Writing in the Health Sciences: Systematic Reviews
What is a Systematic Review?
"A systematic review attempts to collate all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a specific research question. The key characteristics of a systematic review are:
- a clearly defined question with inclusion and exclusion criteria;
- a rigorous and systematic search of the literature;
- two phases of screening (blinded, at least two independent screeners);
- data extraction and management;
- analysis and interpretation of results;
- risk of bias assessment of included studies;
- and report for publication."
Source: What is a Systematic Review? - Systematic Reviews - LibGuides at Duke University Medical Center
PRISMA stands for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. It is an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
The PRISMA statement consists of a 27-item checklist and a 4-phase flow diagram.
Systematic Review Timeline
