The aim of this book is to instruct the reader in the techniques of assessing medical literature and information. The first section explains the basic principles of studies and statistics including sections on probability, variable measurement, sampling, bias, and the types of epidemiological studies. The second section deals with techniques for appraising the different types of literature including papers on diagnosis, aetiology, prognosis, and meta-analysis. The final section concentrates on statistical tests explaining basic statistical tests, variance, non-parametric tests, correlation and regression, and multivariate analysis.

The book is well written with good explanations of both basic and more complex topics. The text is well illustrated with clinical examples, tables, and diagrams. The book will be of interest to professionals who are starting research to get an overview of the research methods and also as a reference source for more experienced workers. The text will be a valuable addition to a researcher's library, although a cheaper softback version would be welcome.