ABSTRACT

Critical appraisal of medical literature is a core competency in various modules within the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) curriculum. Critical appraisal questions are likely to fit into one of the five categories: therapy studies, diagnostic studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, patient information leaflets and audits. Previously, during preparatory stations, Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG) candidates would be asked to appraise medical literature or design an audit to then present findings or suggestions at the subsequent station. Many papers published in medical journals have serious methodological flaws and most are irrelevant for everyday clinical practice. Most scientific articles have the Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion (IMRAD) structure. They often have an abstract which is also usually structured as IMRAD. All of these sections are important, but some are more important than others.