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Abstract

An advantage of a systematic review over its black box counterpart is the emphasis given to critical appraisal, or the assessment of a primary study’s rigour, suitability, and relevance. Critical appraisal helps readers evaluate how confident they can be that the primary research provides a solid base for the review findings. Although critical appraisal includes examining the details of the primary research, it also involves considering the body of evidence as a whole. In the current chapter, I define critical appraisal, describe the reasons for undertaking the task, and how it might be completed for both quantitative and qualitative research.

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Tod, D. (2019). Critical Appraisal. In: Conducting Systematic Reviews in Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12263-8_8

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