Doing A Systematic Review

This timely, engaging book provides an overview of the nature, logic, diversity and process of undertaking systematic reviews as part of evidence informed decision making. A focused, accessible and technically up-to-date book, it covers the full breadth of approaches to reviews from statistical meta analysis to meta ethnography. It is ideal for anyone undertaking their own systematic review - providing all the necessary conceptual and technical background needed to make a good start on the process. The content is divided into five clear sections: • Approaches to reviewing • Getting started • Gathering and describing research • Appraising and synthesising data • Making use of reviews/models of research use. Easy to read and logically structured, this book is essential reading for anyone doing systematic reviews. David Gough is Professor of Evidence Informed Policy and Practice and Director of SSRU and its EPPI-Centre and Co-Editor of the journal Evidence & Policy. Sandy Oliver is Professor of Public Policy and Deputy Director of SSRU and its EPPI-Centre. James Thomas is Reader in Social Policy, Assistant Director of SSRU and Associate Direcctor of the EPPI-Centre.

Structured around 10 key steps to complete the systematic review process, the new edition of the bestseller is the perfect guide to using the technique in a research project.

The literature review is a compulsory part of research and, increasingly, may form the whole of a student research project. This highly accessible book guides students through the production of either a traditional or a systematic literature review, clearly explaining the difference between the two types of review, the advantages and disadvantages of both, and the skills needed. It gives practical advice on reading and organising relevant literature and critically assessing the reviewed field. Contents include: using libraries and the internet note making presentation critical analysis referencing, plagiarism and copyright. This book will be relevant to students from any discipline. It includes contributions from two lecturers who have many years experience of teaching research methods and the supervision of postgraduate research dissertations and a librarian, each offering expert advice on either the creation and assessment of literature reviews or the process of searching for information. The book also highlights the increasing importance for many disciplines of the systematic review methodology and discusses some of the specific challenges which it brings. Jill K. Jesson has worked with multi-disciplinary research teams within the Aston School of Pharmacy, Aston Business School and with M-E-L Research, an independent public services research consultancy. She has now left Aston University and is working as a Consultant. Lydia Matheson is an Information Specialist working for Library & Information Services at Aston University. Fiona M. Lacey is an academic pharmacist, a member of the pharmacy practice teaching group in the School of Pharmacy, and Associate Dean in the School of Life and Health Sciences at Aston.

This book offers a conceptual and practical guide to the systematic review process and its application to sport, exercise, and physical activity research. It begins by describing what systematic reviews are and why they assist scientists and practitioners. Providing step-by-step instructions the author leads readers through the process, including generation of suitable review questions; development and implementation of search strategies; data extraction and analysis; theoretical interpretation; and result dissemination. Conducting Systematic Reviews in Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity clarifies several common misunderstandings including the difference between qualitative systematic reviews and meta-analyses . Each chapter begins with a set of learning objectives focused on practical application, illustrated with examples from reviews published within the sport, exercise, and physical activity fields. Once a reader has completed all the learning activities along the way, they will have designed a systematic review and have written a protocol ready for registration. The book ends with a collection of advice from internationally regarded scientists with substantial experience in systematic reviews.

The systematic review is a rigorous method of collating and synthesizing evidence from multiple studies, producing a whole greater than the sum of parts. This textbook is an authoritative and accessible guide to an activity that is often found overwhelming. The authors steer readers on a logical, sequential path through the process, taking account of the different needs of researchers, students and practitioners. Practical guidance is provided on the fundamentals of systematic reviewing and also on advanced techniques such as meta-analysis. Examples are given in each chapter, with a succinct glossary to support the text. This up-to-date, accessible textbook will satisfy the needs of students, practitioners and educators in the sphere of healthcare, and contribute to improving the quality of evidence-based practice. The authors will advise some freely available or inexpensive open source/access resources (such as PubMed, R and Zotero) to help students how to perform a systemic review, in particular those with limited resources.

