Below are steps you can take to critically evaluate peer-reviewed articles.
- You can choose the peer-reviewed articles to be appraised. You should ensure that the articles are related to your research topic.
- Pay attention to the study methodology, findings, and conclusion of each article.
- The critical appraisal template worksheet template can be used to assess the articles. This template guides you through the process of answering questions to critically evaluate each article.
- Fill in the evaluation template and answer each question.
- Take a look at your evaluation table to see the strengths and limitations of each article.
- Your appraisal will help you determine the most reliable and relevant articles for your research.
The template for the critical appraisal tool worksheet typically asks questions like:
- The research question was clearly stated
- Is the study designed appropriate to the research question?
- Did the sample have enough size and was it representative of the target population
- Did the data collection process prove to be reliable and appropriate?
- Did the statistical method work as intended?
- Did the data clearly and accurately reflect what was being done?
- Did the data support the conclusions?
- Are there any strengths or weaknesses to the study?
Answering these questions about each article will allow you to form a critical evaluation of it and identify the best articles that are reliable.