Systematic Reviews

Study Appraisal in Systematic Reviews

Study appraisal—also known as critical appraisal or risk of bias assessment—is the process of evaluating the methodological quality of studies included in a review. Its goal is to determine how much confidence can be placed in the findings of each study and to identify potential sources of bias that may affect the validity of the results. Appraisal tools vary by study design and review type, and commonly include:

• Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 1 and RoB 2)
• JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists (JBI Tools) 
• CASP Checklists
• INSPECT-SR for identifying problematic trials (Cochrane Overview)

Appraisal is typically conducted by two independent reviewers, with discrepancies resolved through discussion or a third reviewer.

Appraisal in Covidence

Covidence supports study appraisal through its Extraction 1 and Extraction 2 tools. Users can:

• Use the Cochrane RoB 1 template or create a custom quality assessment template
• Assign judgments (e.g., Low, High, Unclear) for each domain
• Customize domains and outcome groups for nuanced assessments
• Export appraisal data for synthesis or integration with tools like RevMan

While Covidence does not natively support RoB 2, users can export data and complete RoB 2 assessments in RevMan. Covidence’s templates are flexible and can be tailored to different study designs and review needs.

Covidence Risk of Bias Tool FAQ
Creating a Quality Assessment Template in Covidence