellent source of very specific information from inside the field.
Decorative image of a scholarly journal cover Scholarly journal articles go through a process of peer review before they are published. They are written by experts in the field (the people with letters after their name!) and their purpose is to advance the ongoing body of work within the discipline. These articles might present original research data and findings, or take a position on a key question within the field. They can be difficult to read, because their intended audience is other experts and academics, but they are at the top of the line when it comes to authoritative information.

What is Peer Review?

Infographic describing the peer-review process.