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Literature reviews, systematic reviews and other reviews from the family of reviews combine information from multiple studies on a particular topic to build a complete picture. This process of evidence or knowledge synthesis helps determine the effectiveness of treatments, interventions, or understand experiences related to education, health conditions or social policy. By synthesizing evidence, researchers can advance knowledge, spot gaps in current understanding, identify best practices, and aid decision making by policymakers and practitioners.
The foundation of all evidence synthesis methods is literature searching. Best practice is to undertake a systematic literature search so that all publications or literature available on a topic can be synthesised in a review.
A focused research question will really assist with a successful review. A well defined research question guides the direction of the literature search and the effectiveness of your review.
Scoping your research topic with early exploratory searches will really help you assess your topic, decide on the direction of your review and refine your research question. These searches are simple and repeated searches which help you gauge the extent and type of literature available on your topic. They will help you to identify relevant information sources and terminology which you can use in your main literature search. Scoping searches will often help you to identify key papers.
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Different topics and research questions will lend themselves to different review types. To help you decide on which review type might best suit your research question, try using this decision tree developed by Cornell University Library The Right Review tool is another useful tool which can help you decide on the most appropriate review for your research question. It supplies references to methodologies for each review type along with examples of published reviews for each type. |
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There are many different types of reviews used in evidence synthesis. This study from 2019 identified 48 review types which were categorised into seven families. The following are some of the most common review types used:
Narrative/Literature review: Broad perspective on topic (like a textbook chapter), no specified search strategy, significant bias issues, may not evaluate quality of evidence
Systematized literature review: Attempts to include elements of the systematic review process while stopping short of producing a systematic review.
Scoping review: An overview of the literature on a broader topic; often done to identify whether a systematic review is feasible.
Systematic review: Comprehensive with minimized bias, based on specific question and criteria with a pre-planned protocol, evaluates quality of evidence
Rapid reviews: Comprehensive approach as with a systematic review but components of the systematic review process are simplified or omitted to produce information in a timely manner
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Narrative/Literature Review |
Scoping Review |
Systematic Review |
Rapid Review |
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Purpose |
Summarize and present available research on a topic | Map the evidence on a topic, identify gaps, and provide an overview | Answer a specific research question by synthesizing all relevant studies | Provide a quick synthesis of evidence due to time constraints |
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Research Question |
Broad and general | Broad and exploratory | Specific and focused | Specific and focused |
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Methodology |
Informal and subjective | Systematic but less rigorous than systematic reviews | Highly systematic and rigorous often adhering to defined methodology | Systematic but with some methodological shortcuts |
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Search strategy |
Not comprehensive | Comprehensive, explicit and transparent | Comprehensive, explicit and transparent. Includes peer review of search strategy | Comprehensive but may limit search scope (e.g., timeframe, databases) |
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Bias |
Higher risk of bias due to lack of systematic approach | Lower risk of bias than narrative reviews | Minimized risk of bias through explicit and reproducible methods. Mandatory Risk of Bias Assessment | Potentially higher risk of bias due to methodological shortcuts |
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Time and resources |
Less time-consuming and resource-intensive | Moderate time and resources required | Highly time-consuming and resource-intensive | Less time-consuming than systematic reviews |
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Outcome |
General overview of the topic | Overview of the extent and nature of research, identification of gaps | Detailed and reliable synthesis of evidence. Can include meta-analysis of quantitative studies | Quick synthesis of evidence, may not be as comprehensive or reliable as systematic reviews |
For more information on various reviews, see Sutton A, Clowes M, Preston L, Booth A. (2019) Meeting the review family: exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements. Health Information Libraries Journal. 36(3):202-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12276.
Grant, M.J. and Booth, A. (2009), A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26: 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x
