Spotlight on ... Critical Appraisal

What is it?
Critical appraisal looks at how to read journal articles correctly to see if the study is well constructed, if the conclusions reached are correct and if any biases are present. Different types of study can be read differently, such as systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials, qualitative studies and others, and there are toolkits available for each type at http://www.casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists.
 
Why is it useful?
In any journal article, there may be mistakes. Critical appraisal looks into what these mistakes are, if they were avoidable, if the author/s of the study were aware of them and how they dealt with them.

How do I learn it?

1. Contact the Library and Knowledge Service to set up a training session to cover the basic principles (see below)
2. You can learn either individually or in groups
3. You can learn to critically appraise a specific article if you need it, or you can get an overall idea of how it works by learning to review several different articles at once – it’s your choice.

 
To find out more or to book a training session, please contact:
Outreach Librarians:
Anne Webb  01625 663398 (hospital based staff)
Steve Collman 01625 661547 (community based staff)
Or contact the Library on 01625 661362