Strata Academy – free research methods guides

Framework explainers, statistics primers, and workflow guides for medical students and trainees. All guides are free.

• How to Critically Appraise a Research Paper (Complete Guide)

  10-step appraisal workflow: design, bias, statistics, applicability. Pick the right framework (ROB 2, QUADAS-2, AMSTAR 2) and try StrataResearch on your PDF.

• Study designs explained for critical appraisal

  Student-friendly guide to research study designs: when to use ROB 2, ROBINS-I, STROBE, QUADAS-2, AMSTAR 2, and how design affects what conclusions you can draw.

• Which Critical Appraisal Framework Should I Use?

  Not sure which appraisal tool fits your paper? Free interactive picker maps study design to ROB 2, PRISMA 2020, AMSTAR 2, GRADE, QUADAS-2, and workflow guides.

• PRISMA vs AMSTAR 2: What's the Difference?

  PRISMA 2020 checks how well a systematic review is reported; AMSTAR 2 checks how well it was conducted. Side-by-side comparison, student FAQ, and appraisal workflow.

• How to Do a Systematic Review: Step-by-Step Methodology

  PICO, search strategy, screening, data extraction, risk of bias, synthesis — student workflow from question to write-up. Free guide with PRISMA and AMSTAR 2 links.

• How to Read a Forest Plot & Meta-Analysis (Step-by-Step)

  Forest plot, pooled diamond, fixed vs random effects, I², funnel plots — with Cochrane examples. Try the interactive forest plot, then appraise a review PDF.

• How to Register a Systematic Review on PROSPERO (Step-by-Step)

  Register your systematic review on PROSPERO: eligibility criteria, search strategy, outcomes, and analysis plan. Step-by-step for UK medical students with PROSPERO field guide and common errors.

• PROSPERO Amendments & Protocol Deviations Explained

  PROSPERO amendments and protocol deviations for systematic reviews: when to update your CRD record, documenting changes for PRISMA, and avoiding selective reporting concerns. UK medical student guide.

• Systematic Review Data Extraction: Forms, Dual Review & PRISMA

  Step-by-step data extraction for systematic reviews: custom forms, dual independent extraction, piloting, conflict resolution, and PRISMA reporting. Free student guide with Cochrane-aligned workflow.

• How to Appraise a Cohort Study: STROBE, ROBINS-I & NOS

  Appraise cohort studies with STROBE reporting, ROBINS-I risk of bias, and Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Confounding, selection bias, and when not to use ROB 2 — free guide for medical students.

• Living systematic reviews – keeping evidence up to date

  Living systematic reviews explained: continuous evidence surveillance, update frequency, Cochrane Living Evidence, differences from standard systematic reviews, and student considerations.

• Umbrella Reviews & Overviews of Systematic Reviews Explained

  Umbrella reviews and overviews of systematic reviews explained: methodology, AMSTAR 2 appraisal of included reviews, overlap, and differences from standard systematic reviews. Guide for UK medical students.

• Health Economics in Systematic Reviews (Intro)

  Health economics in systematic reviews: when to include cost-effectiveness studies, CHEERS checklist basics, GRADE economics, and appraisal tips for UK medical students reading economic evidence in reviews.

• Patient & Public Involvement in Systematic Reviews

  Patient and public involvement (PPI) in systematic reviews: when to involve patients, PPI at protocol, search, interpretation and dissemination stages, and documentation for UK medical student dissertations and NIHR expectations.

• Literature Screening: Title/Abstract & Full-Text Methods

  Dual screening, Cohen's kappa, Covidence/Rayyan workflow, AI-assisted screening limits. Part of the systematic review methodology cluster.

• AI for Systematic Reviews: What Works (and What Fails)

  When AI helps screening vs when it hallucinates ROB 2 tables. Compare StrataResearch vs ChatGPT for framework-aligned appraisal.

