Title: Steps In Systematic Literature Review

Undertaking a systematic literature review can be a daunting task, requiring meticulous planning,
rigorous methodology, and comprehensive analysis. It is a crucial component of academic research,
providing a solid foundation for understanding the existing knowledge landscape, identifying gaps,
and informing future investigations. However, the complexity and time-consuming nature of this
process often pose significant challenges to researchers.

The first step in conducting a systematic literature review involves defining the research question or
objective. This lays the groundwork for the entire review process, guiding the selection of relevant
studies and the development of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Formulating a clear and concise
research question is essential for maintaining focus and ensuring the review remains systematic and
comprehensive.

Once the research question is established, the next step is to conduct a thorough search of the
literature. This involves identifying relevant databases, journals, and other sources of information, as
well as employing appropriate search terms and filters to retrieve pertinent studies. The search
strategy should be transparent and reproducible, minimizing the risk of bias and ensuring the
comprehensiveness of the review.

After retrieving the initial set of studies, the next step is to screen and select relevant articles based
on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. This process typically involves multiple stages,
including title and abstract screening followed by full-text assessment. Screening can be time-
consuming, requiring careful scrutiny of each study to determine its relevance to the research
question.

Once the relevant studies have been identified, the next step is to extract data from each article
systematically. This involves extracting key information such as study design, sample characteristics,
intervention or exposure, outcomes, and key findings. Data extraction should be conducted
methodically to ensure accuracy and consistency across studies.

Following data extraction, the next step is to analyze and synthesize the findings from the included
studies. This may involve quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) or qualitative synthesis (thematic
analysis, narrative synthesis) depending on the nature of the data and research question. Synthesizing
findings from multiple studies can be challenging, requiring careful consideration of study
heterogeneity and potential biases.

Finally, the findings of the systematic literature review should be interpreted in light of the research
question and existing evidence base. This involves critically evaluating the quality of included
studies, assessing the strength of evidence, and identifying implications for practice, policy, or future
research. Clear and transparent reporting of the review methods and findings is essential for ensuring
the credibility and reproducibility of the review.

In conclusion, conducting a systematic literature review is a complex and labor-intensive process

