Methodological guidelines
It is important to plan and conduct your systematic review in accordance with appropriate methodological guidelines. Not following authoritative process guidance is likely to result in a poor quality review.
The methodological guidelines and handbooks below will guide your systematic review:
- Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of InterventionsThe Cochrane Collaboration is a leader in high-quality healthcare evidence. The Cochrane Handbook includes guidance on the standard methods applicable to all reviews, not just Cochrane reviews.
Reporting guidelines and standards
Reporting of systematic reviews should be transparent, replicable and complete to allow others to assess the trustworthiness and validity of review findings and replicate or update reviews. Reporting standards facilitate transparent, complete and accurate reporting of systematic reviews.
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)
PRISMA is an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews. For more information on PRISMA and how to use it, see the following:
- PRISMA 2020 statement
- PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration
- PRISMA 2020 checklist
- PRISMA 2020 flow diagram
- How to properly use the PRISMA statement.
Several extensions to PRISMA have been developed, including:
- PRISMA for systematic review protocols (PRISMA-P)
- PRISMA for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR)
- PRISMA for searching (PRISMA-S).
Other reporting guidelines/standards:
Books on systematic reviews
Principles and Practice of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis by
Evidence based medicine is at the core of modern medicine. It involves the integration of individual clinical expertise with the best available clinical evidence from systematic research and patient's values and expectations. Systematic reviews offer a summary of the best available evidence. They are the most reliable and comprehensive statement about what works. Written by clinical academics from Australia, UK, USA, and Switzerland, this contributed volume introduces the readers to the principles and practice of systematic reviews and meta-analysis. It covers the various steps involved in systematic reviews including development of a focused question and the strategy for conducting a comprehensive literature search, identifying studies addressing the underlying question, assessment of heterogeneity and the risk of bias in the included studies, data extraction, and the approach to meta-analysis. Crucial issues such as selecting the model for meta-analysis, generating and interpreting forest plots, assessing the risk of publication bias, cautions in the interpretation of subgroup and sensitivity analyses, rating certainty of the evidence using GRADE guideline, and standardized reporting of meta-analysis (PRISMA) are covered in detail. Every attempt is made to keep the narrative simple and clear. Mathematical formulae are avoided as much as possible. While the focus of this book is on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the gold standard of clinical research, the essentials of systematic reviews of non-RCTs, diagnostic test accuracy studies, animal studies, individual participant data meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis are also covered. Readers from all faculties of medicine will enjoy this comprehensive and reader friendly book to understand the principles and practice of systematic reviews and meta-analysis for guiding their clinical practice and research.
ISBN: 9783030719203Publication Date: 2021
Systematic Reviews in Educational Research by
In this open access edited volume, international researchers of the field describe and discuss the systematic review method in its application to research in education. Alongside fundamental methodical considerations, reflections and practice examples are included and provide an introduction and overview on systematic reviews in education research.
ISBN: 9783658276010Publication Date: 2019
An Introduction to Systematic Reviews by
Focused on actively using systematic review as method, An Introduction to Systematic Reviews provides clear, step-by-step advice on the logic and processes of systematic reviewing. Stressing the importance of precision and accuracy, this practical text carefully balances a need for insightful theory with real-world pragmatism. Chapter on statistical synthesis and introduces a wide range of cutting-edge approaches to research synthesis, including text mining, living reviews, and new ideas in mixed methods reviews, such as qualitative comparative analysis. Packed with examples from across the social sciences, this book helps students and researchers alike in turning systematic reviews into recommendations for policy and practice.
Call Number: 001.4 INT 2017ISBN: 9781473929432Publication Date: 2017
Doing a Systematic Review by
Written in a friendly, accessible style by an expert team of authors with years of experience in both conducting and supervising systematic reviews, this is the perfect guide to using systematic review methodology in a research project. It provides clear answers to all review-related questions, including: How do I formulate an appropriate review question? What's the best way to manage my review? How do I develop my search strategy? How do I get started with data extraction? How do I assess the quality of a study? How can I analyse and synthesize my data? How should I write up the discussion and conclusion sections of my dissertation or thesis?
