What was your question again? Types of medical studies.

Jupiter, Daniel C · J Foot Ankle Surg · 2014

review · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

Medical literature comes in all shapes and sizes, from animal studies to prospective clinical trials to retrospective chart reviews. In all of these cases, it is worth asking: What are the intellectual goals of the study: description, hypothesis testing, or hypothesis generating? This differentiation can help shape our view of the success or failure of the scientific effort.

Medical subject headings