Guides: Evidence Synthesis: Critical Appraisal

Critical Appraisal and Evaluation

Critical Appraisal - the assessment of data published in research in an explicit and transparent manner with regards to factors such as bias, validity, methods, and conclusions. Also known as quality assessment.

These websites provide checklists for critical appraisal of different types of studies.

BestBETs - BETs CA Worksheets
Critical Appraisal (CA) Worksheets for Case-control, Cohort, Decision rule, Diagnosis, Economic, Educational intervention, Guideline, Prognosis, Qualitative, Randomized control trial, Review or meta-analysis, Screening, Survey
Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Checklists
Checklists for Case Control Studies, Clinical Prediction Rules, Cohort Studies, Diagnostic Studies, Economic Evaluation, Qualitative Studies, Randomized Controlled Trials, and Systematic Reviews
Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools
Checklists for Analytical Cross Sectional Studies, Case Control Studies, Case Reports, Case Series, Cohort Studies, Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies, Economic Evaluations, Prevalence Studies, Qualitative Research, Quasi-Experimental Studies, Randomized Controlled Trials, Systematic Reviews, and Text and Opinion
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Checklists
Methodology checklists for case-control studies, cohort studies, diagnostic studies, economic studies, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Tools for Critical Appraisal

Tool	Study Type
GRADE Approach	General
Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) Checklist	Randomized Studies
CASP Randomized Controlled Trial Standard Checklist	Randomized Studies
Evidence Analysis Manual: Steps in the Academy's Evidence Analysis Process	Observational Studies
CASP Checklists	Observational Studies
Guide to scoring methods using the Maryland Scientific Methods Scale	Observational Studies
Interrupted time series (ITS) analyses	Observational Studies
STROBE Checklist (Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology)	Observational Studies
Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND) statement	Observational Studies
10 Questions to Help You Make Sense of Qualitative Research	Qualitative Studies
EPPI-Centre Methods for Conducting Systematic Reviews	Qualitative Studies
HCPRDU Evaluation Tool for Quantitative Studies	Qualitative Studies
Critical Review Form: Qualitative Studies (Version 2.0)	Qualitative Studies
JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis	Qualitative Studies
Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A Framework for Assessing Research Evidence	Qualitative Studies
A Scoring System for Appraising Mixed Methods Research	Mixed Methods Research
HCPRDU Evaluation Tool for Mixed Methods Studies	Mixed Methods Research

Adapted and revised from Foster, M. J., & Jewell, S. T. (Eds.). (2017). Assembling the pieces of a systematic review : A guide for librarians.

Evidence Synthesis

Critical Appraisal and Evaluation

Tools for Critical Appraisal

Tool

Study Type

University Libraries