Systematic Reviews

A systematic review attempts to identify, appraise and synthesize all the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a specific research question. Researchers conducting systematic reviews use explicit, systematic methods that are selected with a view aimed at minimizing bias, to produce more reliable findings to inform decision making.

(Cochrane, 2020)
 

Key Characteristics of a Systematic Review

• A set objective with a pre-defined eligibility criteria for studies.
• An explicit, transparent, and reproducible methodology.
• A systematic search protocol that attempts to identify all studies that meet the eligibility criteria.
• An assessment of the validity of the findings in the included studies.
• Systematic presentation, and synthesis, of the characteristics and findings of the included studies.

What does a Systematic Review involve?

A Systematic Review is a methodological process, which involves the following:

• Defining a research question
• Developing a review protocol
• Designing and planning the search strategy
• Performing and documenting searches
• Screening search results
• Data extraction and appraisal
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Reporting the finding