B - Reading scientific articles

Lang TA. The illusion of certainty and the certainty of illusion: a caution when reading scientific articles. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;2(2):118-123

The article provides an example of the analyses needed to understand a single sentence in a scientific journal. In so doing, it raises several interesting issues of meaning, measurement, statistical analyses, and the form in which results are presented and interpreted. According to the author, most authors have never been taught how to communicate technical information in writing, and most journals do not have the time to edit a paper thoroughly.

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