Call Number: 362.10723 DOI 2017ISBN: 9781473967007Publication Date: 2nd edtion 2017
Doing Your Literature Review by
This highly accessible book guides students through the production of either a traditional or a systematic literature review, clearly explaining the difference between the two types of review, the advantages and disadvantages of both, and the skills needed. It gives practical advice on reading and organizing relevant literature and critically assessing the reviewed field. Contents include using libraries and the internet, note making, presentation, critical analysis, and referencing, plagiarism, and copyright.
Call Number: 300.72 JES 2011ISBN: 9781848601543Publication Date: 2011
Systematic Reviews in Practice by
In order to make the best medical recommendations or determine the best treatments, health care practitioners should rely on the peer-reviewed medical research. Often, however, one study is not enough. Health practitioners need a "one-stop shop" that synthesizes several studies. Compared to a small pilot study, or even a large study, a synthesis across studies can provide a more solid foundation upon which recommendations about a particular treatment or application can be made. A systematic review is the "gold standard" method for synthesizing these studies.This book will focus on the what, why and how of systematic reviews - what they are, why they are important and how to conduct them. Specifically, you will learn: The role of systematic reviews in evidence-based medicine. The different types of systematic reviews and what research questions they are best suited for answering. How methodological bias can play a role in research and systematic reviews and how to use practical tools to assess for and work with bias in reviews. The basic components and practical steps of conducting a systematic review.The book is organized into 11 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 will provide you with some theoretical background regarding what systematic reviews are and why they are needed. The remaining chapters will walk you through how to conduct a systematic review in an objective, rigorous and unbiased fashion. Collectively, these chapters should provide you with enough information to develop your own research topic and conduct your own systematic review from beginning to end - from conceptualization to publication.Each chapter also includes a Practical Matters section in which commonly asked questions regarding that chapter's particular topics are addressed. Recommendations are offered throughout the book to help guide you through the conduction of a systematic review in an objective, transparent fashion. This advice represents information that the authors wished they had known when they first began learning about and conducting systematic reviews. The advice is then offered with the hopes that it will help you as you embark on your systematic review journey.This book will use a model systematic review topic to help illustrate many of the steps in conducting a systematic review. The example will explore the effect of acupuncture on acute pain in military personnel. The methodologies and results of this paper will be presented throughout this book in order to provide a consistent, ongoing example throughout the book.We encourage you and your review team to utilize this book to guide you through your journey of conducting your systematic review. We hope it will be a key reference manual as you uncover the current state of the evidence and support your research question.
Call Number: 616.0072 CRA 2015ISBN: 9781511719797Publication Date: 2015
Systematic Reviews to Support Evidence-Based Medicine by
For many healthcare professionals there is a mystery surrounding systematic reviews of healthcare literature. How did they select certain studies and reject others? What did they do to pool results? How did a bunch of insignificant findings suddenly become significant? With this book you will embark on a journey that will provide the key information required to demystify these intrigues. By understanding the principles behind reviews of healthcare literature, you will be able to assess the credibility of the recommendations handed down to you in published reviews and practice guidelines. Following the success of the first edition, Systematic Reviews to Support Evidence-based Medicine simplifies and explains the key steps involved in reviewing literature, directing its deliberations at a readership of nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, public health personnel, new reviewers and students of epidemiology and health technology assessment. This second edition retains the strong emphasis on effectiveness, but the reader is presented with six brand new case studies, and all of the original material has been thoroughly edited and revised to bring it up to date and bring it in line with current knowledge. The authors are veterans of over 150 systematic reviews. Over the years they have worked with healthcare commissioners, clinicians and other decision-makers, producing reviews to inform policy and practice. They have collaborated with other epidemiologists and statisticians to advance methods for undertaking systematic reviews and between them, they have a wide and appropriate range of experience of reviewing and applying findings of healthcare research. Written in a concise and easy-to-digest form, and avoiding technical jargon, Systematic Reviews toSupport Evidence-based Medicine remains a must-read for all healthcare professionals.
Call Number: 616ISBN: 9781853157943Publication Date: 2011
