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Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: a Manual for Evidence-Based Clinical Practice, 3E by Call Number: WB 102.5 U84 2015Publication Date: 2014-12-30
JAMA Guide to Statistics and Methods by Call Number: WA 950 J27l 2020ISBN: 9781260455328Publication Date: 2019-11-29
The Hierarchy of Medicine
The Hierarchy of Evidence is a common tool in Evidence Based Medicine to help you recognize the risk of bias in a research article based on the research design and methodology used. It helps you identify a research method with less risk of bias (at the top), but you must use it carefully!
Poor execution of a research type at the top of the pyramid is often just as bad or worse than excellent execution of a research type from the bottom of the pyramid.
Learn the basics of critical appraisal so you can recognize poor execution and quality of ALL types of research.
| Evidence Type | Quick Resource Guide |
|---|---|
| Systematic Reviews or Meta-Analysis | Cochrane, Ovid, PubMed |
| Critically-Appraised Topics, Evidence-Based Guidelines, Clinical Evidence | TRIP, Clinical Guidelines |
| Critically-Appraised Articles | ACP Journal Club, many journal titled "Evidence-based..." |
| Randomized Controlled Trials | Ovid, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov |
| Cohort Studies | Ovid, PubMed |
| Case-Controlled Studies, Case Series / Reports | Ovid, PubMed |
| Background Information / Expert Opinion | Books & e-books, editorials, reference materials |
Image credit: Evidence-Based Practice in Health. University of Canberra Library.
Critical Appraisal Tools
Critical appraisal tools are checklists that can help you focus on the important aspects of the research article.
Some tools come with detailed guides on how to appraise specific types of research articles.
Find one that matches the research methodology in the article you are appraising (clinical trial, cohort study, case-series, etc.).
- Critical Appraisals Skills Programme (CASP) Checklists
Critical appraisal checklists that can be used as tools to help you appraise Systematic Reviews, Randomised Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies, Case Control Studies, Economic Evaluations, Diagnostic Studies, Qualitative Studies and Clinical Prediction Rule. - JBI Critical Appraisal Tools
Wide variety (cohort, case series, cross sectional, RCT, etc.) of downloadable guides for assessing the trustworthiness, relevance and results of published papers from the Joanna Briggs Institute. - AMSTAR 2: A Critical Appraisal Tool for Systematic Reviews
This critical appraisal tool is designed for systematic reviews that include randomized, non-randomized studies, or both.
Explanations for how to apply the checklist.
Learn More About Biostatistics
Explore these videos by Dr. Terry Shaneyfelt, an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at UAB in Birmingham, Alabama. Or try the information from other creators linked below.
Browse More Biostatistics Videos
Research Help Quick Links
- Access Library Resources - Access tips for full-text on and off campus.
- Cite & Write - Paper formatting, reference citation examples and grammar guidelines.
- Meet with a Librarian - Schedule a meeting time with a librarian.
- Search the Literature - Develop an effective search strategy to find the information you need quickly.
- Search PubMed - Search PubMed effectively.
- Use EndNote - Save citations and prepare your references with EndNote
- Prepare for Journal Club - Evaluate and present an article for Journal Club.
- Interlibrary Loan - Get articles that are not in our collection by email in 1-5 business days.
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