How to Critique an article ..

Your final personal opinion about any scientific paper can be based on the collective answers of the following questions :

1. Title : is it appropriate and clear ?

2. Abstract : is it representative of the article and in correct form?

3. Purpose of the article : is it clearly stated ?

4. Errors of established facts or errors of interpretation of other’s work.

5. Is all the discussion relevant?

6. Are references the auther cited relevant to the topic?

7. Have any ideas been overemphasized or under emphasized?

You can suggest specific revision or emphasize the need of further studies for clarification.

8. Has the author been objective in his/her discussion of the topic?

9. Is the objective of the experiment or of the observations important for the field?

10. Are the experimental methods described adequately? You can suggest other methods to do it?

11. Is sample size is enough or it is undersized ? Is there restrictions to have a high sample size like legal or ethical restrictions?

12. Is the study design appropriate for the purpose?

13.In which level of design hierarchy does the study lie?

A. Meta analysis and systematic literature reviews are highest.

B.Controlled clinical trials.

C. Prospective Cohort study

D. Retrospective Case-Control Study.

E. Case report.

F. Unsupported opinion of expert. 

14. Has the study been supported by other means of extra strength measures like double blindness and randomization in samples ?

15. Are statistical methods appropriate?

16. Do you find any content repeated or duplicated? Some articles repead all the information presented in tables for example.

17. Has the author achieved what he intended to achieve?

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Related useful links :

1.Critical Appraisal of quantitative research.

2. Critical Appraisal of qualitative research.

3. Critical Appraisal of quantitative research (presentation ).

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Collected from different sources from the web, scientific meetings and old readings ..

by : Dr. Hani Alhebshi..