1

LITERATURE ANALYSIS FORM (LAF): for a Literature Review* or Meta-Analysis

(* = either Systematic or Traditional)
Short Version of the LAF: for use in Case Presentation Seminars
STUDENT PRESENTER: _________________________________ Date of Presentation: ___/____/____
ARTICLE TITLE:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR(S): ______________________________________________________________________________
JOURNAL REFERENCE:
____________________________________________________________________
THE RESEARCH QUESTION
1. Write the Research Question that this reviewed collection of original studies were addressing.
(include a clear statements of the; 1) Indep Var, 2) Dep Var, and 3) Relevant Population/Study Characteristics)
[TIP: use the 2 H0 Format slides from the SAPL Skills Clue Sheet as a model to create your answer to this question]

These studies were conducted to determine whether _______________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
TYPES OF STUDIES that were Included in this Review or Meta-Analysis
2. Classify the studies as either: (circle only one option below if all the studies were of one type,
but, if more than one type of study was summarized in the report, write the # of articles of
each specific type of study on the short line before each study type below)
[TIP: use the 4 Questions to ID type of Epidemiologic Study slide from the SAPL Skills Clue Sheet]

___ Lab Study Analytical Epi Experimental Epi

___ Cross-sectional ___ Randomized Clinical
___ Case History ___ Case Control Trial (RCT)
___ Retrospective Cohort ___ Other type of clinical
___ Descriptive Epi ___ Prospective Cohort trial
3. Amongst the articles included in this Review or Meta Analysis, how many of the specific articles
included had the following levels of inherent potential to make a statement of causation:
(on the short line before each below answer, write the # of articles with that level of inherent
potential for a statement of causation) [TIP: use Cylinders of Causation slide on SAPL Clue Sheet]
#

___ very strong

___ strong
___ moderate
___ nonexistent

30

RESULTS:
4. Summarize the findings on this reviewed set of studies as drawn by the author(s):
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Were the findings, as reported, of practical/clinical importance? __ Yes __ No
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION
6. Does the discussion proceed logically based on set of studies presented? ___ Yes ___ No
7. Does the author state that cause and effect is proven by this set of studies? __ Yes ___ No
8. In your opinion is this claim justified by: __ the data analysis.and/or __ the research methods
9. Do the author(s) avoid generalizing beyond the limitations of the project? __ Yes __ No
UTILITY of this article and its findings for your dental practice
10. What is the effect of the eligibility criteria used to select the set of original studies in this
report? (select one choice)
___ so restrictive that I cannot see any generalizability back to patients in my practice at all
___ somewhat restrictive so I would have be intelligently selective as to whom I generalize
these findings (write out details on to whom you could generalize these findings in #12 below)
___ given the eligibility criteria as stated, I could apply these findings to all patients in my practice
11. State specifically how (and for whom) you would incorporate these findings into your practice.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

31

LITERATURE ANALYSIS FORM (LAF): for a Published Original Study

Short Version of the LAF: for use in Case Presentation Seminars
STUDENT PRESENTER: _______________________________ Date of Presentation: ___/____/____
ARTICLE TITLE:
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR(S): ___________________________________________________________
JOURNAL REFERENCE: _________________________________________________
THE RESEARCH QUESTION
1. Write the Null Hypothesis (either as implied or explicitly stated), if the study has one.
(include a clear statements of the 1) Indep Var, 2) Dep Var, and 3) Relevant Population/Study
Characteristics)
____ There is no Null Hypothesis associated with this study. OR.write the implied H0 below:
[TIP: use the 2 H0 Format slides from the SAPL Skills Clue Sheet as a model to create your answer to
this question]
There is no difference between _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
TYPE OF STUDY
2.. Classify the study as either:
[TIP: use the 4 Questions to ID type of Epidemiologic Study slide from the SAPL Skills Clue Sheet]
___ Lab Study Analytical Epi Experimental Epi
___ Cross-sectional ___ Randomized Clinical
___ Case History ___ Case Control Trial (RCT)
___ Retrospective Cohort ___ Other type of clinical
___ Descriptive Epi ___ Prospective Cohort trial
3. Check the key study design elements that justify your above classification:
__ presence of a Null Hypothesis, i.e., a research question with Indep & Dep variables
__ dichotomized study sample on either: __ Indep Varor __ Dep Var.or __ Neither
__ study is either: __ a retrospective studyor __ a prospective study
__ yes, subjects assigned to group by investigator?
4. The inherent potential for this type of epidemiologic study to make a statement of causation is:
[TIP: use Cylinders of Causation slide on SAPL Clue Sheet]
___ very strong
___ strong
___ moderate
___ nonexistent

32

ISOLATING THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (Eliminating Potential Confounding Variables)

5. Did the study design isolate the independent variable by 1 or more techniques? __Yes __ No
If yes, check appropriate specific techniques used .and list 1-3 potential confounders
controlled that were controlled for by the use of that specific technique:
[Tip: use the Isolating the Independent Variable slide from the SAPL Skills Clue Sheet]
Specific Technique list 1-3 Potential confounders controlled for by this technique
___ used a control group __________________________________________________
___ eligibility criteria __________________________________________________
___ adjusted statistical analyses __________________________________________________
___ other: ____________ __________________________________________________
(specify)
RESULTS
6. Were the statistical tests used appropriate for the level of measurement? __ Yes __ No __ none used
7. Were the findings, as reported, of statistical significance? __ Yes __ No __ not stated
8. Were the findings, as reported, of practical/clinical importance? __ Yes __ No
9. In this study as published, which error ( or ) is of primary concern to you as a reader?
__  error only __  error only ___ both
10. Were the findings true/real findings?
.or do the findings reflect an  or  error, i.e, are, in fact, due to chance alone?
____ they are true/real findings
____ they were due to chance alone (i.e., reflect an  or  error)
____ one cannot know this
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION
11. Does the discussion proceed logically based on the data presented? ___ Yes ___ No
12. Does the author claim cause and effect relationship? __ Yes ___ No
13. In your opinion is this claim justified by: __ the data analysis.and/or __ the research methods
14. Do the author(s) avoid generalizing beyond the limitations of the project? __ Yes __ No
UTILITY of this article and its findings for your dental practice
15. State whether you would incorporate findings of this article into your dental practice.
__ yes __ yes, but __ no __ no, but
16. State specifically how (and for whom) you would incorporate these findings into your practice.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

33