Quality appraisal/assessment of risk of bias

The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklists for critical appraisal of different study types:

Randomised controlled trials

Cohort studies

Economic evaluation studies

Diagnostic test studies

Qualitative studies

Systematic reviews

Available from http://www.casp-uk.net/#!casp-tools-checklists/c18f8

The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation AGREE II instrument

Available from http://www.agreetrust.org/resource-centre/agree-ii/

The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) Scale includes an appraisal tool and a tutorial.

Available from http://www.pedro.org.au/english/downloads/pedro-scale/

The mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) for systematic reviews that include qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies Criteria and tutorial available from

http://mixedmethodsappraisaltoolpublic.pbworks.com. Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/5tTRTc9yJ

MMAT wiki resource available from http://mixedmethodsappraisaltoolpublic.pbworks.com/w/page/24607821/FrontPage

Katrak P, Bialocerkowski AE, Massy-Westropp N, Saravana Kumar VS,  Grimmer KA.  A systematic review of the content of critical appraisal tools. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2004, 4:22 doi:10.1186/1471-2288-4-22

Voss PH and Rehfuess EA. Quality appraisal in systematic reviews of public health interventions: an empirical study on the impact of choice of tool on meta-analysis. J Epidemiol Community Health 2013;67:98–104. doi:10.1136/jech-2011-200940

Vlayen J,  Aertgeert B, Hannes K, Sermeus W, Ramaekers D. A systematic review of appraisal tools for clinical practice guidelines: multiple similarities and one common deficit. 

International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2005; Volume 17, Number 3: pp. 235–242

National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (2011). Critically appraising practice guidelines: The AGREE II instrument. Hamilton, ON: McMaster University. (Updated 01 November, 2013). Retrieved from http://www.nccmt.ca/registry/view/eng/100.html.

Pluye, P., Robert, E., Cargo, M., Bartlett, G., O’Cathain, A., Griffiths, F., Boardman, F., Gagnon, M.P., & Rousseau, M.C. (2011). Proposal: A mixed methods appraisal tool for systematic mixed studies reviews. Retrieved on [29 Sept 2014] from http://mixedmethodsappraisaltoolpublic.pbworks.com. Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/5tTRTc9yJ

Pace R, Pluye P, Bartlett G, Macaulay A, Salsberg J, Jagosh J, et al. Testing the reliability and efficiency of the pilot Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) for systematic mixed studies review. International journal of nursing studies 2012;49:47-53.