Liaison Librarians can partner with you and advise on how to start a systematic review. They will be part of the author team to design and manage complex, extensive literature searches in multiple databases.
Learn more at the Library Services tab.
libguides.library.tmc.edu/SystematicReviews
A systematic review attempts to collate all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a specific research question. It uses explicit, systematic methods that are selected with a view to minimizing bias, thus providing more reliable findings from which conclusions can be drawn and decisions made.
The key characteristics of a systematic review are:
For a review to be called a ‘Cochrane Review’ it must be in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews or Cochrane Methodology Register. Cochrane Reviews are prepared using Review Manager (RevMan) software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration, and adhere to a structured format that is described in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.
Meta-analysis is the use of statistical methods to summarize the results of independent studies. Many systematic reviews contain meta-analyses. By combining information from all relevant studies, meta-analyses can provide more precise estimates of the effects of health care than those derived from the individual studies included within a review. They also facilitate investigations of the consistency of evidence across studies, and the exploration of differences across studies.
References
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 5.1.0. Updated March 2011. Section 1.2.2.