Research Article Critique Checklist

from Ridsdale; Practitioner, 238:108-13. 1994.


Introduction:

  • Is the study relevant & important to our practice?
  • Is the work useful & original? Does it add to the fund of useful knowledge?
  • Was the study setting similar enough to our working environment that, assuming the results are valid, they may be extrapolated to our practice?
Methods:
  • Was the architecture or design of the study appropriate to answer the questions posed in the introduction?
  • Is the connection between the hypothesis & the instruments used clearly justified?
  • Is the relationship between outcomes & measures plausible?
  • Are the instruments used appropriate to the study & have they been validated previously?
  • Are the population & the population sample defined & recognisably similar to that seen in practice?
  • Are the recruitment definitions & inclusion/exclusion criteria clearly stated?
  • Is the sample size sufficient to answer the questions posed, & has there been an attempt to estimate the required numbers in advance?
Results:
  • Is the response rate adequate? Are drop-outs well described, & is there any reason to think that they differ materially from responders?
  • Are the tables & figures clear?
  • Have stastistical tests been applied appropriately?
  • Are p values or confidence intervals used?
  • Where statistically significant differences are found, are they sufficient to be clinically important?
Discussion:
  • Does the discussion show an awareness of the methodological limitations of the study design? Are problems or difficulties acknowledged?
  • Are the conclusions drawn justified by the results presented?
  • Is a comparison drawn with other published work?
  • Do the authors speculate too far beyond the evidence presented?
Download the Critique Form for offline use


This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

ShoulderDoc.co.uk satisfies the INTUTE criteria for quality and has been awarded 'editor's choice'.

The material on this website is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between ourselves and our patients. Full Disclaimer