A systematic review is a very thorough and comprehensive analysis of all relevant studies on a very specialized topic. A systematic review is a unique analysis on existing literature surrounding a focused research question using very strict criteria for what studies are included and excluded from the analysis. As we write a systematic review, we are:
Demonstrating your knowledge of your very specialized research topic
Using a very specific methodology to identify all relevant studies on a specific topic
Selecting specific studies for incorporation based on inclusion/exclusion criteria
Using an extremely transparent framework so anyone can replicate and reproduce your findings
Potentially incorporating statistical meta-analysis to demonstrate and reinforce our conclusions.
Systematic reviews often:
Take months to years to complete to ensure a thorough evaluation of the subject
Involve more than one author to eliminate and contradict bias
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This book outlines the rationale for systematic reviews, giving worked examples from a number of fields. It builds skills and progressively builds tactics for systematic reviews.