There are a number of different limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD). Describe Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2B. How does the reduction or absence of dysferlin ultimately lead to the clinical symptoms?
Selecting sources of information – The pros and cons
Books – as a general rule text books are useful places to start if you are unfamiliar with a topic.
However in the sciences, because of the time taken to prepare and publish a book, much of the
information can be “out-of date” very quickly. Therefore, while they can provide good
background on and overview of a topic, the age of the material and the expertise of the author
should be considered.
Journal Articles – most journal articles are peer-reviewed which means they have been
assessed by other experts in the same field as to the quality of the information presented.
Therefore an experimental peer-reviewed article is an ideal place to look for information. While
letters to the editor, commentaries, review and invited articles are often not peer reviewed –
they are generally written by experts within the field and are acceptable sources of information.
One caution when using journal articles is to consider the age of the information. Biomedical
science research occurs extremely rapidly and our knowledge and understanding is constantly
changing and expanding. What we knew, or thought we knew, 10 years ago may no longer be
quite so relevant.
The Internet -You should be aware that not all the information you find on the internet will
be factually correct or up to date and can often be misleading. While you are allowed to use
internet resources for your case studies you must be prepared to justify the appropriateness of
the source.
Things you should consider:
1. Is the material accurate?
a. Is the information fully referenced so information can be cross checked
b. Is the information consistent with other reports/information (if not is it novel
primary experimental data yet to be verified – this must be clear in the context
in which it is used)
2. How current is the information?
a. How recently was it updated?
3. Who is the author of the information and what are his/her qualifications?
a. Are they identified?
b. Are they qualified in the area?
c. Do they work for a reputable institution?
d. Have they published other citable works?
e. If an organisation – how credible are they?
4. Who is the publisher of the information?
a. URL will indicate whether they are commercial (.com), a not for profit
organization (.org), a government body (.gov), an academic institution (.edu).
