Guides: Literature Reviews (Health Sciences): Quality Assessment

Quality Assessment

Once screening (article selection) is completed, the Quality Assessment part of the systematic review process may begin. Quality assessment may be performed before or after data extraction.

Since systematic reviews rely on data from other studies, the evidence in a systematic review is only as good as, or as free from bias as, the included studies. Therefore, the methodological quality of each individual study included in a systematic review should be assessed. This process involves appraising, judging, and documenting potential risks of bias.

We recommend that you use Covidence to conduct quality assessment.

Quality Assessment (by study design)

Each study design will be appraised using a separate tool. For help in deciding which risk of bias / quality assessment tool(s) to use for each study design, consult one of the following sites:

LATITUDES Network
JBI Critical Appraisal Tools
OSF Quality Assessment and Risk of Bias Tool Repository: download the spreadsheet named, "Repository of Quality Assessment and Risk of Bias Tools OSF" and use the Study Type/Intended Use dropdown menu in column F to find recommended tools based on study design.

Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) 2.0 Tool
Templates are tailored to randomized parallel-group trials, cluster-randomized parallel-group trails (including stepped-wedge designs), and randomized cross-over trails and other matched designs.
CASP- Randomized Controlled Trial Appraisal Tool
A checklist for RCTs created by the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP)
Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials (JBI)
A critical appraisal checklist from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)

The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of nonrandomised studies in meta-analyses
Validated tool for assessing case-control and cohort studies.
CASP- Cohort Studies
A checklist created by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) to assess key criteria relevant to cohort studies.
Checklist for Cohort Studies (JBI)
A checklist for cohort studies from the Joanna Briggs Institute.
STROBE Checklist
A checklist for quality assessment of case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional studies.

CASP- Case Control Study
A checklist created by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) to assess key criteria relevant to case-control studies.
STROBE Checklist
A checklist for quality assessment of case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional studies.
Tool to Assess Risk of Bias in Case Control Studies by the CLARITY Group at McMaster University
A quality assessment tool for case-control studies from the CLARITY Group at McMaster University.
JBI Checklist for Case-Control Studies
A checklist created by the Joanna Briggs Institute.

For help in deciding which risk of bias / quality assessment tool(s) to use, consult one of the following sites:

LATITUDES Network
OSF Quality Assessment and Risk of Bias Tool Repository: download the spreadsheet named, "Repository of Quality Assessment and Risk of Bias Tools OSF" and use the Study Type/Intended Use dropdown menu in column F to find recommended tools based on study design.
NIH Office of Management quality assessment tools