Evidence-based dentistry: structuring a Journal Club, a teaching and learning strategy

Introduction: Journal Clubs (JC) are groups of individuals who meet to discuss and review scientific evidence published in current journals, aiming to develop critical reading skills. Objective: To gather reports from the literature on the design and development of Journal Clubs and, consequently, to describe the structuring of the first regular Journal Club of the Dentistry course at UFPR. Method: A total of 28 articles were selected from the PubMed, Google Scholar, Scielo, Science Direct, and Scopus databases, chosen for their higher relevance within these platforms and for presenting Journal Club structures based on the abstracts. Data were organized and divided into categories: participants, meeting models, topics addressed, article evaluation tools, pedagogical choices for conducting and evaluating the activity, and positive and negative points considered important variables for creating a Journal Club. Results: The JC was structured into one-hour meetings, held monthly, open to the public, with a free topic related to clinical practice. Two students would be responsible for selecting and presenting a recent, high-impact article published in English, as well as mediating the discussion during the meeting under the supervision of a tutor and an invited specialist. The meetings would feature a 20 to 30-minute presentation, followed by an open debate. At the end of each session, a feedback form would be sent with questions about the experience of participating in the activity, allowing the organizers to discuss and propose improvements for future editions. Conclusion: A well-structured Journal Club can serve as an extracurricular option for undergraduate students, especially in health-related fields. It enables students to engage with scientific evidence, develop critical thinking, and foster practical knowledge to be applied in their future professional practice.