This is a step-by-step guide to doing a literature review in nursing, or related healthcare professions, that takes you through every step of the process from start to finish. From writing your review question to writing up your review, this practical book is the perfect workbook companion if you are doing your first literature review for study or clinical practice improvement. The book features sample review case studies to help identify good practice as well as the pitfalls to avoid, and the practical explanations will be invaluable at every stage. A must buy! “This is a valuable text that will prove useful for nurses who are planning to write a systematic review of the literature, whether as part of an academic assignment or for publication. The book is clearly written, easy to follow and comprehensive, taking readers through all of the key steps in a literature review. It offers a range of case studies and examples that will help to contextualise and clarify the steps of a review. The authors also signpost readers to a variety of resources and provide practical tips, summaries and templates to work through as part of the review process. This will be an important text for undergraduate and post-graduate nurses and I thoroughly recommend it.” Professor Fiona Irvine, Head of Nursing, University of Birmingham, UK “This book is a very comprehensive, well written and illustrated key text on systematic reviews for anyone involved in research within nursing. Its strengths are its well laid-out format, mixing figures and tables with real examples throughout. It is a key resource for both the novice and more advanced researcher and will be a major support to students from basic degree right up to PhD level.” Dr. Pauline Joyce, Academic Co ordinator, RCSI School of Medicine, Ireland “This timely second edition of this book will form a core text for many nursing and healthcare students and their lecturers. The book provides a highly practical, thorough and logical overview to enable even novices to undertake a systematic literature review. Unlike some other methodological texts, the book is written in an easily accessible style, yet provides the necessary theoretical underpinning presented in a non-threatening way. The reader is directed to useful resources and the Q&A sections that follow the chapter summaries are helpful for students to self-assess their learning. The key points keep the reader on track, and helpful practical tips are woven into the text throughout. It’s a great book!” Dr. Debbie Roberts, Professor in Nurse Education and Clinical Learning, and Head of the Research Centre for the School of Social and Life Sciences, Glyndwr University, UK

In this open access edited volume, international researchers of the field describe and discuss the systematic review method in its application to research in education. Alongside fundamental methodical considerations, reflections and practice examples are included and provide an introduction and overview on systematic reviews in education research.

Here is a complete guide for librarians seeking to launch or refine their systematic review services. Conducting searches for systematic reviews goes beyond expert searching and requires an understanding of the entire process of the systematic review. Just as expert searching is not fully mastered by the end of a library degree, mastering the systematic review process takes a great deal of time and practice. Attending workshops and webinars can introduce the topic, but application of the knowledge through practice is required. Running a systematic review service is complicated and requires constant updating and evaluation with new standards, more efficient methods, and improved reporting guidelines. After a brief introduction to systematic reviews, the book guides librarians in defining and marketing their services, covering topics such as when it is appropriate to ask for co-authorship and how to reach out to stakeholders. Next, it addresses developing documentation and conducting the reference interview. Standards specific to systematic reviews, including PRISMA, Institute of Medicine, and Cochrane Collaboration, are discussed. Search strategy techniques, including choosing databases, harvesting search terms, selecting filters, and searching for grey literature are detailed. Data management and critical appraisal are covered in detail. Finally, the best practices for reporting the findings of systematic reviews are highlighted. Experts with experience in both systematic reviews and librarianship, including the editors of the book, contributed to the chapters. Each step (or piece) of the review process (Planning the review, Identifying the studies, Evaluating studies, Collecting and combining data, Explaining the results, and Summarizing the review into a report), are covered with emphasis on information roles. The book is for any librarian interested in conducting reviews or assisting others with reviews. It has several applications: for training librarians new to systematic reviews, for those developing a new systematic review service, for those wanting to establish protocols for a current service, and as a reference for those conducting reviews or running a service. Participating in systematic reviews is a new frontier of librarianship, in which librarians can truly become research partners with our patrons, instead of merely providing access to resources and services.