Notebook AtlasSURG0002 · Research methods

PBL Session 3 · Q1 of 2

Lectures 7–8 · Bias-domain table · 13 marks

Paper extract and scenario

Paper needed

PMC7946021: IPN hydrogel as an embolic agent in TACE (preclinical mouse study)

This question needs: The methods text on allocation ('randomly divided into three groups'), group sizes ('Five mice were included in each group'), caregiver and outcome-assessor blinding, outcome assessment, and any pre-registered protocol.

The paper is not in the course folder, so no extract is shown here. For the session: Extracts (aim sentence, animal allocation and group sizes, outcome assessment methods, any protocol registration) from PMC7946021.

Open the paper (new tab)

Scenario · PBL handout

Scenario. Please note that for the purpose of this session, all the questions relate to the specific report (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7946021/) and not to the study (there could be multiple reports of the same study reporting on the same aspect or different aspects: if you find multiple reports of the same study, you should use the maximum information from all the reports for your assessment). Please identify the following.

Your copy of the extract

Open the paper, copy the passage this question needs, and to highlight it. It stays on this device.

Select a phrase above, then press this to quote it.

PBL3 Q18 marks

List the major systematic errors in this study? Please use the bias domains described in the lecture or you can use the tool which is specific to the study design as the framework for assessment of systematic errors.

Quote from the paper

Bias-domain table

Judge each domain Low, Unclear or High, with your reason and a quote from the paper L7 p.12.

Domain	Low	Unclear	High	Your reason
confounding
selection of participants
classification of interventions
deviations from intended interventions
missing data
measurement of outcomes
selection of the reported result

Your answer

Write your answer first; the model answer and its rubric open below.