For research evidence to inform decision making, an appraisal needs to be made of whether the claims are justified and whether they are useful to the decisions being made. This chapter provides a high level framework of core issues relevant to appraising the “fitness for purpose” of evidence claims. The framework includes (I) the variation in the nature of research, the evidence claims it produces, and in the values, perspectives, and ethical issues that underlie it; (II) the main components of the bases of evidence claims in terms of (i) how relevant evidence has been identified and synthesized to make a claim, (ii) the technical quality and relevance of the included evidence, and (iii) the totality of evidence to justify the warrant of the evidence claim (including the potential for there to be alternative explanations); (III) evidence standards to appraise evidence claims and examples of guides and tools to assist with aspects of such appraisal; and (IV) engagement with evidence: (i) the communication of evidence claims, (ii) the fitness for purpose of these evidence claims for decision makers, and (iii) and the interpretation of such claims to provide recommendations and guidance.

为了使研究证据能为决策提供依据，需要对权利要求是否合理以及是否对所做出的决策有用进行评估。本章提供了与评估证据要求的“适用性”相关的核心问题的高级框架。该框架包括：（I）研究性质，所声称的证据所产生的变化以及构成其基础的价值观，观点和道德问题；（II）证据基础主张的主要组成部分，包括：（i）如何确定和综合相关证据以提出主张；（ii）所包含证据的技术质量和相关性；以及（iii）整体证据以证明证据要求的保证书正当（包括可能有其他解释的可能性）；（III）评估证据要求的证据标准以及协助进行此类评估的指南和工具的示例；（iv）接触证据：（i）证据要求的传达，（ii）这些证据要求适合决策者的目的，以及（iii）此类要求的解释和解释以提供建议和指导。