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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. 

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