Observational studies: how to go about them?

Different types of research studies have different methods of implementation and analyses. They also have advantages and certain limitations. While it is important to know these for doing research, it is equally important to know about them for searching the literature and limiting a search to any one or more types of studies in order to get the highest level of publications. In case you need help on understanding each type of study, this article explains the concepts clearly. It focuses on – observational studies: cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies. It addresses the methods involved, advantages and potential limitations, and finally briefly mentions the types of analyses used in these methods.

Appeared in QMedCONNECT – Vol 1, Issue 5,  June 2008