"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. What are systematic reviews?).
NOTE: This guide exclusively covers systematic reviews. Please see our Guide to Reviewing the Literature if you'd like to learn about scoping reviews, meta-syntheses and/or traditional literature reviews.
| Both traditional literature reviews and systematic reviews involve finding and evaluating a significant body of literature and both are conducted in order to provide a synthesis of that literature. Apart from these generalities, however, there are key differences in the scope, aims, search strategies and evaluation methods employed. The following table provides an excellent comparison between the two. |
Image Credit: University of Alabama Libraries. Getting Started on your Systematic Review [YouTube: 8:20 - 11:03].
Systematic reviews can focus on many different forms of evidence, including:
See the JBI's Manual of Evidence Synthesis to learn more.
