1. JOURNAL CLUBS … a “how to”
Jane Orbell-Smith
District Librarian
Mackay Health Service District Library
August 2009

2. Why have a Journal Club?
Gain experience in searching published literature and obtaining journal articles.
Practice in presenting scientific data to your peers in a critical manner.
Develop understanding of discipline by drawing on colleagues areas of interest.

3. Starting a Journal Club
Identify interested colleagues,
Appoint a Coordinator,
Decide on venue, time & meeting scheduling (e.g. monthly),
Success depends on participants fulfilling their obligation to research and present paper.
Consider having guest speakers.

4. Starting a Journal Club: Coordinator’s Role
Call for topics,
Roster set & topics tasked to participants.
Room bookings,
PDF of article for discussion is saved to shared network drive,
to participants of event + file location of article on network.

5. Starting a Journal Club: Participant’s Role
Commitment to participate.
Literature search of topic.
Pdf of paper for discussion sent to coordinator two days prior to session.
Presentation at Journal Club session.
If non-presenter, read article prior to event and participate in discussion.

6. Journal Club: What’s in it for me?
Exposure to Evidence-based practice (EBP).
Review topics relevant to one’s own work area.
Practice construction and development of research questions.
Apply EBP to patient care.

7. How do I Find an Article to Present?
Literature search; identify key article.
Keyword search online databases via Library site.
Utilise QHEPS library resources (journals, databases, discipline specific resources.)
Contact the Library for help with literature searching and obtaining articles.
Don’t leave it to the “last minute”!

8. What is a Journal Article?
An opinion.
Presents advances in a discipline (still up to a 2 year lead in from writing to publishing)
Peer-review - objectivity and credibility.
A review of the literature or a report of an individual study.

9. Format of Journal Club One paper presented in 10-20 minutes, or
Several papers on similar topic summarised and presented by selected group members.
Discussion follows on:
Relevance to work unit,
Good aspects of the study,
Ways the study could be improved.

10. Useful References
Straus, S.E. (2005) Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM. (3rd ed.) Edinburgh: Churchill Livingston.
Evidence-based Paediatrics. (2004). Journal club guidelines. (retrieved 7/8/2007)

11. Further Assistance Contact your Librarian. Ph