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Table 3 Methodological characteristics of COVID-19 research articles in January 2020

From: Epidemiology, causes, clinical manifestation and diagnosis, prevention and control of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during the early outbreak period: a scoping review

Characteristics

Categories

n

%

Study design

(n = 65)

Cross-sectional studies

12

18.5

Mathematical modeling

29

44.6

Molecular studies

10

15.4

Diagnostic studies

2

3.1

Review

3

4.6

Theoretical study

9

13.9

Targets of study

(n = 65)

Population

32

49.2

Patients

22

33.9

General population

6

9.2

Healthcare workers

4

6.2

Species (virus structure, gene sequence)

24

36.9

Other

9

13.9

Study related to population (n = 32)

Sample size

1–10

11

34.4

11–50

5

15.6

51–100

3

9.4

> 100

3

9.4

Not specified

10

31.3

Study setting

Laboratory

2

6.3

Hospital

10

31.3

Community

0

0.0

Hospital and community

0

0.0

Not specified

20

62.5

Questionnaire

7

10.8

Data-collection instrumenta

Biological specimen collection

1

3.1

Physical examinations

0

0.0

Environmental sample

0

0.0

Hospital, medical, or exposure records

14

43.7

Secondary data

16

50.0

Quality-control activities for data collection

Indicated in the article

14

56.3

Not specified

18

43.8

  1. a Percentages in this section do not add up to 100% because multiple answers were possible