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Table 2 Critical appraisal criteria

From: What are the toxicity thresholds of chemical pollutants for tropical reef-building corals? A systematic review

Source of bias

Criteria

Low risk of bias

Medium risk of bias

High risk of bias

Unclear risk of bias

Experimental

Is the experiment replicated (at least one replicate; a replicate is not exposed to water in contact with the other replicates)

– Yes

  

– No

– Unknown (assumed to be No)

Exposure

If a solvent is used, is a solvent control present?

– Yes

– N/A

  

– No

– Unknown (assumed to be No)

Have effective exposure concentrations been measured?

– Yes

  

– No

– Unknown (assumed to be No)

Selection

Are there differences at baseline between groups C and E? (including difference in exposure environment, difference in biological model, difference in the set of individuals allocated to each group)

– No

– N/A (for BA design)

– Yes but the effect is controlled and null

– for in situ studies: yes but an attempt to minimize differences is made

– Yes (detail)

– Unknown (assumed to be Yes)

 

Performance

Are there differences in the way groups C and E (or B and A) are treated throughout the experiment?

– No

 

– Yes (detail)

– Unknown (assumed to be Yes)

 

Detection

Are there differences in the way the outcomes of groups C and E (or B and A) are assessed?

– No

 

– Yes (detail)

– Unknown (assumed to be Yes)

 

Exclusion (or attrition)

Are there differences in the way individuals or observations from groups C and E (or B and A) are removed from the study?

– No

 

– Yes (detail)

– Unknown (assumed to be Yes)

 

Other

Is there another source of bias? (e.g. reporting bias, insufficient description of the methods, an unforeseen event that occurred during the experiment)

– No

– Yes minor (detail)

– Yes major (detail)

 
  1. C Control, E Exposed, B Before, A After, N/A non-applicable