ArticleCBE life sciences education2013
Figure facts: encouraging undergraduates to take a data-centered approach to reading primary literature.
Article in CBE life sciences education, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
60 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Current Status and Implementation of Science Practices in Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs): A Systematic Literature Review.CBE life sciences education · 2022Pooled it
- Using journal article annotations with Zotero to improve scientific literacy in course-based undergraduate research experiences.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2026Article
- A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) designed for modern genetics and biodiversity courses using a classroom benchtop sequencer.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2026Article
- Unveiling Undergraduate Research: Employing Ecological Momentary Assessment to Characterize and Compare Undergraduate Research Experiences.CBE life sciences education · 2025Article
- Zotero as a teaching tool for independent study courses, honors contracts, and undergraduate research mentoring.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2024Article
- The importance of integrating phycological research, teaching, outreach, and engagement in a changing world.Journal of phycology · 2024Article
- A ChatGPT Assisted Reading Protocol for Undergraduate Research Students.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Integrating open education practices with data analysis of open science in an undergraduate course.Ecology and evolution · 2024Article
- A case study to engage students in the research design and ethics of high-throughput metagenomics.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2024Article
- Peer-reviewed presentation exchange in an undergraduate classroom.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2024Article
- Postsecondary biology students' ways of participating in the critique and discussion of primary scientific literature.CBE life sciences education · 2023Article
- A cost-free CURE: using bioinformatics to identify DNA-binding factors at a specific genomic locus.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2023Article
- Reading Primary Scientific Literature: Approaches for Teaching Students in the Undergraduate STEM Classroom.CBE life sciences education · 2023Review
- Here Is the Biology, Now What is the Mechanism? Investigating Biology Undergraduates' Mechanistic Reasoning within the Context of Biofilm Development.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2023Article
- A Scaffolded Module to Improve Scientific Literacy by Engaging Students with Primary Literature Using the Instructor's Research Experience.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2023Article
- Discussion of Annotated Research Articles Results in Increases in Scientific Literacy within a Cell Biology Course.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2023Article
- Annotations Serve as an On Ramp for Introductory Biology Students Learning to Read Primary Scientific Literature.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2023Article
- From Novice To Expert: An Assessment To Measure Strategies Students Implement While Learning To Read Primary Scientific Literature.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2022Article
- Teaching the process of science with primary literature: Using the CREATE pedagogy in ecological courses.Ecology and evolution · 2022Article
- The Five Core Concepts of Biology as a Framework for Promoting Expert-Like Behaviors in Undergraduates Learning How to Read Primary Scientific Literature.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The ability to interpret experimental data is essential to understanding and participating in the process of scientific discovery. Reading primary research articles can be a frustrating experience for undergraduate biology students because they have very little experience interpreting data. To enhance their data interpretation skills, students used a template called "Figure Facts" to assist them with primary literature-based reading assignments in an advanced cellular neuroscience course. The Figure Facts template encourages students to adopt a data-centric approach, rather than a text-based approach, to understand research articles. Specifically, Figure Facts requires students to focus on the experimental data presented in each figure and identify specific conclusions that may be drawn from those results. Students who used Figure Facts for one semester increased the amount of time they spent examining figures in a primary research article, and regular exposure to primary literature was associated with improved student performance on a data interpretation skills test. Students reported decreased frustration associated with interpreting data figures, and their opinions of the Figure Facts template were overwhelmingly positive. In this paper, we present Figure Facts for others to adopt and adapt, with reflection on its implementation and effectiveness in improving undergraduate science education.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.