A systematic review uses systematic and reproducible methods to identify, select and critically appraise all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a specific research question.
The key characteristics of a systematic review are:
a clearly stated set of objectives with pre-defined eligibility criteria for studies;
an explicit, reproducible methodology;
a systematic search that attempts to identify all studies that would meet the eligibility criteria;
an assessment of the validity of the findings of the included studies, for example through the assessment of risk of bias; and
a systematic presentation, and synthesis, of the characteristics and findings of the included studies.
Higgins JPT, Green S (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0 [updated March 2011]. The Cochrane Collaboration, 2011. Available from www.handbook.cochrane.org.
| Systematic Review | Literature Review |
|---|---|
| Focused on a single question | Not necessarily focused on single question - may describe an overview |
| A peer review protocol or plan is included | No protocol is included |
| Clear objectives identified | Objectives may or may not be identified |
| Inclusion/exclusion criteria stated before review is conducted | Criteria not specified |
| Comprehensive search conducted and documented systematically | Search strategy not explicitly stated |
| Process of article selection clear and explicit | Process of article selection is not described |
| Formally assesses the quality of studies and generates a conclusion relating to the focused research question | Summary based on studies where the quality may not be specified and may also be influenced by reviewer's theories, needs and beliefs |
Adapted from: University of Newcastle Library
Systematic reviews play an important role in health research. They provide a high level summary of studies and can inform policy and practice relevant to a particular area of inquiry. Understanding review methodologies is useful for those who wish to undertake a systematic review, or just read one.
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention
The Campbell Collaboration: Producing a Review
JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis
Finding what works in health care: standards for systematic reviews (Institute of Medicine, US)
PRISMA statement, flowchart and checklist
Systematic Reviews: CRD's guidance for undertaking reviews in health care
Curtin University: Systematic Reviews
Duke University: Systematic Reviews: The Process
National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools: Anatomy of a Systematic Review
University of Edinburgh: Systematic Review and Meta-analyses
Searching clinical trials registers: guide for systematic reviewers - BMJ - 26 April 2022
Start documenting the search process from day one and continue to the end.
Create an account with the databases that you search and save your searches.
You will need to keep track of:
In addition, all searches conducted via hand searching must identify the source (name of journal, conference proceedings etc.) and the year.