• Systematic Review Search Strategy: MEDLINE, Embase & CENTRAL

  Step-by-step systematic review search strategy for MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL. MeSH, Emtree, free text, librarian peer review, and PRISMA-S reporting for UK medical students.

• Grey Literature & Thesis Searching for Systematic Reviews

  How to search grey literature and theses for systematic reviews: OpenGrey, ProQuest, conference proceedings, trial registries, and reporting in PRISMA. Student guide aligned with Cochrane methods.

• Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews: Study-Level vs Review-Level

  Study-level vs review-level risk of bias: ROB 2 for included RCTs, AMSTAR 2 for systematic review quality, ROBIS for review conduct. Free guide for students appraising or conducting systematic reviews.

• Diagnostic Accuracy Appraisal: QUADAS-2 & STARD Workflow

  Step-by-step diagnostic accuracy appraisal with QUADAS-2 and STARD. Patient flow, verification bias, applicability, and likelihood ratios — workflow guide for UK medical students.

• Case-Control vs Cohort Studies: Framework Selection Guide

  Case-control vs cohort study designs explained for medical students: when to use each, confounding and recall bias, and which appraisal framework applies (STROBE, ROBINS-I, NOS).

• Network Meta-Analysis Explained for Students

  Network meta-analysis explained for medical students: indirect comparisons, transitivity assumption, consistency checks, league tables, and reporting standards. Cochrane-aligned guide with GRADE considerations.

• GRADE Summary of Findings Tables Explained

  Summary of Findings tables explained: relative and absolute effects, GRADE certainty ratings, downgrade footnotes, and how SoF tables link to forest plots and clinical decisions.

• Funnel Plots & Publication Bias in Meta-Analysis

  Funnel plots and publication bias in meta-analysis: asymmetry explained, Egger test limits, trim-and-fill sensitivity, trial registries, and linking funnel plots to GRADE certainty downgrades.

• 12-Week Systematic Review Timeline for Student Dissertations

  12-week systematic review dissertation timeline: PICO, PROSPERO, search, dual screening, data extraction, ROB 2, meta-analysis, GRADE, and write-up — realistic plan for UK medical students.

• CONSORT vs ROB 2: Reporting vs Risk of Bias

  CONSORT vs ROB 2 explained: reporting transparency vs risk of bias in RCTs. When to use each tool, flow diagram vs signalling questions, and student appraisal workflow.

• Clinical vs Statistical Significance Explained

  Clinical vs statistical significance: p-values, confidence intervals, MCID, absolute risk reduction, and NNT. When significant results are clinically trivial — guide for medical students.

• Effect Measures for Meta-Analysis: RR, OR, HR, MD & SMD

  Effect measures for meta-analysis: RR vs OR vs HR, mean difference vs SMD, log scales, null values, and when not to pool. Forest plot reading with interactive tool for medical students.

• Student Journal Club Facilitator Guide (Critical Appraisal)

  Student journal club facilitator guide: choosing papers, 45-minute session structure, ROB 2 and AMSTAR 2 teaching, PICO framing, and critical appraisal discussion prompts for UK medical students.

• SSC & Intercalated Research Project Proposal Template

  SSC and intercalated research project proposal template for UK medical students: PICO, background, methods, feasibility, ethics, supervision plan, and 12-week timeline for systematic reviews and critical appraisal projects.

• Risk-of-Bias Tables & Figures for Journal Club

  Risk-of-bias tables and figures for journal club: ROB 2 traffic-light plots, summary bar charts, AMSTAR 2 presentation, Cochrane-style figures, and slide tips for UK medical students facilitating appraisal.

• How to Appraise Qualitative Research: Complete Guide for Students

  Complete student guide to appraising qualitative research: sampling, methods, thematic analysis, CASP & JBI checklists, COREQ reporting, meta-ethnography, and limits of quantitative appraisal tools.

