How to Critically Review a Paper

Intermediate

Critically reviewing research takes years of practice. It takes time to develop the skills to review different types of research. However, there are certain criteria that research studies should adhere to, so by understanding the main tenets of a research study, one can start to cast a more critical eye over research and distinguish between more thorough research vs research that might need move evidence.

Table of Contents

Criticial Appraisal examples

Advanced

F1000Research’s publishing model
F1000Research’s publishing model provides an alternative to traditional journals that is open, transparent and author-led. Once your article passes their in-house editorial team’s prepublication checks, it will be published within a week so it can be read and cited as soon as possible. Reviewers then assess the research after publication, with their reports and authors’ responses made publicly available with the article. When a researchers article passes peer review it will be indexed in Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar, among others. Please see their website.

Intermediate

Critical Appraisal Checklists
The Critical Appraisal Programme have developed a series of easy to use checklists to help you read research, and also delivers training through face-to-face workshops, online learning, virtual workshops and train the trainer courses. Using critical appraisal skills and tools enables users of research evidence to reach their own judgements.

Ethics guidance

Intermediate

Health Research Authority ethics tool
If you are planning to conduct a research study using humans or animals you need to apply for ethical approval. If working with a University you can apply for ethical approval through their Ethical review board. If your research involves NHS patients you will need to apply for ethical approval from the NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC). This tool can help you to determine if your study requires a review by an NHS REC. In some cases ethical approval might not be needed, but it is imperative that you check with the relevant board before starting your research. The Medical Research Council (MRC) Regulatory Support Centre worked in partnership with the Health Research Authority (HRA) to develop this tool as part of a secondment to the HRA to support the improvement of advice provision for the research community.

All Levels

BPS Code of Human Research Ethics
The British Psychological Society have developed a code that lays out a set of general principles that are applicable to all research contexts and which are intended to cover all research with human participants. The attached document, written by the The BPS Working Party on Ethical Guidelines for Psychological Research and updated in April 2021, is designed to clarify the conditions under which psychological research involving humans can take place and to inform the professional and ethical judgement of researchers.
Research Ethics Service and Research Ethics Committees
HRA website with detailed information on the process
Understanding health research: ethical approval
Introduction to ethics