Skip to Main Content

Evidence Synthesis in the Social Sciences

Assess and Appraise

Your last step before actually working with your evidence is to screen all included studies for risk of bias, and critically appraise them for quality. As with many steps in this process, there are many frameworks and formulations of appraisal that can help you systematically review your included studies for bias and quality. 

Essential Guidelines and Frameworks

Guidance from Prisma (2020)

"Specify the methods used to assess risk of bias in the included studies, including details of the tool(s) used, how many reviewers assessed each study and whether they worked independently, and, if applicable, details of automation tools used in the process." - p. 11

Critical Appraisal Tools

The following is a very comprehensive list of critical appraisal tools. Each tool corresponds to either a body of knowledge or a specific type of study or research method. Be sure to use a tool that matches the subject, method, and/or study type of the tool you're use to appraise. 

            Validity assessment tools for evidence synthesis

RUTGERS.EDU | SEARCH RUTGERS.EDU

© , Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers websites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier / Provide Feedback form.