Fronteira Ines
Unidade de Saúde Pública Internacional e Bioestatística, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
Acta Med Port. 2013 Mar-Apr;26(2):161-70. Epub 2013 May 31.
In this review of the literature, we distinguish between experimental and observational studies, highlighting the importance that the later have gained in the era of evidence-based medicine. We further analyze the value of observational studies in light of experimental studies. We present a taxonomy for observational studies based on units of observation and measurement (cross-sectional or longitudinal). We distinguish between descriptive studies and analytical studies. Then, and given its specificity, we define and present a classification for ecological studies. We define and consider the advantages and disadvantages of cross-sectional, case control and cohort studies. We analyze the strength of the evidence given by each study design. We finished by examining what should guide the choice of a study design.
在本次文献综述中，我们区分了实验性研究和观察性研究，强调了后者在循证医学时代所获得的重要性。我们根据实验性研究进一步分析了观察性研究的价值。我们基于观察和测量单位（横断面或纵向）提出了观察性研究的分类法。我们区分了描述性研究和分析性研究。然后，鉴于其特殊性，我们定义并提出了生态研究的分类。我们定义并考量了横断面研究、病例对照研究和队列研究的优缺点。我们分析了每种研究设计所提供证据的力度。我们通过考察应指导研究设计选择的因素来结束本文。
