Lead journal club?!
Journal Club “is an educational meeting in which a group of individuals discusses published articles to keep themselves abreast of new knowledge, promoting in them the awareness of current research findings, teaching them to critique and appraise research, and encouraging them to utilize research in the evidence-based practice of the specialty” (Surajit Bhattacharya, Indian J Plast. Surg., 2017).
I remember very clearly my first time presenting a paper to my peers in graduate school. I was terrified, afraid to be found out. I had no idea what I was doing, how to read the manuscript, what to focus on, etc. I didn’t know where to start. Yes, I was in a research lab as an undergraduate student; however, I don’t remember ever presenting a paper during a lab meeting. The feeling of inadequacy, fear of judgment, and anxiety that resulted from that experience are not circumstances I want my students to experience. I can honestly say, looking back, my presentation was of poor quality. The good news is I got better and better at doing this exercise with time, practice, and feedback from peers and professors. I was okay saying, “I don’t know,” or “I’m not sure.”
As a teacher who extensively relies on primary literature to transfer scientific knowledge, I have provided students in the classroom and the lab resources on how to summarize vs. critique a scientific paper. I have talked to my research mentees individually about how to present papers during lab meetings; however, it dawned on me that I could create a step-by-step document that I could share with my undergraduates and anyone who wishes to get better at or teach how to perform this activity. This blog is for all first-timers, learners, and teachers.
The following steps are my general approach to preparing and leading a journal club. They are not exhaustive; however, I hope they can serve as a stepping stone for learners to become more confident in discussing papers and leading journal clubs in class or the lab. Remember, practice makes you better!
How to prepare and lead a journal club
Part I: Getting information from the paper
Identify a paper relevant to your field of study or one of interest to you.
Read previous studies or reviews on what the paper is tackling to understand the foundation of the study and provide background on the topic.
Identify the central question the authors are trying to answer.
Identify the hypothesis. Note: Not all studies are hypothesis-driven, which is fine with me.
Describe the general approach used.
For each experiment (i.e., graphs/images/data presented), identify the question, the technique/assay used, and the results.
Summarize the authors’ interpretation of their data.
Part II - Evaluating (critiquing) the study
Did the authors answer their central question?
Do the data provided support the hypothesis?
Are the results the authors describe what you are seeing?
Are the data presented in a transparent manner to allow thorough analysis?
What are the limitations, if any, of the techniques used in the study?
Could the authors have used a better approach/method/assay to answer their question for a particular experiment?
Did the authors take into account the limitations of their assays/approaches in their description and interpretation of their data?
Do you agree with the authors’ conclusions?
What areas remain to be studied?
Note: Critiquing is very different from criticizing
Part III - Assembling the slide deck for journal club
Provide slides with background information for your audience to better understand the foundation on which the authors derived their research question and hypothesis.
Write the question and hypothesis of the paper on a slide.
Use your own diagram or other visuals to summarize the general approach used in the study.
For each experiment (figures), have the question, the data actual data, and the authors’ conclusions on a dedicated slide. If there are many panels in a figure, separating them is okay for clarity.
Include markers or clarifications in bullet points (avoid long sentences) to guide your audience as you describe the experiment. Feel free to include essential notes to help you and the audience as you go through the presentation.
Summarize the authors’ findings and their interpretations.
Summarize the flaws and strengths of the study.
Provide future directions if you were to were to join that research group.
Part IV - Presenting and leading the discussion
Be ready to answer questions about the background of the study.
Be prepared to answer questions about the experimental details. As the presenter, you are responsible (and expected) to be more thorough in your reading and analysis of the paper.
Be ready to discuss each experiment's strengths, flaws, and limitations. You can mention them as you present the data (my favorite approach) or list them at the end.
Have clear arguments to support your position, especially when identifying flaws. Be ready to provide sound alternatives.
Engage your audience in the discussion by calling on them, asking open-ended questions, requesting their thoughts, etc. Audience members, please, read the paper for lively discussions!!!
Be comfortable asking questions to your audience about what you couldn’t understand as you read the paper and did your own research.
Be comfortable saying “I don’t know”; pretending to know something when you don’t makes you look foolish. My favorite quote on this topic is: "Never pretend to knowledge, hunger for it." Ethan Canin - A Doubter's Almanac.
Be ready to discuss how what you learn from the paper applies to your research.
Finally, do not forget to have fun!
