Critical appraisal is a critical evaluation of research literature. It's essential for informed decision-making that seeks to identify the strengths and limitations of the studies found.
Critical appraisal evaluates:
Credibility - author qualifications, reputability (peer-review)
Accuracy - currency of the evidence
Reasonability - objective, unbiased (research question, study design, funding, publishing)
Support - use of references
Image taken from AIChE webinar: http://www.aiche.org/resources/chemeondemand/webinars/critically-thinking-about-critical-thinking
Questions to ask when appraising evidence:
- What is the research question and why was the study needed?
- Does the study have new findings? Is the work original and important?
- Does the research question address: the group or population of patients, the intervention or therapy, and the outcome/s?
- Did the authors use the right type of study in relation to the research question? For example: Therapy questions > Randomised controlled trials
- Did the chosen study design minimise bias?
- Was the study designed in line with the original protocol i.e. stated methods? For example, were there changes to the inclusion or exclusion criteria?
- Has the study's hypothesis (expected outcome) been tested?
- Is the analysis of the data accurate?
- Are the conclusions based on the data and analysis?
- Does the study contribute to the understanding of the problem being investigated?
