Meta-Researchers in Paris
Getting Evidence the Right Way
By Jazreel Cheung, Gavan Driscoll, Anum Lalani, and Aidan Tan
Our arrival in Paris was met with floods and transit strikes. We flew across the Atlantic hoping for a better start to our practicum at the Cochrane Collaboration, but, with optimism and an umbrella, our first few weeks in Paris have ended up being very exciting.
We each heard about the practicum in our own ways, but we were all intrigued when we heard about previous students’ projects and experiences at the information session hosted by the Office of Field Practice (OFP). We were pulled in by Cochrane's well-known meta-epidemiology. It also did not hurt that we would have an excuse to spend a summer in Europe.
Our work in Cochrane involves understanding the thinking behind research. It is the exploration of how the actual process of research influences outcomes. We aimed to learn the methodology of research: understanding the ‘why’s’ of research and, most importantly, how to do it right.
In the early days, we coordinated back and forth with our supervisors the details of our protocol. We had a meeting where we all shared and discussed the details of our individual projects. From there, our projects diverged. While all of the research we are doing is under the umbrella of meta-analysis, or ‘research on research,’ each of us worked on a separate task unique to our interests and supervisors’.
Some of us started on article selection and data extraction. One of us began the task of programming the simulation of a randomized control trial. While we all work in the same area—the methodology of research—we approach it from different ways, looking at biases associated with registration status, outcome measurements, survival data reporting or trial design.
Occasionally we have seminars at Columbia’s Global Center on Friday mornings. There, our supervisors and Cochrane researchers introduce us to various topics like systematic review, risk of bias and meta-analysis of observational data. When the lecture is finished, we present a critical appraisal on a related published article. It provides us an opportunity for integrative learning. We can apply our knowledge to hone our research projects. After our morning seminars, we unwind by strolling through Jardin de Luxembourg.
We are definitely working hard at Cochrane. With only two months to complete an entire research project and write a paper for publication, we have already experienced many late nights.
A Typical Day
Around 8:30 a.m., we take the train to work. As we exit the station, we are greeted with the breathtaking view of Notre Dame. We walk through the halls of Hotel Dieu (which looks like a scene out of Harry Potter) and walk into our office. Our workday begins with the quiet of reading: papers, trials, publications. Each of us has a different mountain to filter and sort through, pulling out the useful information from the noise – each one a precious ‘study participant’. Each of us log our information differently – some in an Excel spreadsheet, others in RevManager. We repeat the process over and over for each article, abstracting the numbers and statistics, for the final goal of putting them together for pooled analysis.
Around 12:30 p.m., we break for lunch. We eat with the other interns at the Cochrane, each in their own master’s program in Paris and conducting a unique research project. When the weather gives us a break from the rain, we sit in the garden outside and eat a baguette, pretending we're actually French, before heading back to work.
At 5:45 p.m., the Notre Dame bell rings for five minutes, a reminder that the workday is approaching its end, and we still have so much work left to finish up. Occasionally, we go out for dinner as a group to let our palates experience something new such as the Basque cuisine. Other times, we motivate each other to work late. None of us want to be the first person to leave.
Taking in Paris
With all that we are doing, we try to relax and take in all that Paris has to offer. A couple weeks into the program, we met Moise Desvarieux, a professor who is the head of the collaboration between Cochrane France and Mailman. He said that he noticed that the best students were the ones able to work hard, but also play hard and enjoy the city and surrounding areas.
The sun doesn’t set until 10 p.m., allowing us plenty of time to have fun and explore Paris even if we work late. Some of the highlights include wandering through the Louvre, dining in the Latin Quarter, climbing up the Eiffel Tower, and making friends at the Republic. With the Euro Cup in France, we sometimes enjoy happy hour in a brasserie and watch the game, chanting with the hundreds of fans in town supporting their country. It is also extremely easy to travel outside of the city. Within an hour by high-speed rail we were able to capture the extravagance of the palace at Versailles and the luxurious gardens in the city.
The work done at the Cochrane Centre brings us upstream to the foundations of research. It gives us the unique understanding of the importance of research design and planning. As they say here: “garbage in, garbage out.” Flawed research produces flawed evidence. Here at Cochrane, we witness international collaboration at its finest, and we are confident our work will contribute positively to the larger body of meta-epidemiological research.
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