How to Write a Systematic Literature Review: A Guide for Medical Students

Systematic Literature Review

Systematic reviews are conducted to synthesize the evidence of multiple scientific investigations to answer a particular research question in a reproducible and transparent manner, to include all published evidence on the topic, and then to evaluate the quality of this evidence. A systematic review is still very effective since it eliminates or greatly decreases the inherent bias in other research approaches. Systematic reviews are now the standard approach in health policy and the health sciences. Some have argued in the past that structural researchers should use systematic literature review assignment help, but there is nothing available in the way of direction on how to do so.

In this article, we looked at the big picture of what goes into doing a systematic review. Those embarking on a systematic literature review will find this material to be useful.

What is a systematic review?

To answer a specific research topic, researchers conduct systematic reviews, which are comprehensive examinations of the relevant literature. Research evidence pertinent to the subject is sought out, identified, selected, appraised, and synthesized in a systematic manner for this review, all with a focus on utilizing a technique that is transparent, reproducible, and produces little to no bias. The highest quality scientific evidence may be found in systematic reviews. Evidence-based medicine relies heavily on systematic reviews, but they are also well respected in other disciplines.

When compared to a literature review, a systematic review is more comprehensive since it considers both published and unpublished works (the latter of which is sometimes referred to as grey literature). The grey literature is an important aspect of a systematic review and contributes to its overall quality. This is due to the fact that grey literature tends to be more up-to-date and less prone to publication bias than published material. Studies, reports, dissertations, conference papers, abstracts, government research, and ongoing clinical trials are all examples of grey literature.

The method of doing a systematic review is intricate. The purpose of this page is to provide a roadmap for doing and writing a systematic review, including the many types of systematic reviews as well as the typical methods to be followed.

Tips for your (systematic) literature review

We provide six guidelines that we believe should be included in every literature review:

First, provide context and a research question.

Both the abstract and the introduction play significant roles in the overall success of a research study. The reader typically determines whether or not to read the whole article based on the abstract and/or introduction. A literature review also requires a clear and explicit purpose. Justifying the need for research into a topic is essential, but so is explaining why the writers have chosen to tackle the topic by doing a (systematic) literature review. The research question that will be answered throughout the rest of the literature review is a crucial part of any introduction. Thus, we advise authors to spend time crafting an introduction that explicitly poses their research questions.

2. Methodically locate the appropriate literature

Differentiating features of a systematic literature review include a clear and repeatable review procedure. The authors should detail their search approach for locating relevant material to provide as much openness as possible. Methodological and practical screening and exclusion criteria (such as language, availability, and time frame) should be clearly described, as the databases utilized to perform the literature search and the search phrases and keywords used to discover relevant material.

Take note that the use of screening criteria (such as restricting attention to just the most well-regarded journals) requires careful justification since these choices can significantly affect the reliability and validity of the findings with systematic literature review assignment help.

3. Choose the right balance between breadth and depth.

The writers of a systematic literature review typically have to make a difficult choice between including a wide range of research and providing detailed descriptions of those that have already been done. A good systematic literature review strikes a balance between breadth and depth, including all relevant research while providing a more in-depth description of just the most essential studies in a methodical fashion. This is a common challenge, as a literature review needs to be comprehensive and make sense as a whole, but it also shouldn’t be a boring rehash of every study the writers read.

Tables and figures help alleviate this problem by quickly and clearly communicating the most crucial points of the text. You may use graphs to show how many studies were conducted over time and which areas have drawn the greatest attention. Although helpful, tables and figures have no place as the primary emphasis of systematic literature review assignment help.

The development of the area influences both the breadth and depth of a literature study. In contrast to a review on a more innovative subject where only a handful of research exists, authors of a literature review on a mature issue will need to assess and synthesize a substantial body of literature. The editorial writers were formerly tasked with synthesizing research on the topic of innovation and entrepreneurship. Attempting this looked hopeless at first.

However, the task became manageable after a more concise research question was developed. It was a long and arduous process, but in the end, we produced a literature review that examined the overlap between innovation and entrepreneurship.

4. Prioritise ideas above empirical evidence.

The authors must make a decision about the best way to summarise and classify the identified material. The literature can be reviewed in chronological or even alphabetical order. But we think it’s more important for evaluations to be concept-based. This requires a close examination of the review’s fundamental principles in order to determine how to analyze them. Authors can better organize their work by focusing on concepts rather than studies to choose which research debates they wish to participate in.

That’s why it’s crucial for a systematic literature review to rest on solid foundations of logic and concepts. A new propositional conceptual framework may result from this, although it is not required. Writing a comprehensive literature review is similar to developing a theoretical framework.

5. Derive meaningful conclusions

We want to stress again how important it is for a systematic literature review to do more than just summarise the work of others. In addition to providing a descriptive overview of the themes and research featured. It is crucial to take a step further and synthesize and interpret this information. The literature review needs to address the question, “What do we learn from this summary?” by drawing insightful conclusions.

6. Adhere to a logical article format.

Every scholarly essay has to have a solid framework. A systematic literature review follows the same format as an empirical study. The introduction explains why this is an important issue and what the review of related literature adds to the discussion. When that is complete, the next most important step is synthesizing and analyzing the literature review results. In this part, we could derive certain propositions or build a mental model, although that’s not required. A literature review’s last part offers a summary and discussion of the review’s limitations and potential future study directions.

Conclusion

The conclusions drawn from these types of retrospective research tend to have some validity. Because they are based on hard facts. In many fields of medicine, the primary “practice making recommendations” are systematic literature reviews. Since they are widely regarded as one of the finest ways we have of summarising and synthesizing information concerning a particular research subject, therefore, it is not surprising that both researchers and publications are more interested in publishing systematic reviews.

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