Checklist for Critiquing Research Articles for Use in Clinical Practice

Article Title: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author(s):__________________________________________________________________________________Year of publication______________
Journal title: ___________________________________________________________________

Peer Reviewed Journal: Yes No

Type of Study: Quantitative Qualitative Systematic Review

Does the type of study fit my evidence needs? Yes No
Is there documented ethics approval for the Quantitative or Qualitative study? Yes No
What is the main result of the study or review?______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quantitative
Validity- is the
quality of the
study good
enough to use
the results?

Results-what
were the
results and
how significant
are they?

Qualitative

Systematic Review

Was a clearly focused

issue examined?

Yes No

What was the qualitative

methodology?

Yes No

Did the researchers use

the appropriate method
to answer their question?

Yes No

Was the methodology

appropriate?

Yes No

Did the review address a

clearly focused question in
terms of the population,
intervention and outcome?
Did the authors look for the
appropriate types of studies?
(eg. RCT for interventions)

Were cases/subjects
recruited in an
appropriate method?
Was there
randomization?
In a RCT were all arms
treated equally aside
from the intervention?
For cohort/case studies
were confounding factors
accounted for?

Yes No

Was there a clear

statement of the aim of
the research?

Yes No

Do YOU think
important/relevant studies
were included?

Yes No

Was the recruitment

strategy appropriate?
Was the relationship
between researcher and
participants adequately
considered?

Yes No

Did reviewers assess the

quality of the studies?

Yes No

Was the combining of results

(analysis) reasonable?

Yes No

What is the overall result of

the review?
How precise are the results?

Yes No

Yes No
Yes No
Yes No

What were the results of

the study?
How large was the
treatment effect?

November2012
LindaAxen,NorthernHealthNursingResearchFacilitator

Yes No

What were the results of

the study?

Yes No

Do you believe the

results? Do they fit with
other evidence available?

Relevancyhow applicable
are these
results to my
situation?

Yes No

Were any ethical issues

considered?

Quantitative

Qualitative

Systematic Review

Country where study was

conducted

Country where study was

conducted

Can the results be applied to

the local population?

Yes No

Can the results be

applied here?

Yes No

How valuable is the

research?

Were all important outcomes

considered?

Yes No

Were all clinically

important outcomes
considered?

Yes No

How do you see these

findings informing your
area of practice?

Are the benefits worth the

harms and costs?

Yes No

Are the benefits worth

the harms and costs?

Yes No

Appraisal Summary:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

November2012
LindaAxen,NorthernHealthNursingResearchFacilitator