HLSC122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Primum Non Nocere, Null Hypothesis
2 Jun 2018
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Critical appraisal of evidence
● Not all research is evidence, and not all evidence is appropriate for each clinical
situation
● Critical evaluation will help you to work out if what you are reading has value for you
and your situation
● Just because research is published does not mean it is good quality
What is Critical Evaluation or Appraisal?
● Critical appraisal of the strength, quality, trustworthiness and limitations of a research
study or evidence
● Critical appraisal means being able to look at a piece of research in a very objective
and structured way in order to decide how valid it is compared to other research
● It allows professionals to interpret research to make decisions about the quality of an
information source
Why appraise or critique research: the purpose of critique
● There is LOTS of information available, we need to:
○ Assess for appropriateness of research
○ Assess for validity and credibility of research
○ Determine usefulness of research
● Use research to implement change, improve practice
● Standardised process for equal appraisal of research to assess, via critical appraisal
Why undertake research critiques?
● To assess through critical appraisal, the positive and negative qualities of a research
report
● To provide constructive criticism, with suggestions on how to improve the research
report
Appraising Quality
● What are the results?
● Are the results valid?
● Are the results relevant?
Structure of an Article
● Title
● Abstract
● Introduction
● Background/review of literature
● Methodology
● Results
● Discussion
● Conclusion
Critiquing Quantitative Research: Preliminaries
Title
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● Is it concise, yet informative?
● Does it indicate the research approach?
Abstract
● Does the abstract correctly and concisely describe the problem, methods, design,
results, conclusions and implications?
● Does the abstract provide a good basis for deciding whether or not the study is worth
reading?
Introduction
● Does it explain the purpose of the study?
● Does it state the actual problem or the question answered, and set the scope or
limitations of the study?
● Does it give a rationale and indicate the potential importance of doing the study?
● Does it provide a background to the study?
Literature Review
● Does the study have a conceptual framework and is it appropriate?
● Is the literature reviewed directly relevant to the topic and the concepts being
investigated?
● Is the review comprehensive, complete and current, with many primary sources?
● Is it integrated with an objective analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the
various studies?
● Does the author summarise the key points of the literature review?
● Does the review develop logically, producing an argument that justifies carrying out
the study?
Hypothesis
● Are the hypotheses stated clearly or are they implicit?
● Do the hypotheses flow from the problem statement or arise from previous findings?
● Are the hypotheses stated as directional or null hypotheses?
● Is there a proposed relationship between two or more variables?
● Do the hypotheses make it clear what variables are being tested?
Design
● Are the design, participants (subjects), setting, procedures for data collection and
analysis, instruments and materials used described?
● Is the design appropriate to answer the research questions?
● If an experimental design, is the way of testing the hypotheses valid?
Instrument and Data Collection
Does the author report on the instrument(s) used and data collection procedures?
● Suitability of instrument
● Accuracy of instrument
● Development of instrument, including testing of validity and reliability
● Who collected the data?
● Were they appropriately trained?
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Not all research is evidence, and not all evidence is appropriate for each clinical situation. Critical evaluation will help you to work out if what you are reading has value for you and your situation. Just because research is published does not mean it is good quality. Critical appraisal of the strength, quality, trustworthiness and limitations of a research study or evidence. Critical appraisal means being able to look at a piece of research in a very objective and structured way in order to decide how valid it is compared to other research. It allows professionals to interpret research to make decisions about the quality of an information source. Why appraise or critique research: the purpose of critique. There is lots of information available, we need to: Assess for validity and credibility of research. Use research to implement change, improve practice. Standardised process for equal appraisal of research to assess, via critical appraisal.
