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Systematic Reviews: About systematic reviews

Who is this guide for?

This guide is for anyone conducting a systematic, scoping or systematised review. 

What is a systematic review?

A systematic review has a focused research question, it follows a set methodology that should be transparent, reproducible, and less biased than a narrative review. It will have a protocol and you will search multiple bibliographic databases (such as the Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo) as well as searching for grey literature (unpublished reports, guidelines, thesis, clinical trials).

Systematic review Literature review
Answers a focused question. Provides a sumary or overview.
2 or more people. Usually one person.

Months to years

(the avergae Cochrane Review takes 18 months).

 Weeks to months.
Starts with a protocol. No protocol.

All relevant databases and grey literature

using repeatable reported methodology.

 One or more relevant databases searched.

 

Other review types?

There are many type of reviews, each will have their own methodology, see table 3 in this article by Sutton, A. et al. (2019) 'Meeting the review family: exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements', Health Information & Libraries Journal, 36(3), pp. 202-222. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12276 and Temple University has a good guide https://guides.temple.edu/c.php?g=78618&p=9552831. There is also a useful tool called, Right Review that helps you decide what type of review would be most useful for you, see https://whatreviewisrightforyou.knowledgetranslation.net/ 

Reading to support the rapid review methodology...

Some resources to support the realist review search process...

  • YouTube video - Realist and Realistic! Searching: Where do I start and how far do I go? Dr Andrew Booth, ScHARR https://youtu.be/ui4SH3z03P0
  • Booth, A., Briscoe, S. and Wright, J.M. (2020) 'The "realist search": A systematic scoping review of current practice and reporting', Research Synthesis Methods, 11(1), pp. 14-35. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1386.
  • Wong, G. et al. (2016) 'RAMESES II reporting standards for realist evaluations', BMC Medicine, 14(1), p. 96. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-016-0643-1.
  • Duddy, C. and Roberts, N. (2022) 'Identifying evidence for five realist reviews in primary health care: A comparison of search methods', Res Synth Methods, 13(2), pp. 190-203. doi: 10.1002/jrsm.1523. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1523

Some scoping review resources...

  • Munn, Z. et al. (2018) 'Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach', BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18(1), p. 143. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x.
  • Reporting tool for Scoping reviews PRISMA- ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) and the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) have recently updated their methodology for scoping reviews to bring them into line with PRISMA-ScR.
  • Peters, M.D.J. et al. (2020) 'Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews', JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18(10), pp. 2119-2126. Available at: https://doi.org/10.11124/JBIES-20-00167.
  • See also the Joann Briggs Institute scoping review resources https://jbi.global/scoping-review-network/resources

How can the library help?

For staff and postgraduate research students we offer online training sessions advertised via the Doctoral College and StaffBook, the session introduces the literature search process required for a systematic review and complements the course offered by SHTAC.

The library can help you:

  • decide on the bibliographic databases to include in your review, 
  • develop your search strategy, 
  • check your search strategies,
  • guide you to tools to assist with your review. 

Recommended reading

For anyone new to the process, we would recommend the the following text aimed at masters level students, Cherry, M.G., Boland, A. and Dickson, R. (2024) Doing a systematic review: a student's guide. 3rd edn. London: SAGE. It is not available electronically, but we have print copies in the library https://southampton.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1402250141.

For the rigorous 'health' process you can access these texts online...