90-120 minutes
What you can expect to learn (learning outcomes)
This module will teach you to:
- Assess the risk of bias arising from the randomization process in the included studies
- Assess the risk of bias due to deviations from the intended interventions in the included studies
- Assess the risk of bias due to missing outcome data in the included studies
- Assess the risk of bias in measurement of the outcome in the included studies
- Assess the risk of bias due to selective reporting
- Reach a judgement on the overall 'risk of bias' in the included studies
- Identify ways of incorporating ‘Risk of bias’ assessment into the analysis
Authors, contributors, and how to cite this module
Module 5 has been written and compiled by:
Matthew J. Page, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK, and School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia.
Julian Higgins, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
Dario Sambunjak, Miranda Cumpston and Chris Watts, Cochrane Central Executive Team.
A full list of acknowledgements is available in the ‘About’ section within the module.
This module should be cited as: Page MJ, Higgins J, Sambunjak D, Cumpston M, Watts C. Module 5: Introduction to study quality and risk of bias. In: Cochrane Interactive Learning: Conducting an intervention review. Cochrane, 2017. Available from interactivelearning.cochrane.org/module-5.
Update and feedback
The module was last updated in January 2025.
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