Systematic review
A systematic review is a comprehensive and methodical evaluation of existing research on a specific topic, aimed at summarizing the collective findings and ensuring reliability. This process involves establishing clear objectives, protocols for gathering and analyzing data, and presenting the conclusions in a way that can be replicated by others. Originating in the healthcare field during the 1970s, systematic reviews emerged from the push for evidence-based medicine, with early examples being labeled as meta-analyses. Over time, initiatives like the Cochrane Collaboration were established to promote rigorous reviews of medical literature, and similar efforts, such as the Campbell Collaboration, were launched for non-medical topics.
Systematic reviews typically involve a collaborative team of experts from various disciplines, including subject matter specialists and those skilled in data analysis and organization. While the process can be time-consuming, it is often more cost-effective than conducting new research and tends to yield results that are more broadly applicable. Each review focuses on a specific question, lays out inclusion and exclusion criteria for studies, and includes a peer review process to enhance credibility. Overall, systematic reviews serve as an important tool for synthesizing knowledge and guiding informed decision-making in various fields.
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Systematic review
A systematic review is a carefully organized and structured assessment of all completed research on a specific topic. The term refers to both the process of conducting the review and the final document produced from the review process. The review establishes a specified objective and protocols to identify and evaluate all relevant primary literature, verify the validity of previous findings, and assemble and present the conclusions in a cohesive way that allows others to reproduce or confirm the findings. Performing a systematic review is less time-consuming and less expensive than conducting new studies. In addition, systematic reviews are generally more accurate than any individual study and the results can be more widely applied.
Overview
The idea for systematic reviews originated in the health care industry. The earliest studies occurred in the 1970s and were referred to as meta-analyses. They grew out of a movement toward evidence-based medicine, in which physicians were encouraged to use the most current study-backed techniques to treat patients.
In 1992, a group of Oxford-based researchers who had been conducting in-depth reviews of existing medical information for more than a decade established the Cochrane Collaboration. The group grew to include researchers and medical professionals around the world who focus on ensuring the reliability and accessibility of medical information. Soon, the related Campbell Collaboration was also formed to conduct the same kind of review of non-medical information. Since that time, the systematic review process has become a research standard.
Systematic reviews are usually a group effort. The group, called the review authors, establish a protocol for how they will conduct the review. The protocol will outline the steps to be followed, how the information will be gathered and analyzed, and how the material will be brought together for final presentation.
All systematic reviews
- address one specific issue.
- have a specific goal or objective.
- define the criteria for what studies or other material will be included and excluded.
- have an established process for identifying and gathering information to be reviewed.
- evaluate the validity of the material being reviewed.
- include a process for peer review, or review by people in the same field of expertise.
- present a clear summary of findings that can be reviewed and replicated by others.
- have a summary that is written by experts who are well-versed in the field under review.
The review team usually includes experts in different aspects of the field under study. The team will include subject matter experts, such as physicians and researchers with a specialty in the field. Librarians or other experts with database analysis skills help identify and locate all the studies to be included in the review, while reference management experts organize and track the references and the group's findings on each. Statisticians help conduct the analysis. The teams usually include experts in the systematic review process to help design the review, ensure the right experts are included, and oversee the project flow.
There are advantages and disadvantages to the systematic review process. For instance, it can take a long time to identify and evaluate all the individual studies to be reviewed. However, systematic reviews are generally less expensive and time-consuming than designing and conducting new studies, and the results are more inclusive and definitive than any single study could be.
Bibliography
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Khan, Khalid S., et al. "Five Steps to Conducting a Systematic Review." Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Mar. 2003, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539417/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.
"Systematic Review." George Washington University Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, Nov. 2011, himmelfarb.gwu.edu/tutorials/studydesign101/systematicreviews.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.
"Systematic Review: What Is Systematic Review?" National University of Singapore, 26 Sept. 2017, libguides.nus.edu.sg/sysreviews. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.
"Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: A Step-by-Step Guide." Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 2013, www.ccace.ed.ac.uk/research/software-resources/systematic-reviews-and-meta-analyses. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.
Uman, Lindsay S. "Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses." Journal of the Canadian Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry, Feb. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3024725/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.
"What Is a Systematic Review?" Cochrane Consumer Network, consumers.cochrane.org/what-systematic-review. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.
"What Is a Systematic Review." Library Subject Guides, Queensland University of Technology, 13 June 2017, libguides.library.qut.edu.au/systematicreviews. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.