What is a systematic review?
A systematic review is a method that involves identifying and synthesizing all available research on a specific topic. It provides a comprehensive overview and the methodology ensures transparency and reproducability. Systematic reviews require extensive literature searches followed by title and abstract screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. Systematic reviews sometimes contain a meta-analysis, where the collected data is combined using statistical methods.
Steps in a systematic review
The entire process of conducting a systematic review, from deciding on research question to establishing a protocol, searching the literature and finally collating, examining and analysing the results, needs to proceed according to a carefully planned methodology. All stages of the process should be documented.
Note! Journals can have other demands on how to conduct and report a systematic review, always check which guidelines you should follow.
What are systematic reviews - a film from Cochrane
Cochrane is an independent, diverse, global organization that collaborates to produce trusted synthesized evidence.
PRISMA - Guidelines
There are international guidelines for how a systematic review should be conducted and reported. Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), is foremost intended for studies with a quantitative method but can also be used for qualitative studies.
PRISMA Statement - Guidelines for Reporting Systematic Reviews
Register protocol
Prospero
Prospero is a database for systematic reviews, where you can search for ongoing systematic reviews and also register protocols when you start a project. Prospero only register systematic reviews.
Open science framework (OSF)
Open Science Framework is a archive for preprints, datasets and study protocols. You can search for registered protocols and register your own project. OSF register protocols for different types of litterature reviews.
Figshare
Figshare is a archive for preprints, datasets and study protocols. You can search for registered protocols and register your own project. Figshare register protocols for different types of litterature reviews.
Methodology for systematic reviews
There are several organizations that conduct systematic reviews from a specific methodology, for example Cochrane, Campbell Collaboration or Joanna Briggs Institute. Their methodology can be a used even if you're not doing that kind of review. The journal you are looking to publish in can also have methodology guidelines.
Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) - Methodology
Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services - Method
Scoping reviews
Scoping reviews follows a similar methodology as systematic reviews, and is conducted and reported in the same rigorous manner. The research question might have a broader scope and quality assessment is more optional. For a more detailed description of the differences between a systematic review and a scoping review:
Munn, Z., Peters, M. D. J., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18(1), 143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x
Methodology for scoping reviews
From Joanna Briggs Institute, a chapter on the methodologh of scoping reviews in their "Manual for evidence synthesis".
Joanna Briggs Institute - scoping reviews
More reading on the methodology of scoping reviews:
Arksey, H., & O'Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616
Colquhoun, H. L., Levac, D., O'Brien, K. K., Straus, S., Tricco, A. C., Perrier, L., Kastner, M., & Moher, D. (2014). Scoping reviews: time for clarity in definition, methods, and reporting. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 67(12), 1291-1294. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.03.013
Levac, D., Colquhoun, H., & O'Brien, K. K. (2010). Scoping studies: advancing the methodology. Implementation Science, 5(1), 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-5-69
PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews
There are international guidelines on how to report a scoping review. Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), also has a checklist for scoping reviews.