title: Critical appraisal of published literature.
abstract: With a large output of medical literature coming out every year, it is impossible for readers to read every article. Critical appraisal of scientific literature is an important skill to be mastered not only by academic medical professionals but also by those involved in clinical practice. Before incorporating changes into the management of their patients, a thorough evaluation of the current or published literature is an important step in clinical practice. It is necessary for assessing the published literature for its scientific validity and generalizability to the specific patient community and reader's work environment. Simple steps have been provided by Consolidated Standard for Reporting Trial statements, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and several other resources which if implemented may help the reader to avoid reading flawed literature and prevent the incorporation of biased or untrustworthy information into our practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Goneppanavar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Umesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Universal Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
authors.forename: John George
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Karippacheril
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magazine
keywords: Allocation concealment; bias; conflict of interest; critical appraisal; randomisation; study design