that requires careful planning, rigorous methodology, and comprehensive analysis. While the task
may seem daunting, it is essential for advancing knowledge in a particular field and informing
evidence-based practice and decision-making. For those seeking assistance with their literature
reviews, ⇒ StudyHub.vip ⇔ offers professional services to streamline the process and ensure high-
quality results.
Identifies the language of the logged in user while browsing the website. Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) publishes evidence-
based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access. These preregistration
plans include a specific search strategy using specific search terms for individual scholarly databases
so other researchers can recreate the search. That is, that you review the citations and references for
the included publications. There are several different frameworks available that might be able to help
you structure and delimit your research question. Theoretical Approach This approach focuses on
organizing your review around different theoretical frameworks or perspectives relevant to your
topic. If you want to see how this automatic mapping works you can do a search without choosing a
specific field, and then go to History and Search Details (on the Advanced page). Indicates whether
the Cookie message is visible or hidden. Use the Please Log In or Create an Account button to create
a Cochrane account or connect an exising accountto the University's subscription. The data includes
number of visitors, their origin and pages visited and is sent anonymously. To see which publications
that have cited these articles, click on Citation Report, which you’ll find on the right side of the
search box. Other tools can help you translate the search syntax used in different databases, for
example, Systematic Review Accelerator Polyglot. In this case, the result is considered not
“statistically significant.”. Journals also often demand that a search be updated if several months have
passed since the article was submitted. There are two main ways to search the database: --- select
General Search to search for articles by subject term, author name, journal title, or author affiliation -
-- select Cited Reference Search to search for articles that cite an author or article that you specify.
Check out the theories, models, and methods used in the research. For this reason, most systematic
reviews are conducted by teams, given the large scope of the data initially collected for most research
topics. How many documents did you find in total as per inclusion and exclusion criteria? 2. The
length of embedded literature reviews varies, but is usually dependent upon the length of your
assignment. If chemoprevention has some preventive effect, less parasitemia should be observed
among women exposed to the medication (i.e., treatment). Few interventions are 100% effective, so
scientists often talk about reductions in the risk of bad outcomes like malaria. Simply put, studies
with weaker research designs, such as this one, have less weight in the pooled analysis. It can take
between 6 months and 2 years to conduct a systematic review. You can then export the references
from the list to EndNote or another reference management program. Use the search strings created in
Step 2 to search the databases. Also look for publication patterns by investigating if certain
approaches to the topic were common during a specific time. Note that you would only rarely use all
parts of the PICO-question in a search; most of the time, you will focus on population and
intervention. Embedded literature reviews are usually placed near the beginning of your essay in
order to provide your reader with important context as well as to situate your work within the wider
body of research on your topic. By the end, you'll know how to create a compelling literature review
and add your own ideas to the mix. For example, Radeva-Petrova et al. ( 2014 ) include the
following passage in their plain language summary. SpiderCite builds on citation data from Lens.org.
To use SpiderCite you need to save the publications you want to use as your starting point in an
XML, RIS or BibText-file.
Depending on the review type, the review process may vary. If you have less time than that
available, you may want to conduct a rapid review instead. The 95% confidence interval is very large
and crosses 1. Team members screen the search results and sort them according to these criteria,
beginning with titles and abstract reviews and moving to full-text reviews later. The Significance of
an Effective Literature Review A strong review plays a crucial role in research papers, offering
several key advantages: Serves Context and Relevance: It provides background and context for your
research, showing its importance within existing knowledge. Thematic Organization Group related
studies by themes rather than chronology. It is suitable when your topic has a clear historical
development or when you want to showcase the evolution of ideas over time. Think about why this
is important for your research. In systematic literature searching, a precision of two-three percent is
common. This will give you more control over the search and will also make your search strategy
more transparent. For instance, you can search for the articles using titles, but you can also do so
using PMID-nr or DOI-nr. Does it agree with what we already know, add new info, or challenge
what we thought. There's just so much out there, and it's easy to feel lost. SLRs differ from stand-
alone literature reviews because they follow a rigorous review protocol that is objective and
comprehensive so other researchers may replicate the work. At the moment, KI does not have a
license for these kinds of programs. A few examples. Like any other aspect of research, however,
systematic reviews must define and follow a method that can be replicated. One inclusion criteria
might be that assignment to study arms had to be random; an exclusion criteria might be all studies
without a control arm that used a placebo. In clinical research, it is common to use the PICO-
structure: P opulation, I ntervention, C ontrol and O utcome. To see which publications that have
cited these articles, click on Citation Report, which you’ll find on the right side of the search box.
Encourages Scholarly Dialogue: Integrates your work into ongoing academic discussions, influencing
future research. It can take between 6 months and 2 years to conduct a systematic review. When this
