How to Assess the Methodological Quality of Published Paper

Discussion Board
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Discussion Board
Trisha Greenhalgh’s “How to Read a Paper: Assessing the Methodological Quality of Published Papers” portrays the most important questions that a person should ask himself or herself when deciding when a particular published paper is valid, credible, and accurate. In my opinion, the author is right by emphasizing the need to critique a specific article before relying on the information or data it provides. First, one should try to understand whether the study was original or not. The most significant thing to consider at this juncture is whether the research adds something relevant to the already existing literature. Second, it is vital to know the subjects of the study and whether they were recruited or not. Third, an individual should consider the sensibility of the design study. Fourth, it is crucial to understand whether systematic biases were minimized or avoided. Notably, a systematic bias involves errors that might affect the conclusions or distort comparisons. Fifth, Greenhalgh asserts that one should determine if the assessment was “blind” or not (Greenhalgh, 1997). Moreover, it is essential to kno...