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Two short courses run in sequence for postgraduate residents in endodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics at Rīga Stradiņš University. Each course has 4 sessions of 3 hours, split into two blocks of 1.5 hours.
Scope. Both courses teach the basic vocabulary of evidence-based dentistry and research methods. They cover less than the essentials. Residents finish with an overview of each topic and the terms they need to continue learning on their own or in advanced courses.
IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT
We use our own minds. We read physical pages, take handwritten notes, and explain ideas aloud in our own words.
Requirements.
A paper notebook. No tablet or computer for notes.
Pencils and markers.
A folder for the printed papers.
Course 2 only: a laptop with jamovi installed.
Method. Residents receive the papers before each session. Print them, read them and annotate them by hand. Prepare a 15-minute explanation of each paper: the question, the design, the results and the clinical meaning.
A randomly chosen resident presents each paper. Presenters use the notebook and hand-drawn diagrams. No slides. The goal is to show your own understanding of the paper.
After each presentation, the group discusses doubts, limitations and clinical use. Every resident takes part.
In Course 1, phones, laptops and AI tools stay closed, except in the Session 2 search practical. In Course 2, laptops stay open for jamovi during the practicals. Residents plan each analysis and write the interpretation by hand first.
Practical activity. In Course 1, each resident follows one case from their specialty through PICO question, search, appraisal and clinical decision, and presents it in 15 minutes in Session 4. In Course 2, each resident writes a one-page protocol and analyses a practice dataset.
Assessment. Participation in discussion, completion of the practical task in each session, and the final output of each course.
Facilitator. Sergio E. Uribe, DDS, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor and Lead Researcher.
Overview
Overview
Course 1: Evidence-based dentistry
Course 1: Evidence-based dentistry
Learning outcomes. By the end, residents will:
Recognise a gap in their own knowledge and write it as a PICO question.
Search PubMed, Web of Science, TRIP and OpenEvidence, and compare what each returns.
Check whether an AI-generated reference exists and supports the claim.
Appraise a paper for validity, importance and applicability, using the key components of its study design.
Combine evidence, patient values and clinical experience into one decision.
Method. Residents receive the papers before each session, print them and bring handwritten notes. Presentations use a notebook and hand-drawn diagrams. No slides.
Assessment. Class participation counts for 40% of the grade. Each session scores 0 for absence, 1 for attendance with incomplete preparation, and 2 for attendance with full preparation. A final test counts for 60%.
Core readings.
Richards D. Asking the right question right. Evid Based Dent 2000;2:20.
Richards D, Clarkson J, Matthews D, Niederman R. Evidence-Based Dentistry: Managing Information for Better Practice. QuintEssentials of Dental Practice, vol 41. London: Quintessence; 2008. ISBN 978-1-85097-126-9.
Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry series J Am Dent Assoc 2014 to 2015:
Part I: How can evidence-based dentistry help you? 2014;145(11):1105-1107.
Part II: How to search for evidence to inform clinical decisions. 2014;145(12):1262-1267.
Part III: How to appraise and use an article about therapy. 2015;146(1):42-49.e1.
Part VI: How to use a systematic review. 2015;146(4):255-265.e1.
Part VII: How to use patient management recommendations from clinical practice guidelines. 2015;146(5):327-336.e1.
Grimes DA, Schulz KF. An overview of clinical research: the lay of the land. Lancet 2002;359:57-61.
EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines: equator-network.org.
Additional readings
F. Schwendicke, S.E. Uribe, N.S. Jakubovics, The Science System at the Limit: A Call to Action for Considerate Publishing, J. Dent. Res. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345251349804.
Chalmers, I., Bracken, M.B., Djulbegovic, B., Garattini, S., Grant, J., Gülmezoglu, A.M., Howells, D.W., Ioannidis, J.P.A., Oliver, S., 2014. How to increase value and reduce waste Research: increasing value, reducing waste 1: when research priorities are set. Lancet 383, 156–165.
Recommended books
Moher D, Altman D, Schulz K, et al. (2014) Guidelines for Reporting Health Research: A User’s Manual. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
Dental Clinics Special issue LINK
Position papers
FDI Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) https://www.fdiworlddental.org/evidence-based-dentistry-ebd
Course 2: Research methods and data analysis
Course 2: Research methods and data analysis
Learning outcomes. By the end, residents will:
Start a project from a clinical problem and the existing literature, not from available data.
Pick the study design that answers the question, using EQUATOR guidance.
Separate data capture from analysis, and structure data as tidy and FAIR.
Describe distributions, compare groups, estimate risk and run a survival analysis in jamovi.
Distinguish clinical from statistical significance.
Write concisely and use LLMs with disclosure and verification.
Method. Sessions alternate short explanations with practicals. Residents work on one practice dataset in jamovi.
Scope limits. Cohort studies and randomised trials receive limited time. Residents rarely complete them within a residency.
Assessment. Class participation counts for 40% of the grade. Each session scores 0 for absence, 1 for attendance with incomplete preparation, and 2 for attendance with full preparation. A final test counts for 60%.
Core readings.
Schulz KF, Grimes DA. Essential Concepts in Clinical Research. 2nd ed. Elsevier; 2018.
Emanuel, E.J., Wendler, D., Grady, C., 2000. What makes clinical research ethical? JAMA 283, 2701–2711.
Grimes, D.A., Schulz, K.F., 2002. 01 An overview of clinical research: the lay of the land. Lancet 359, 57–61.
EBD Study design series
Levin, K.A., 2005. Study design I. Evid. Based. Dent. 6, 78–79.
Levin, K.A., 2005. Study design II. Issues of chance, bias, confounding and contamination. Evid. Based. Dent. 6, 102–103.
Levin, K.A., 2006. Study design III: Cross-sectional studies. Evid. Based. Dent. 7, 24–25.
Levin, K.A., 2006. Study design IV: Cohort studies. Evid. Based. Dent. 7, 51–52.
Levin, K.A., 2006. Study design V. Case–control studies. Evid. Based. Dent. 7, 83–84.
Levin, K.A., 2006. Study design VI: Ecological studies. Evid. Based. Dent. 7, 108.
Levin, K.A., 2007. Study design VII. Randomised controlled trials. Evid. Based. Dent. 8, 22–23.
Danish National Forum for Data Management. howtoFAIR.dk: how to make your research data FAIR. Self-paced course of about 2 hours with steps before, during and after a project, and a quiz. howtofair.dk.
RSU. Research data management. Questions and answers on data documentation, file naming, ReadMe files, personal data, data management plans, storage and repositories. Contact: RSU Data Stewards Unit. In Latvian.
RSU. Research Ethics Committee. Application forms, informed consent guidance, rules for using patient data and meeting schedule. Approval is required before data collection starts.
Broman, K.W., Woo, K.H., 2018. Data Organization in Spreadsheets. Am. Stat. 72, 2–10.
EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines: equator-network.org.
jamovi documentation: jamovi.org.
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