Epidemiological Research: Terms and Concepts

by O.S. Miettinen

The book is organized so as to address in separate sections first the preparatory topics of medicine (clinical and epidemiological), science in general, and statistics (mathematical); then topics of epidemiological research proper; and, finally, topics of ‘meta-epidemiological’ clinical research. In those two main sections, a further grouping is based on the distraction between objects and methods of study. In this framework, the particular topics are addressed both descriptively and quasi-prescriptively, commonly with a number of explicatory annotations.
This book is intended to serve as a handbook for whomever is, in whatever way, concerned with epidemiological or ‘meta-epidemiological’ clinical research. But besides this, it is also intended to serve as a textbook for students in introductory courses on ‘epidemiological’ research – to which end there is a suggested hierarchy of the concepts that might reasonably be covered.

191 pages, Hardcover

First published May 4, 2011

Reviews

[Allei · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am deeply disappointed that Springer decided to publish this... piece of a book.

You know, the dictionary supposed to contain definitions of words, terms and concepts. Scientific dictionary, supposedly, should be devoid of personal feelings and critisisms. The author, clearly, disagrees: he seems to consider himself a philosopher, and avidly stigmatizes everything his personal philosophy disagrees with as a 'misnomer' or 'less than felicitous', without considering mathematical or linguistical background, or any other reasoning he isn't familiar with.

His language is incomprehensible, his logic at times fallacious, his statements at times plainly false. At first, I have been a gratious reader and thought, perhaps, I was misunderstanding something, but when the author got to the field of my expertise (mathematics), I just can't stand it anymore.

It is dull, uninteresting book, it is not easy to read, you cannot learn statistics from it, nor biology, nor medicine, and instead of simple and clear definitions you will, probably, remember the acerbic notes of the author, and some 'neologisms' of his, which I am not sure how widely spread in the epidemiology community.

I cannot not recommend it strongly enough.

[Tim Mcleod · Rating 3 out of 5]

You should read Miettinen if only for his prickly, exacting language. I'm sure he would disagree with me and list three postulates for why I'm wrong, but it appears that this small list of terms is a direct response to the International Epidemiology Association's Dictionary of Epidemiology. There's a cute, bitchy little exchange between Miettinen and the dictionary's editor Miquel Porta over its contents on the web.
I recommended any of his works if you are interested in the intersection of epidemiology, clinical medicine, and the philosophy of science.