Book Review on “Essentials of Biostatistics and Research Methodology”
Correspondence Address :
Dr. Shilpa S Kottoor,
Senior Lecturer, G Pulla Reddy Dental College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India.
E-mail: shilpaskottoor@gmail.com
Essentials of Biostatistics and Research Methodology, 3rd edition, stands out from the usual books on statistics with its presentation style. Each chapter starts with the vital basics, yet manages to cover all the key topics. Authors have simplified every concept by employing appropriate examples. Explanations are in the form of crisp bullet points, which makes for an effortless read. Noteworthy terms are highlighted, schematic diagrams and tables are aplenty and chapters end with self review exercises; all of which will aid in examination preparations. Moreover, there are boxes highlighting important points and footnotes with supplementary facts which provide much food for thought.
The layout of the book is visually appealing along the lines of its cover page. It is 400 pages long, nevertheless, has a compact structure and is easy to carry. The contents are systematically organised into two broad sections of Biostatistics and Research Methodology; the latter being the quintessential add-on to the previous editions. Personally, I felt that this segregation of topics makes the book more reader-friendly and coherent. The first segment pertains to the fundamentals of statistics, while the next segment is devoted to the principles and practicalities of research.
Both the authors are stalwarts in the teaching field which clearly reflects in their explanatory writing. Their vast editorial and research experience ensures that the book is cognizant of recent updates in the field of publication as can be seen in the chapters: “Ethics in Biomedical Research” and “Publication Technicalities”.
Evidently, this is a go-to book for students and research scholars in the fields of healthcare and allied sciences. It will come in handy for all graduate and post graduate level biostatistics examinations as well as for various entrance exam preparations. Finally and above all, this book will be a mandatory guide for scientific writing and publication of research papers.
Future editions could include a link for free access to the soft copy which would help students avail the content from their electronic devices. Also, a chapter on critical appraisal of research papers can be incorporated which would facilitate evidence based practice.
3rd edition, Reader friendly, Schematic diagram
10.7860/JCDR/2021/5986.15315
Date of Submission: Jul 01, 2021
Date of Peer Review: Jul 16, 2021
Date of Acceptance: Jul 24, 2021
Date of Publishing: Aug 01, 2021
Author declaration:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? NA
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? NA
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA
Etymology: Author Origin
- Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science, thomsonreuters)
- Index Copernicus ICV 2017: 134.54
- Academic Search Complete Database
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
- Embase
- EBSCOhost
- Google Scholar
- HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme
- Indian Science Abstracts (ISA)
- Journal seek Database
- Popline (reproductive health literature)
- www.omnimedicalsearch.com