What elements of a review are of particular importance when carrying out a critical appraisal?
• Clear, explicit statement of method in sufficient detail to: a) enable another person undertaking the same review to repeat the process and arrive at the same conclusion AND b) allow the reader to make an assessment of any bias introduced by the reviewer, as a result of the methods used to identify and summarise the research. • Comprehensive ascertainment of all the available research literature relevant to the question the reviewer sets out to answer. • Processing the ascertained literature in a way which reduces bias or makes explicit any bias which has been introduced, so that the reviewers or the reader can make allowance for this in their conclusions. • An appropriate numerical summary of the size of any effect (or equivalent), including its confidence intervals.
