| Study design(s) targeted by the tool | Observational studies (mixed designs)observational-studies Randomized controlled trials (RCT)randomized-controlled-trial-rct |
|---|---|
| Additional details on designs | All analytic designs of exposures or interventions |
| Tool area | Health; Clinical research |
| Link to the tool | Get the MASTER scale |
Details | |
| Website | |
| Primary publication | Stone J, Glass K, Clark J, et al. The MethodologicAl STandards for Epidemiological Research (MASTER) scale demonstrated a unified framework for bias assessment. J Clin Epidemiol. 2021;134:52-64. doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.01.012. |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.01.012 |
| Guidance document | MASTER guidance (Appendix A) |
| Training | None known – please contact us if you are aware of any training that should be listed here. |
| Language | English |
| Translations | None known – please contact us if you are aware of any translations that should be listed here. |
| Record last updated | 20/05/2025 |
Related tools and Publications | |
| Previous versions | None |
| Updated versions | None |
| Related tools | None |
| Evaluations | None known – please contact us if you are aware of any evaluations that should be listed here. |
| Other publications | None known – please contact us if you are aware of any publications that should be listed here. |
Key Criteria | |
| Focuses on risk of bias, or makes a distinction between items that assess risk of bias and other aspects of study quality | Yes |
| Offers a method to reach either a domain specific or overall assessment of risk of bias | No |
| Tool developed for use across topic areas (i.e. not developed for specific clinical area such as physiotherapy or dentistry) | No |
| Avoids recommending use of summary numerical quality scores | No |
