Welcome Pritzker Summer Research Program Research Seminar #2

1. Welcome Pritzker Summer Research Program Research Seminar #2

2. Quick Check In • Cluster group meetings? • Other problems? • Logistics? (epic, etc.) • Mentor? • Mixed feelings about project? • Seek guidance of your mentor, cluster leader, or SRP Directors • If you email ME, cc Dr. Wolfson & Kate Blythe and tell us your mentor’s name and title of your project for a more timely response

3. Last Week • References • Any issues with Zotero? • Any issues with SRP website? • Introduction • Keep in mind your entire paper is roughly 3K words so not too much time on this • End with Aims & Hypothesis

4. Today • Assembling a final paper • What are the other parts? • Short review on statistical testing • Writing abstracts (for end of summer) • Tips to Survive SRP & S&D Transition

5. Methods • Step by step detailed protocol • In general, 3 main paragraphs • Study Design • Data Collection • Data Analysis

6. Study Design…including Setting & Population • Design • Retrospective or prospective? • RCT, pre-post, observational? • Setting: Where conducted? • Multicenter, single institution, in a lab, in the community. • Population: Who or what was studied? • People, cell lines, etc. • In enough detail so reader can assess generalizability • Often end with IRB/IACUC approval or exemption statement

7. Data Collection • Step by step, how was data collected • May use sub-sub headings if many types of methods • Give examples • how a survey question was worded & scale used • Describe any products/instruments used (inc manufacturer) and units reported • Reference studies that use these methods or validate these methods • Past tense • since it was done- not copied from IRB app or grant!

8. Data Analysis • Calculations used to arrive at the results • Data were analyzed using.. . • Specific tests • Qualitative or Quantitative • Any software or product used • How statistical or clinical significance was defined • Multiple comparisons may necessitate more conservative p values

9. Pitfalls of Methods • No data analysis section due to a fear of statistics • Too short • Not enough detail to understand study • Assuming that others know what your method is • No mention of IRB/IACUC • No methods references

10. Results • Remember to start with the basics • “Descriptive statistics” - basic # to demonstrate • Describe study sample characteristics • Often referring to “Table 1” • Examples • # of experiments you’ve done • # of people you have enrolled (response rate)

11. Results • Consider the “flow” – give most important results first or “set up” the important ones • Important results relate to your hypothesis • Followed by “secondary” results that are less important but interesting or characterize a finding further • Consider flow with your mentor • Likely will continue to work on results rest of summer (Upload a placeholder)

12. Project not working? • It is OK if… • Hypothesis is disproven • p value is >0.05 • enrollment is low • results are slow • If a project is NOT working… • Meet with mentor to troubleshoot • IRB issues? Methodological problem? • Change direction?

13. Need Statistical Help • Use your mentor and resources of your mentor’s lab, Dept, colleagues etc. • May have a statistician for the project • Or someone they curbside for stats questions • Revisit notes from Dr. Lauderdale’s class • If your mentor needs help… • biostatistics assistance available to faculty (and their students) • Save for when you need it –at critical point • Costs $$$ after 2h of use (to your mentor) • http://biotime.uchicago.edu/

15. Initial Approaches to Data Analysis • Describe the variables • Height /weight ? • Likert type data ? (Strongly agree to strongly disagree) • Gender? • Race? / Specialty you will go into? • This is the KEY to decide what statistical test to use

16. Categorical Outcome http://www.socr.ucla.edu/Applets.dir/ChoiceOfTest.html

17. Categorical Outcome

18. Ordinal Outcome

19. Ordinal Outcome

20. Binary Outcome

21. Binary Outcome

22. Continuous Outcome

23. Continuous Outcome

24. Figures/ Graphs / Tables • Show the data the best you can • Tables and Graphs should be “stand alone” • That is they should convey the meaning of the data without HAVING to read the paper • Often this will require a legend • Be very careful with abbr. - explain in legend

25. How Most People Read Journals • Read Title • Read Intro (first few lines) to decide to read further • Look at figures/ tables to see if they can get the gist of your work • Read conclusion But, reviewers do not read this way! Neither do those “looking for your article”

26. Discussion • 1st paragraph – Summarize the results in word form • Can add if this was the ‘first study’ of its kind • Make sure it is clear whether you accept or reject hypothesis • You will feel like you are REPEATING yourself

27. Discussion • 2nd paragraph – Mechanisms for these findings • No new data from the study here • Were there any findings that were surprising? Or was this to be expected? • Can frame in context of other results / studies but use references sparingly (avoid reference rehash)

28. Discussion • 3rd paragraph – Implications for these findings • What do these findings mean for patients or clinicians? • Or other stakeholders?? • What type of future work is needed to answer follow up questions?

