5.2.6.3: Assessment of quality: Evidence from expert opinion

Expert opinion draws on the knowledge and experience of experts (both practitioners and consumers); and frequently, extant external evidence informs the opinion. Thus, validity in this context relates to those involved in the development of the opinion and their motives; the degree to which extant evidence is sourced and used in the process; and the soundness of the opinion in terms of its logic and its ability to convince.

Burrows and Walker³⁹  describe a tool designed to critique expert opinion.  They argue that expert opinion should be subject to the same critical scrutiny as research studies in order to make a judgement about quality and reliability. They developed a framework for critiquing expert opinion by analysing published frameworks and exploring the considerations that academics are expected to pursue when publishing expert opinion.³⁹ This has many similarities with the JBI Text and Expert Opinion critical appraisal tool. ^1,11

The focus of appraisal is on authenticity: specifically, authenticity of the opinion, its source, and the possible motivating factors and how alternate opinions are addressed. It is also focused on the assessment of credibility of the expert voice, and decision as to whether the arguments are logical. Criteria to assess these elements are incorporated into the Textual Evidence module of SUMARI⁴⁰ and consist of a series of questions to be addressed for each type of evidence retrieved.