Evidence guide
What Is a Systematic Review?
A systematic review uses a documented search and selection process to answer a focused question from all eligible evidence.
More than a literature summary
Good reviews predefine eligibility, search multiple databases, assess bias and explain how evidence was synthesized.
Review quality varies
A narrow search, vague criteria or failure to assess study quality can produce a polished but unreliable overview.
Systematic review versus meta-analysis
A review can be systematic without pooling numbers. A meta-analysis is the statistical component when studies are sufficiently comparable.
A practical reading checklist
- Was a protocol registered?
- Are full search terms reported?
- Did two reviewers select studies independently?
- Was certainty of evidence graded?