Dan Parkie 234 wrote:Thanks NF52,
That's exactly the type of peer reviewed literature I have been hoping to find.
Dan
Thanks, Dan! Peer-reviewed literature can be confusing, especially for a non-scientist like me, so I've been trying to educate myself by using Google Scholar as a source for searches, following links of articles that Pub Med and other sites show as "similar articles" or "Cited by". Even rabbit holes can expand my grasp of the complexities!
If you're looking for a relatively brief and easy-to-read resource on how to get the most out of things like "confidence intervals" and "double-blinded randomization", as well as looking differently at whether studies had 25 volunteers or a population-based cohort, I recommend
Basics for Evaluating Medical Research Studies: A Simplified Approach, by a group in the UK that teaches doctors and others how to critically assess studies. (Got mine on Kindle.)
Feel free to check the Search function in the upper right 3-dots if there are particular topics you're hoping to explore, or shoot me a Private Message if you have questions on how to use Google Scholar.
I see that you're a retired social worker. I had many colleagues in special education who were great social workers and wise friends. They taught me that understanding family and social systems made understanding an individual student much easier. Recognizing the strengths in every individual, regardless of external labels of disability, illness or impairment, makes supporting the individual's right to make meaningful choices, even if those seem mis-guided by my values. That's why this supportive community is a great for for people like you and me, and why your experience and wisdom in already supporting several others on this site is appreciated! We need that passion for sharing and self-determination in the fields of genetics, chronic health conditions, aging-in-place choices, and end-of-life choices.