29. Discussion • 4th paragraph – Limitations • Be comprehensive • All studies have limitations • Don’t get in the habit of saying “study limited by…but we did this…” • 5th paragraph – Conclusions • No more than 2-3 sentences summing up your main findings • Feels like you are repeating yourself!

30. Some common limitations • Single institution limiting generalizability • Small study • Few samples • Calibration / instrument errors • Results not replicated • Cannot make causal associations (true for any observation study EVEN if you use regression) • …many others…

31. Pitfalls of Discussion • Not summarizing first paragraph or following the ‘recipe’ of the paragraphs • Introducing new data from study • Too many references • Too few limitations • Overinterpreting the findings • Stick to what data shows (correlation NOT causation)

32. Reminder Paper • Select a journal • Or use JAMA format • Double spaced • Under 3000 words (or specify your journal format) • Fewer than 5 tables or figures • Upload to SRP website by paper deadline

33. Managing Expectations • TIME • your timeline consistent with mentor/lab? • OUTCOME • VERY UNUSUAL to have paper ready to submit to journal at end of summer • Publicationdepends on factors out of your control (Project, mentor, scientific climate) • Even a good project takes years to publish

34. What Might You Have? • Abstract Writing • Writing a good abstract is critical to scientific research • Why?

35. Challenge of Writing a Good Abstract • Many people find it harder to be terse • Or do not choose the most relevant information • Key is to stay big picture and focus on the MAIN points

36. Submitting to a meeting • Abstracts are your entry point to get to meetings • Look up the format for when you write – DO NOT JUST WRITE 1st --what is the word count (write that at the bottom so you know how far over/under you are always)

37. Abstract writing • VERY different from papers • No references • Usually 250-500 words (required for those of you on NIH training grants) so keep it very brief • Same format “IMRaD” or a format they specify (i.e. “innovation abstracts)

38. Abstract Writing • Always takes longer than you think • Start early! • Get feedback • Can often write the background and methods while you wait for the results

39. Keys to Good Abstracts • Intro sets the stage but does not go into more depth than needed. only 1-2 sentences • Methods understandable (not vague/skimpy) • Results – provide the data to support main points (need to decide what those are) • Conclusion reinforces main points and includes forward thinking implications for future work

40. Tips to Surviving SRP • Focus on the process and making sure you are on top of your assignments • Results should come eventually and sometimes no way to ‘force’ them • Figure out how to troubleshoot & consider plans B & C • Sometimes you have to change your hypothesis to accommodate this change too

41. Tips to Surviving SRP • Cultivate a working relationship & rhythm with your mentor and mentor’s lab • Proactively communicate but respect their competing obligations that prevent you from being their top priority at every moment • Graduating students will tell us that finding a good mentor is the key to a successful experience (not the “project”)

42. Tips to Surviving SRP • The timeline to produce anything meaningful is LONG • People spend their whole lives on making one breakthrough • You have 10 weeks • This is in some ways a ‘jumpstart’ to learning about research and your interests

43. Tips to Surviving SRP • Do not focus on “publishing” a paper • Will just annoy your mentor • Want to see you genuinely interested in work • Think about more appropriate dissemination for a first step • SRP Forum counts! • Internal conferences “Dept of Surgery Research Day” • Regional or national conference • The first step is submitting an abstract

44. Needed for Payday! • Check #1 available AFTER… • Requires validation of • References • Hypothesis • Introduction

45. Authorship workshop • Led by Dr. Wolfson at next SRP Lecture August 4th • Part of REQUIRED research ethics curriculum • Dr. Valerie Press on Effective Scientific Presentations • What you need to know to present at SRP Forum • Also should be further along

46. SRP  S&D? (n=64, Aug 2013)

47. SRP  S&D? (n=64, Aug 2013)

48. Looking Forward to MS2 • Some of you will continue your project as part of Scholarship & Discovery MS2 Block (5 weeks at end of MS2 year after USMLE before mS3) • Some of you may not want to because • Your project is at a natural stopping point • Your interests have changed • Your project is not working that well

49. Fall MS2 • Submit track application in early NOVEMBER • Although this seems like a long time away, the key is that you don’t start back until Sept 22nd (which is really already October) • So, if you have an inclination to switch, you may want to think about new mentors for your MS2 year S&D block

50. Some pitfalls • MS2 think they get more done than they will during MS2 year before the Block starts • They don’t factor in how time consuming CPP&T or how tiring studying for USMLE is • Many want to “start” a new project since all they have to do is “finish a paper” from SRP • “finishing a paper” easily takes more than 5 weeks! • Don’t take on too much