Systematic reviews and other evidence synthesis projects

Narrative/"Literature" Review

(standalone lit review articles, not lit review sections of a larger research article)

Collates relevant studies and draws conclusions from them.

No formal methodology. No protocol required. Can be solo or team project.

3+ months

Search strategy not typically reported. Not comprehensive, which could introduce bias.
Librarian advising available.

Collins JA, Fauser BC. Balancing the strengths of systematic and narrative reviews. Hum Reprod Update. 2005;11(2):103-104. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmh058

Narrative review that uses some techniques from systematic and scoping reviews. May be done for dissertations or summer project.

No formal methodology. No registered protocol required. Can be solo or team project.

3+ months

Search strategy often reported. Not comprehensive, which could introduce bias.
Librarian advising available.

Described in Grant MJ, Booth A. A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Info Libr J. 2009 Jun;26(2):91-108.

For dissertations and assigned projects, check the rubric as to what systematic elements are expected.

Rapid Review

Version of systematic or scoping review that streamlines the process according to established guidelines at the risk of introducing bias.

Frequently for policy-related or emergency situations.

Requires a protocol and team.

3-6+ months

Completeness of searching determined by time constraints. Librarian collaboration recommended.

Khangura S, Konnyu K, Cushman R, Grimshaw J, Moher D. Evidence summaries: the evolution of a rapid review approach. Syst Rev. 2012;1:10. Published 2012 Feb 10. doi:10.1186/2046-4053-1-10

Tricco AC, Langlois EV, Straus SE. Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: a practical guide. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017.

Rapid reviews from the ground up video series from Cochrane Training, 2017

Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group

Integrative Review

Reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated.

Can combine empirical and theoretical literature, which requires specific methods of data analysis.

3+ months

Aims for exhaustive, comprehensive search. Librarian collaboration recommended.

Whittemore R, Knafl K. The integrative review: updated methodology. J Adv Nurs. 2005;52(5):546-553. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03621.x

Umbrella Review

Reviews other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on a topic.
Focuses on a broad condition or problem for which there are competing interventions and highlights reviews that address these interventions and their results.

Requires a protocol and team.

6-12+ months

Identification of component reviews but no search for primary studies. Librarian collaboration recommended.

Aromataris E, Fernandez R, Godfrey C, Holly C, Khalil H, Tungpunkom P. Umbrella Reviews (2020). In: Aromataris E, Lockwood C, Porritt K, Pilla B, Jordan Z, editors. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. JBI; 2024. Available from: https://synthesismanual.jbi.global. https://doi.org/10.46658/JBIMES-24-01

Smith V, Devane D, Begley CM, Clarke M. Methodology in conducting a systematic review of systematic reviews of healthcare interventions. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2011;11(1):15. Published 2011 Feb 3. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-11-15

Scoping Review

Aims to identify nature and extent of research evidence (usually including ongoing research).

May be done as a preliminary assessment of the potential size and scope of available research literature.

Requires a protocol and team.

10-12+ months

Completeness of searching determined by time/scope constraints. Librarian collaboration recommended.

Arskey H, O'Malley L. Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int J of Soc Research Meth: Theory and Prac. 2005; 8:1.

Peters MDJ, Godfrey C, McInerney P, Munn Z, Tricco AC, Khalil, H. Scoping Reviews (2020). In: Aromataris E, Munn Z (Editors). JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis, JBI, 2020. Available from https://synthesismanual.jbi.global. doi:10.46658/JBIMES-20-12

JBI - Scoping Review Network

Daudt HM, van Mossel C, Scott SJ. Enhancing the scoping study methodology: a large, inter-professional team's experience with Arksey and O'Malley's framework. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2013;13:48. Published 2013 Mar 23. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-13-48

Systematic Review

Attempts to identify, appraise, and synthesize all the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a given research question.
Uses explicit methods aimed at minimizing bias in order to produce more reliable findings that can be used to inform decision making.

Requires a protocol and team.

10-12+ months

Aims for exhaustive, comprehensive search. Librarian collaboration recommended.

Lodge M. Conducting a systematic review: finding the evidence. J Evid Based Med. 2011;4(2):135-139. doi:10.1111/j.1756-5391.2011.01130.x

Guides for Conducting Systematic Reviews 

Meta-Analysis

A statistical test that combines the results from multiple studies to answer one or more research questions.

Requires a protocol and team.

10-12+ months

Aims for exhaustive, comprehensive search. Statistician collaboration recommended. Librarian collaboration recommended.

Møller AM, Myles PS. What makes a good systematic review and meta-analysis?. Br J Anaesth. 2016;117(4):428-430. doi:10.1093/bja/aew264