Critical Appraisal: A Template to Evaluate Scientific Literature

From Volume 35, Issue 6, July 2008 | Pages 414-417

Authors

Clive J Gibson

BDS MFGDP MGDS, MSc

General Dental Practitioner, Wolverhampton, Deputy Postgraduate Dental Dean, West Midlands UK. Vice Dean, Faculty of General Dental Practice

Articles by Clive J Gibson

Abstract

Medical educators have identified the need for clinicians to become lifelong learners; a large part of the drive for this continuum of education is derived from the research that demonstrates that knowledge and/or competence deteriorates with time following graduation and that this is caused by a failure to acquire new knowledge rather than a propensity to forget previously learned material. Clinicians therefore need to be trained to identify the relevant published literature and then to apply Critical Appraisal techniques to the articles acknowledged as being seminal to their professional development.

Article