interval crosses the line of no effect, the effect could be null or could even run in the opposite
direction. You will also describe your search strategy, inclusion criteria, and overall methodology so
that your review is reputable and replicable. Put the free text words within a parenthesis and write TI
in front of the parenthesis. A wide search means that not all search results will be relevant. In
PubMed, for instance, you can take a look at Clinical Queries. A literature review also helps
distinguish what research has been done and identify what needs further research. PubMed - US
National Library of Medicine, NIH Provides access to citations for biomedical articles from Medline
and life science journals. When you include the subject heading in your search you will find articles
about a subject even if the authors of the article have chosen other, adjacent words to describe the
article themselves. Let’s consider systematic and literature reviews side-by-side to understand how
systematic reviews are unique.
Example: If reviewing literature on climate change, themes could include the impact on ecosystems,
societal responses, and mitigation strategies. Output contains the citations and references from the
publications you’ve uploaded. Share in strategic planning; hospital accreditation; and stewardship
education. There are several different options for searching in Embase (via embase.com). In the
search example below, we show how you can structure the search in a similar way as in Medline
Ovid. Systematic review protocol support template this template is primarily intended to help you
plan your review in a systematic way. Here are the steps to follow when creating a literary review.
Specify the time frame, key themes, and relevant studies to focus your research. Document your
systematic literature review research question criteria info sources search keywords searches
systematic literature review templates for documenting your question criteria information sources
search strategy and searches. 2 writing a systematic literature review. If you search without quotation
marks, the terms are not kept together as a phrase. Utilize reputable academic databases for literature
searches like Google Scholar or your university's library resources. Identifying gaps allows you to
position your work as a valuable contribution to the field. Here, you can use search filters to delimit
your search to clinical trials, for instance, or studies about Covid-19. Consequently, the weight of
this study is only 6.7%, which is lower than the others. Like other literature reviews, historiographies
can be embedded or stand-alone. It also ensures neither the research was done before nor it is a
replication study. Uncover connections and relationships among diverse research pieces to construct
a cohesive narrative within your literature review. You can then combine the different blocks with
AND. The Significance of an Effective Literature Review A strong review plays a crucial role in
research papers, offering several key advantages: Serves Context and Relevance: It provides
background and context for your research, showing its importance within existing knowledge. Offers
Methodological Guidance: Helps choose appropriate research methods for quality outcomes. A wide
search means that not all search results will be relevant. This page provides links to resources for
guidance and standards for systematic reviews. Please take a moment and use the link to the right to
download and skim through the article. Unlike embedded literature reviews, which appear as part of
a larger piece of work, stand-alone literature reviews are a self-contained piece of writing that can be
read on their own (Figure A.2). Once researchers have selected a topic, the first step in their research
methodology is often the stand-alone literature review. Critical Analysis Don't just summarize, but
critically evaluate each source. The guidelines describe how systematic reviews should be reported.
These cookies do not store any personal information. This comprehensive range of resources includes
over 3,000 records across seven publication types: Evidence Based Recommended Practices,
Evidence Summaries, Best Practice Information Sheets, Systematic Reviews, Consumer Information
Sheets, Systematic Review Protocols, and Technical Reports. The following are the key steps of a
systematic literature review using Kitchenham’s methodology (1): Step 1. The following are the
examples of spreadsheet table headings: a) date of search, b) database code, c) database, d) search
string, e) title, and f) abstract or something similar depending upon your study. Heterogeneity means
diversity (and is the opposite of homogeneity).
You can mention the above research papers list in a spreadsheet or in another tool. Web of Science
Citation Indexes Web of Science, published by Thomson Reuters, is a multi-disciplinary database
that provides integrated access to over 8,000 key research journals indexed in: Science Citation
Index Expanded, Social Science Citation Index, and Arts and Humanities Citation Index. Don't
worry! This blog is your guide for writing a literature review. Select fields for each comparison
below and click on Find Duplicates under References and remove all duplicates. This might include
handsearching selected journals, or doing a citation analysis. Depending on the topic, you may want
to supplement your search with a multi-disciplinary database like Web of Science, or subject-specific
databases, such as CINAHL, PsycInfo or ERIC. Starting with a systematic review pays off almost
every time one is available. Apart from suitable databases in which to conduct your search, you will
also want access to a program that can help you manage your references, such as EndNote. Fourth,
analyze the patterns you noted by considering similarities and differences between sources.
Theoretical Approach This approach focuses on organizing your review around different theoretical
frameworks or perspectives relevant to your topic. They are usually one of the first steps in research
methodologies. Do the confidence intervals from each study form a vertical column, even if the
point estimates shift between them. In essence, a well-crafted literature review informs and elevates
your research, ensuring its relevance and impact within your academic field. ClinicalTrials.gov
Database of clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, other Federal agencies and
the pharmaceutical industry. These cookies do not store any personal information. This
