Risk of Bias Appraisal
Terms of Use
Last updated: September 28, 2026
Purpose
Risk of Bias Appraisal supports evidence-linked critical appraisal and risk-of-bias assessment using JBI, ROBINS-I, and ROBINS-E. It is intended for research and educational support.
Human review and no medical advice
The tool is not a substitute for qualified human judgment, independent reviewer assessment, or adjudication. It does not provide medical advice or make clinical decisions. Users are responsible for checking each output against the original study reports and applicable official guidance before using or sharing it.
Methodological frameworks
Frameworks and versions have defined scopes and may change. Users are responsible for confirming that the selected method fits the study design, causal question, review protocol, and result being appraised. A JBI checklist, ROBINS-I, and ROBINS-E are not interchangeable.
Evidence and limitations
Outputs depend on the information provided and may contain omissions, errors, or misinterpretations. Evidence locations and judgments must be verified. Incomplete reporting should not automatically be treated as evidence that a safeguard was absent. The tool may preserve uncertainty when evidence is insufficient. It does not create arbitrary numerical quality scores or guarantee a definitive judgment.
Independent review
Use within a review team requires the independent human appraisal and resolution procedures specified by that review’s protocol. Tool output alone does not establish that multiple reviewers independently assessed a study.
Intellectual property and attribution
JBI and ROBINS materials remain the property of their respective owners. This independently developed tool does not reproduce complete proprietary checklists and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, approved by, or endorsed by JBI or the ROBINS-I/ROBINS-E developers.
Appropriate use
Do not use the tool to fabricate evidence, conceal uncertainty, misrepresent independent review, or make unsupported claims about a study. Do not submit confidential patient information, protected health information, credentials, or other sensitive personal information.
Availability and changes
The tool and its supporting materials may be updated, changed, or discontinued. Methodological content should be checked against current official sources.
Disclaimer
The tool is provided for research support without a guarantee that its outputs are complete, accurate, or suitable for a particular purpose. Users retain responsibility for their appraisal and any downstream research, publication, or other decisions.
Contact
Questions, methodological feedback, suspected errors, or concerns relating to Risk of Bias Appraisal can be submitted through the Support page.