Critically appraising the evidence after you have completed your search of the literature is very important. Factors to consider are the validity of the reports and research you have located, the strength of the evidence, the size of the effect, and the relevance to patient care in your setting. Below are some resources which may help you in this process.
Books
- Clinical biostatistics : an introduction to evidence based medicine / A. Li Wan Po
Radcliffe Medical Press, 1998 Medical & Dental Library 610.72 1995 CLI - Critical appraisal of epidemiological studies and clinical trials / J.M. Elwood 2nd ed
OUP, 1998 Medical & Dental Library 614.4028 1998 CRI - The evidence-based medicine workbook: critical appraisal for clinical problem solving / R.A. Dixon, J.F. Munro and P.B. Silcocks
Butterworth Heinemann, 1997 Medical & Dental Library Q616 1997 EVI - Pocket guide to critical appraisal / I.K. Crombie
BMJ Publishing Group, 1996 Medical & Dental Library 362.1072 1996 POC - Systematic reviews / I. Chalmers and D.G. Altman (eds)
BMJ, 1995 Medical & Dental Library 808.06661 1995 SYS
Journal articles
- Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper: getting your bearings (deciding what the paper is about). BMJ 1997;315:243-246.
- Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper: papers that summarise other papers (systematic reviews and meta-analyses). BMJ 1997;315:672-675.
- Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper: statistics for the non-statistician. II: "Significant" relations and their pitfalls. BMJ 1997;315:422-425.
- Hunt DL, McKibbon A. Locating and appraising systematic reviews. Ann Intern Med 1997;126:532-538.
More information
- For more assistance, please Contact a Librarian in your subject library.
