Critical appraisal: a template to evaluate scientific literature

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.

Historically, Critical Appraisal has been inconsistently taught to both undergraduates and postgraduates. This short paper aims to give undergraduate students and practitioners a series of templates to use in order to evaluate scientific literature; it may be of use both within the wider aspect of dental practice and as a guide to answer questions within the context of educational assessment.