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Systematic Reviews

A guide for planning and conducting systematic reviews and other types of evidence synthesis.

Types of reviews

 

  Narrative Systematic Scoping
Objective
  • Highlight body of literature 
  • Investigate conflicting results
  • Confirm current practice/address any variation
  • Produce statements to guide decision making
  • Characterize the research on a topic
  • Identify research gaps 
  • Serve as precursor to systematic review
Research Question
  • May not be explicit
  • Explicit and clear
  • Articulated as a question statement with precise concepts
  • Explicit and clear
  • Articulated as a question statement with broad concepts
 Methodology/Frameworks
  • Not applicable
  • Transparent
  • Reproducible
  • ex:Cochrane, JBI
  • Transparent
    Reproducible
  • ex. Cochrane, JBI, Campbell Collaboration
Protocol
  • Not required
  • Required prior to conduct of the review
  • Registration/Publication recommended
  • Required prior to conduct of the review
  • Registration/Publication recommended
Information Retrieval
  • Selective
  • Exhaustive
  • Comprehensive
Quality Assessment/Critical Appraisal
  • N/A
  • Necessary
  • Possible but not mandatory
Reporting Guidelines
  • None
  • PRISMA
  • PRISMA-ScR
Example  A Narrative Review on the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Renal Ultrasound

Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Machine Learning Algorithms for Classifying Pain Intensity, Phenotype or Treatment Outcomes Using Electroencephalogram 

Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Pain Assessment and Pain Management: A Scoping Review 

Learn more about types of reviews: