Methods in epidemiology and public health: does practice match theory?
Journal of Epidemiology & Community HealthPublished 1 February 2001Open access
Douglas L. Weed
Citations30
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.78
SNIP1.24
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TL;DR
Three methods are of particular interest: meta-analysis, causal inference, and techniques for systematic narrative literature reviews are selected because serious concerns have been raised about how each is practised.
Keywords
MedicineHealth Professions
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