Critical appraisal: how to read a clinical research paper

Abstract: Reading a scientific paper is a skill which must be acquired. This skill is known as critical appraisal. It is of value not only for reading but for the development of good research and the effective presentation of results. In critical appraisal, the reader uses a checklist of methodological criteria to help determine the validity of study. Attention is paid to both internal validity (rigour) and to external validity (realism). Though methodological checklists do not automatically generate a conclusion about validity, and though they do depend on background knowledge, they are an important means of ensuring scientific rigour at all stages of the research process.

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