comprehensive range of resources includes over 3,000 records across seven publication types:
Evidence Based Recommended Practices, Evidence Summaries, Best Practice Information Sheets,
Systematic Reviews, Consumer Information Sheets, Systematic Review Protocols, and Technical
Reports. Like any other aspect of research, however, systematic reviews must define and follow a
method that can be replicated. Make sure you don't just stick to one type of source. Radeva-Petrova
et al. ( 2014 ) wrap up on page 120. It’s often a good idea to start with a test search where you use
the subject headings and synonyms you’re already familiar with. Screening for a literature review is
typically less intensive. This category only includes cookies that ensure the basic functionalities and
security features of the website. It also ensures neither the research was done before nor it is a
replication study. Be sure to include some background information on the actual topic in the
introduction. Let’s consider systematic and literature reviews side-by-side to understand how
systematic reviews are unique. Like the number and quality of publications, the number and quality
of citations are as important to show one’s value in the specific research field. Specify the time
frame, key themes, and relevant studies to focus your research. Radeva-Petrova et al. ( 2014 )
summarized the problem of malaria during pregnancy, explained the hypothesized mechanism by
which chemoprevention prevents malaria, framed why this review is important, and listed the
objectives of the study. The database search can also be supplemented with other search strategies,
for instance handsearching in selected journals, reviewing reference lists or undertaking a citation
analysis. Their objective is to synthesize evidence through meta-analysis, a type of SLR that employs
statistical analyses.
Keep it simple, keep it diverse, and keep it relevant to your study. You also have the option to opt-
out of these cookies. However, Wichor Bramer and co-authors have also later published a modified
and more advanced version ( Bramer et al., 2016 ). If you use truncation, the automatic mapping
won’t work. Select “ OR ” between each row and add more rows if needed. All point estimates fall
to the left of the line of no effect ( 1 would mean the risk was higher among the intervention group,
thus favoring the control group (with no treatment). By the end, you'll know how to create a
compelling literature review and add your own ideas to the mix. Document your systematic
literature review research question criteria info sources search keywords searches systematic
literature review templates for documenting your question criteria information sources search
strategy and searches. 2 writing a systematic literature review. Reference and respond to existing
research, showcasing your awareness of ongoing academic discussions. Nova has also worked as a
technical and scientific writer. This is the pooled, or “meta,” effect size from an included meta-
analysis (we’ll come to meta-analysis shortly). Systematic review protocol support template this
template is primarily intended to help you plan your review in a systematic way. It helps plan and
specify how you will navigate the systematic review process and stay on course. Resources for
students and trainees some key resources are highlighted in the next few pages researchers around
the world have found these useful its worth a look and it might save you a lot of time. For example,
some scholars have examined the social aspects of a topic while others have explored its economic
aspects. Primary research entails personally asking study the subject’s questions and requires
approval. At the moment, KI does not have a license for these kinds of programs. A few examples.
Example: When reviewing research on the efficacy of a medical treatment, sections might be
organized based on experimental methods, observational studies, and clinical trials. Unfortunately, it
is not possible to easily retrieve a list containing all the references from several different publications.
When you test search, you simultaneously discover what terminology is common in the field, and
thus find more search terms. It is also easier to structure comprehensive and advanced search
strategies, and to edit search strategies. The search terms within each block are combined with OR,
then the blocks are combined with AND. Be sure to meet with a reference librarian if you are unsure
how to create an effective search strategy. The purpose is to offer an overview of what is known
about the topic and to evaluate the strength of the evidence on that topic. Here is how to write a
good literature review: Step 1: Search Relevant Literature Start by searching for scholarly sources
that you will cite in your paper that are closely related to your research topic. Apart from checking
these protocol databases, search UM Library databases like PubMed, CINAHL, or PsycINFO.
Example: If reviewing literature on climate change, themes could include the impact on ecosystems,
societal responses, and mitigation strategies. The search strategy should be documented in full for
each database, and can be published in an appendix to the published review article. Rather than
examining the topic itself, historiography is the study of how historical topics have been examined
over time by other historians. Embedded literature reviews are usually placed near the beginning of
your essay in order to provide your reader with important context as well as to situate your work
within the wider body of research on your topic.
This category only includes cookies that ensure the basic functionalities and security features of the
website. The Significance of an Effective Literature Review A strong review plays a crucial role in
research papers, offering several key advantages: Serves Context and Relevance: It provides
background and context for your research, showing its importance within existing knowledge. Since
you search many databases, you will also likely end up with duplicate references. For instance, the
intervention may work differently in different contexts, and the included studies were gathered from
all over the world. With this software, systematic review teams can screen citations, full text review,
risk of bias, and etc for a systematic review. Also note when your sources were published and if any
important social, political, or economic events occurred at roughly the same time. This is the median
