GRADE concept paper 9: rationale and process for creating a GRADE Ontology.

Area of Science:

• Evidence-based practice
• Health technology assessment
• Systematic reviews

Background:

• Accelerating research production necessitates efficient communication of scientific information judgments.
• Current methods for evaluating evidence and formulating recommendations face challenges in clarity and consistency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the benefits of a GRADE Ontology for creators and users of systematic reviews, health guidelines, and health technology assessments.
• To propose a standardized terminology for the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
• To facilitate the development of tools for conducting, finding, and summarizing research.

Main Methods:

• This paper presents a conceptual framework for a GRADE Ontology.
• It outlines processes for the development and maintenance of the ontology.
• The focus is on establishing a formalised terminology standard for the GRADE approach.

Main Results:

• A GRADE Ontology can significantly improve the efficiency, rigor, consistency, and interoperability of the GRADE approach.
• Standardized terminology reduces ambiguity in assessing evidence certainty and recommendation strength.
• Benefits extend to creators, educators, and users of systematic reviews and guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Scientific information is a layered infrastructure of data, evidence, knowledge, and use.
• The GRADE approach is a de facto standard but lacks a formalised terminology.
• A GRADE Ontology is crucial for overcoming limitations in efficiency, rigor, consistency, and interoperability.