Critical Appraisal

Summative requirements for the Essay

• Summative Essay: Scientific paper critique: An analysis and appraisal of
an allocated scientific paper using a justified appraisal tool related to
your nursing field of practice (2,000 words) 50% (LOs 2, 4 & 5)
 What is a Critical Appraisal & Why is it
Important?
• As nurses we make decisions based on the best available, current and
valid evidence. We must be able to select and appraise literature that is
relevant to our field, then apply the findings of the research into practice,
as part of our decision-making process (Evidence-Based Practice).
• Critical appraisal is the process of carefully and systematically
examining research to judge its trustworthiness, its value and its
relevance which helps us to determine whether research (Evidence-Base)
is true (free of bias) and relevant to our patients.
Important components of a Critical Appraisal

• An evaluation of the appropriateness of the study design for the research question
• A careful assessment of the key methodological features of the design
• Suitability of the statistical methods used and their subsequent interpretation
• Strengths and weaknesses of the research study/article
•  The legitimacy of conclusions 
• Potential conflicts of interest
• The relevance of the research to your field of practice 
 How do I Critically Appraise Research?
• Critical appraisal frameworks/tools are frequently used to evaluate the quality
of published research articles. There is no ‘one size fits all’ regarding the most
appropriate critical appraisal tool for research in health, as there a different
frameworks for different research design methods e.g. Quantitative and
Qualitative.
• Throughout the duration of this module we will introduce you to various
appraisal frameworks and research articles to support your understanding of
critical appraisal and how to utilise the framework effectively against research
articles.