Systematic Reviews
What is a systematic review?
A systematic review is a study of studies. It attempts to collect all existing evidence on a specific topic to answer a research question. Authors use predefined criteria to decide which evidence is included or excluded, reducing bias and improving reliability.
About the Service
Evidence synthesis reviews encompass systematic reviews, scoping reviews, meta-analyses, and evidence gap maps. These methods use transparent and reproducible methodologies. For more details, consult "A Typology of Reviews" (Grant & Booth, 2009).
Key Steps We Support:
- Determine if existing reviews cover your topic
- Develop a protocol for transparency and rigor
- Create search strategies to identify relevant studies
- Format search results for citation managers
- Implement best practices for screening and synthesis
- Write the search methodology
- Determine the best synthesis type for your project
How librarians can help?
Librarians can support your evidence synthesis project as consultants or co-authors.
As a Consultant
As consultants, librarians can assist at various stages:
- Provide resources on synthesis processes
- Recommend databases, protocols, and tools
- Review and refine search strategies
As a Co-author
Co-authoring involves a long-term partnership with significant contributions:
- Assist with advanced search strategies
- Collaborate on drafting sections
- Support manuscript submission and revisions