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CD-824 Diagnostic Methods and Clinical Processes in Reading and Writing Disorders

Materials and resources for CD-824 at MGH IHP

Crticial Appraisal is Evidence Based Practice

Critical Appraisal is Evidence Based Practice

Critical Appraisal is a step in the process of Evidence Based Practice.

Want to brush up on your understanding of EBP? Check out the ASHA tutorial.

Reading a Scholarly Article

Do you know how to read an article methodically and efficiently? It's not necessary to read an article from beginning to end. Starting with the title, abstract and conclusion can help you decide if an article is worth your time. This flow chart can hep you decide if you should read an article based on those sections.

 

Reading Articles Methodically Diagram

 

Subramanyam, R. (2013). Art of reading a journal article: Methodically and effectively. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology : JOMFP, 17(1), 65–70. http://doi.org/10.4103/0973-029X.110733

Critical Appraisal of Research Articles

Here are ten questions to ask when critically appraising an article:

  1. Is the study question relevant?
  2. Does the study add anything new?
  3. What type of research question is being asked?
  4. Was the study design appropriate for the research question?
  5. Did the study methods address the most important potential sources of bias?
  6. Was the study performed according to the original protocol?
  7. Does the study test a stated hypothesis?
  8. Were the statistical analyses performed correctly?
  9. Do the data justify the conclusions?
  10. Are there any conflicts of interest?

For more please, read How to Critically Appraise an Article.

Young, J. M., & Solomon, M. J. (2009). How to critically appraise an article. Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 6(2), 82-91.

Critical Appraisal Web Resources

The following trusted websites have even more resources to help you with crtiical appraisal, such as worksheets and tutorials.