• P-Values vs Confidence Intervals — What to Report

  Clear guide to p-values and confidence intervals for medical students: interpretation, common errors, and AMA/Cochrane-aligned reporting – for critical appraisal of clinical papers.

• Sample Size & Statistical Power for Students

  Guide to sample size calculations, statistical power, and Type I/II errors when critically appraising clinical research papers.

• Regression Essentials for Critical Appraisal

  Student guide to interpreting regression in medical papers: linear and logistic regression, hazard ratios, adjustment for confounders, and reporting standards.

• Missing Data in Clinical Studies: Attrition, ITT & Imputation

  Appraise missing data in RCTs and cohort studies: intention-to-treat, attrition bias, multiple imputation, and sensitivity analyses. Links to ROB 2 Domain 3 and ROBINS-I.

• I² & Heterogeneity in Meta-Analysis Explained

  I², τ², fixed and random effects models, funnel plots, and when not to pool. Links to forest plot guide and GRADE certainty ratings.

• Sensitivity, Specificity & Likelihood Ratios Explained

  Guide to diagnostic accuracy studies for students: sensitivity, specificity, LR+, LR−, ROC curves, pre-test probability, and QUADAS-2 appraisal with STARD reporting.

• ROB 2 Explained: Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for RCTs (2026 Guide)

  5 ROB 2 domains explained with signalling questions, worked RCT example & free interactive tool. Appraise your PDF with Cochrane-aligned scoring.

• ROBINS-I Explained: Bias in Non-Randomised Studies

  7 ROBINS-I domains for cohort and intervention studies — when to use ROBINS-I instead of ROB 2. Free guide; StrataResearch routes observational papers automatically.

• JBI critical appraisal tools explained – observational study checklists

  JBI critical appraisal tools explained: which checklist for case series, cross-sectional, cohort, and qualitative studies. Student guide to JBI methodology and common mapping errors.

• CASP checklists explained – critical appraisal skills for students

  CASP checklists explained: Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tools for RCTs, cohort studies, qualitative research, and systematic reviews. Reporting clarity vs risk of bias for students.

• Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) explained – cohort and case–control studies

  Newcastle–Ottawa Scale explained: NOS stars for cohort and case–control studies, selection comparability and outcome domains, and when to prefer ROBINS-I for intervention studies.

• CONSORT Checklist Explained for RCT Reporting

  CONSORT 2010 items vs ROB 2 risk of bias — don't confuse reporting with validity. Free student guide with official CONSORT links.

• QUADAS-2 Explained: Diagnostic Study Appraisal

  Patient selection, index test, reference standard, flow — applicability concerns included. Interactive domain walkthrough. Try StrataResearch on diagnostic PDFs.

• AMSTAR 2 Explained: Appraise Systematic Review Quality

  16 AMSTAR 2 domains, critical vs non-critical items, weak/moderate/strong ratings. See how StrataResearch auto-maps AMSTAR 2 on uploaded reviews.

• PRISMA 2020 Checklist & Flow Diagram Explained (Free Guide)

  27-item PRISMA 2020 checklist, flow diagram walkthrough, PROSPERO registration, and how PRISMA differs from AMSTAR 2. Interactive flow + quiz. Appraise reviews with StrataResearch.

• ROBIS explained – risk of bias in systematic reviews

  ROBIS tool explained: risk of bias in systematic reviews across study eligibility, identification, selection, data collection, synthesis, and reporting. Pair with AMSTAR 2 and PRISMA 2020.

• GRADE Framework Explained: Certainty of Evidence (Free Guide)

  High/moderate/low/very low certainty, downgrade factors, Summary of Findings tables. Interactive GRADE walkthrough + link to meta-analysis guide.

• Cochrane heterogeneity explained – I², τ², and prediction intervals

  Cochrane handbook heterogeneity explained: I², τ², chi-squared test, prediction intervals, clinical vs statistical heterogeneity, and when meta-analysis pooling is inappropriate.