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In a clinical environment, Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is a thoughtful integration of the best available evidence, coupled with clinical expertise.
Silagy and Haines (1998) describe evidence-based health care as an approach that 'takes account of evidence at a population level as well as encompassing interventions concerned with the organisation and delivery of health care'.
Reference:
Silagy, C & Haines, A 1998, Evidence-based practice in primary care, London, BMJ Books.
There are several different kinds of articles frequently found in the literature for medical and health sciences.
Source: Booth A & Brice A (2004) Evidence Based Practice for Information Professionals: A Handbook. London: Facet Publishing.
Randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses are considered to be stronger forms of evidence and will be more desirable for your final paper.
In the age of open-access publishing, it is easier than ever to have a journal article published. It isn't always clear if the article went through the peer review process, so it is important for you to take a critical look at the information you find in an article. Here are some criteria to consider applying to articles.
Authority – what are the qualifications of the authors? Was the article published in a reputable journal?
Accuracy – is the information reproducible or cited by other sources? Are references cited throughout the article?
Bias – does the author have a conflict of interest? PubMed now includes conflict of interest statements when this information is supplied by the publisher.
Currency – when was the article published? Is the information out of date for your purposes?
Comprehension – is the information written at an appropriate level for its audience? How does the information compare with other sources on this topic? Is the article relevant to your research?