A Systematic Review is a comprehensive analysis of existing research on a specific topic. It involves a rigorous process of identifying, selecting, assessing, and synthesizing relevant studies to answer a clearly defined research question.
- Reproducibility: The methods used are clearly documented and can be replicated by others.
- Rigor: It involves a systematic and unbiased approach to identify, select, and assess studies.
- Transparency: The review process is transparent, allowing others to evaluate the methodology.
- Evidence-based: It provides a comprehensive overview of the available evidence on a topic.
Steps involved:
- Formulate a clear research question.
- Develop a comprehensive search strategy.
- Identify and select relevant studies.
- Assess the quality of included studies.
- Extract data from included studies.
- Synthesize findings.
- Report results.
Systematic reviews provide a reliable summary of existing evidence, helps identify gaps in knowledge, and informs decision-making in healthcare, policy, and other fields.