control group risk across 8 trials of 3,663 women. Apart from checking these protocol databases,
search UM Library databases like PubMed, CINAHL, or PsycINFO. Look for patterns in authors’
approaches or in their methodological handling of the topic. One paper about vision of 2030 of
general pharmaceutical department in Saudi Arabia. Methodological Approach This approach
centers on the research methods employed in various studies related to your topic. The search terms
within each block are combined with OR, then the blocks are combined with AND. I’m talking
about systematic reviews and meta-analyses. If you’re using more than one language, it’s best to
present the information in a tabular format for more simplification. Step 4. Databases: Mention the
databases where you’ll be searching the query, such as IEEE Xplore, SCOPUS, Science Direct,
ACM, Web Science, Google Scholar, and so on. Step 5. Develop Query for Search: The research
inquiries can be answered by creating a search string based on the general principles of the search
title. Specific articles published over a specific time period. (For instance: Papers submitted before
2015 will not be considered). 2. Papers that aren’t accessible. 3. Papers that are devoid of
information. Step 7. Search Process: Do the research in the databases. Ensure that your ideas flow
logically, and use clear language to communicate complex concepts. Addresses Research Gaps:
Identifies areas where more knowledge is needed, guiding your contributions. For example, groups
of scholars disagree about the best way to measure a physiological event, and as a result, use
different instruments and methodologies. There are also international guidelines that detail how
systematic reviews should be reported, the Prisma Guidelines. Conclusion: Summarize what you
discovered, highlight any important contributions, and suggest areas for future research. Scholars
who conduct systematic reviews register their research protocols in advance to clearly state the
literature search strategy, rules for including and excluding studies, and a plan for the analysis. As a
student you should rather do a structured literature review, including only certain aspects of the
methodology described on this page. SpiderCite builds on citation data from Lens.org. To use
SpiderCite you need to save the publications you want to use as your starting point in an XML, RIS
or BibText-file. To maintain track of the scholarly articles and sources, use a bibliography or
reference management software like EndNote or Zotero. Talk about the main points, give your
thoughts, and point out any gaps in what's already known. Depending on the topic, you may want to
supplement your search with a multi-disciplinary database like Web of Science, or subject-specific
databases, such as CINAHL, PsycInfo or ERIC. Furthermore, in the end, you have to map your
results as per your research questions. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her
readers. SLRs are a research method used to write an entire journal article. Depending on the review
type, the review process may vary.
Include information on the thesis, perspective, historical approach, arguments, sources, and
methodology. The search terms within each block are combined with OR, then the blocks are
combined with AND. The campbell collaboration was founded on the principle that systematic
reviews on the effects of interventions will inform and help improve policy and services. Also, make
sure the sources are trustworthy and come from respected places. We also use third-party cookies
that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You can then combine the different
blocks with AND. Before you start, you may want to brainstorm some common themes that you will
use to analyze the sources (e.g., participant characteristics, measurement tools, results). However, in a
systematic literature search, it is recommended that you specify the search field manually instead.
ClinicalTrials.gov Database of clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, other
Federal agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. Document your systematic literature review
research question criteria info sources search keywords searches systematic literature review
templates for documenting your question criteria information sources search strategy and searches. 2
writing a systematic literature review. It’s often a good idea to start with a test search where you use
the subject headings and synonyms you’re already familiar with. In EndNote, you can both organize
your references and get rid of duplicates. How many publications fulfill the criteria for inclusion.
Adding a number after adj will determine how many words you want to “allow” between your two
terms. Systematic reviews usually rate at the top of evidence hierarchy since they analyze and
evaluate results from all available, original research articles that answers a specific research question.
This might include handsearching selected journals, or doing a citation analysis. Systematic review
protocol support template this template is primarily intended to help you plan your review in a
systematic way. You can then export the references from the list to EndNote or another reference
management program. SLRs may be quantitative (by only reviewing quantitative studies), qualitative
(by only reviewing qualitative studies), or mixed methods (by reviewing both quantitative and
qualitative studies). Values greater than 75% may indicate that a change in the meta-analysis method
(random vs fixed effects) is needed. Use the search strings created in Step 2 to search the databases.
Importantly, both inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria must be clearly outlined when a systematic
review is undertaken. Web of Knowledge features citation searching, email alerts, links to the full
text of many items. Trip Medical database for Evidence Based Practice material: journals, guidelines,
sys. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta analyses. There are also international
guidelines that detail how systematic reviews should be reported, the Prisma Guidelines. Embedded
literature reviews, meanwhile, are part of a larger piece of writing, such as an essay, thesis, or
scholarly article. Primary research methods include interviews, internet surveys, and focus groups.
This process is more ad hoc for literature reviews. Ovid is a database platform used for many
different databases. The following checklist may be helpful during this review: Peer Review of
Electronic Search Strategies.