Assignment: Critical Appraisal
For Assessment Task, you should pretend that you work within a government department and have been asked to provide a recommendation as to whether a particular health intervention should be funded. To do this, you will critically evaluate articles on the one topic, from a selection of 4 topics:
1. Nocturnal crying among children
2. Segregation versus mainstreaming among children with disabilities
3. Antibiotics and ear problems
4. Harm minimisation and smoking cessation among Indigenous cohorts
You will then be required to conduct a small literature search on the topic to see if the broader (and more recent) literature supports the same recommendations as those reported in the provided articles. Based on your critical appraisal of these articles, you will then provide a final recommendation as to whether the intervention should be funded.
Content of your assessment
1. Select a topic
2. Read the provided article carefully
4. Conduct a small literature review (note search terms and document lit search)
5. Identify what kinds of similar and/or associated studies were conducted, and use an appropriate critical appraisal tool to consider effectiveness and rigour to help comparing quality of evidence.
Where possible, for simplicity, use a relevant CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Program) tool.
Also note an Onemda Critical Appraisal Tool can be used in conjunction with the CASP model when reviewing Indigenous research - this has been uploaded in the Assessment folder.
6. Write a summary recommendation as to whether the intervention should be funded.
Main points -
Clearly identifies search strategy, including databases and search terms.
Demonstrates relevant use of the critical appraisal tool relevant to the article and research method.
Provides an appendix demonstrating a broader literature search and key findings relevant to each article - even though all articles might not have been referred to or used in the actual assignment.
Demonstrates critical thinking (not just description) when appraising and comparing studies and relevant findings.
Assignment Files -
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4fcpycxvgwyl0la/Assignment%20Critical%20Appraisal.rar?dl=0