Risk of Bias and Quality Appraisal Tools
Guidance on the appraisal instruments used in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis
AMSTAR 2
Appraising the quality of systematic reviews of healthcare interventions and rating how much confidence to place in their results.
ROBINS-I V2
Assessing risk of bias in non-randomized (cohort) studies of interventions. The recommended tool for non-randomized studies in Cochrane Reviews.
RoB 2
Assessing risk of bias in randomized controlled trials. The recommended risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials in Cochrane Reviews.
Choosing between tools
Which tool fits a given study design, what separates the alternatives, and what changed between versions
RoB 2 vs ROBINS-I: which risk-of-bias tool for your study?
RoB 2 assesses randomized trials and ROBINS-I V2 assesses non-randomized studies of interventions. A design-by-design guide to choosing, the differences that matter, and how to handle a review with both.
AMSTAR 2 vs ROBIS: which tool for appraising systematic reviews?
AMSTAR 2 rates the methodological quality of intervention reviews. ROBIS assesses risk of bias in reviews of any question type. When each fits, how they differ, and how to use them in an umbrella review.
RoB 1 vs RoB 2: what changed in the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool
How the original Cochrane risk-of-bias tool differs from RoB 2: the domain mapping, the end of Unclear, per-result assessment, and what to do with a review that used the older tool.
What's new in ROBINS-I V2: version 1 vs version 2
ROBINS-I V2 drops a domain, adds algorithms, a triage step, graded responses and immortal-time questions, and narrows its scope to cohort studies. What changed, and what it means for a review in progress.
About these tools
CoRATES supports multiple evidence appraisal tools used in systematic reviews and research synthesis. Each tool is designed for specific study types and provides structured guidance for assessing methodological quality or risk of bias. Select a tool above to learn more about its purpose, scoring methodology, and access official documentation.