How to read a paper

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How to Read a Paper
The basics of evidence-based medicine
FO U R T H ED ITION

In November 1995, my friend Ruth Holland, book reviews editor of the British Medical Journal, suggested that I write a book to demystify the important but often inaccessible subject of evidence-based medicine. She provided invaluable comments on earlier drafts of themanuscript, but was tragically killed in a train crash on 8th August 1996. This book is dedicated to her memory.

How to Read a Paper
The basics of evidence-based medicine
FOUR TH ED ITION

Trisha Greenhalgh
Professor of Primary Health Care Centre for Health Sciences Queen Mary, University of London London UK

This edition first published 2010 © 2010 by Patricia Greenhalgh BMJ Books is animprint of BMJ Publishing Group Limited, used under licence by Blackwell Publishing which was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell’s publishing programme has been merged with Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell. Registered office: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK Editorial offices:9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, USA

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