A systematic review is a type of literature review. It summarises a body of information and answers a research question. Grant and Booth's (2009) article includes a useful table outlining different types of review and the typical requirements of each.
The aims of a systematic review include identifying gaps in the literature, any limitations of current research, and suggesting directions for future research. It is a specific methodology in which you identify, appraise and synthesise all relevant studies, in order to limit bias. Those studies should represent empirical research, and other systematic reviews should not be included.
On some courses, you may have to write a systematic review as your assessment for a module. If this is the case, you will receive specific guidance in your assessment brief and from your module tutor. In case of contradictions, assessment guidance should supersede any given here.
If you are considering a systematic review methodology for your dissertation or independent study, you should check if it’s a suitable approach with your tutor before going ahead. Your Academic Liaison Librarian’s role is to support you in developing your search strategy as a part of that methodology.
If you are a member of staff conducting a systematic review, you are also welcome to contact us for guidance. Prospective registration of your review protocol is recommended, following PRISMA-P guidelines.
Unlike a narrative literature review, a systematic review must contain certain features.
You’ll need to detail where the search has been carried out; this means you must use specific databases, not Library Search. Your search should be as exhaustive as possible, given the time available at the nature of your assignment/dissertation. A detailed search strategy should be provided. If you are carrying out a systematic review for publication, follow PRISMA-S guidelines for rationale and search reporting.
Specify the date range you searched, as you’ll often need to justify the start date. You might choose to update an earlier, published systematic review. Alternatively, you could use the date of a relevant change in law or policy, or the publication date of a seminal paper.
You will use specific search terms to generate a list of papers for potential inclusion in your review. You’ll also include or exclude other features of each paper, such as
For a helpful introduction, see chapter 10 from Denscombe's book. If you’re studying social sciences, try Petticrew and Roberts’ book. Sport and Exercise students should use Tod's Conducting Systematic Reviews in Sport. CASP or EPHPP are great checklists for psychology and health students, whilst PEDRO is used for randomised controlled trials, particularly in the field of physiotherapy. We recommend discussing your choice of quality assessment tool with your tutor or supervisor before beginning your work.
Most systematic reviews follow Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
A systematic review will usually include a flowchart or diagram, often as an appendix. It maps the number of records you find, and your applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, indicating any duplicate records you’ve removed. Consider attending one of our Study Skills Live PRISMA sessions.
You can download a PRISMA flow diagram and simply fill in your numbers. Please note that the flow diagrams have recently been updated and expanded by PRISMA. There are now four flow diagram options, and they require additional information not included in the previous (2009) version. You may, with tutor approval, use the 2009 version if you prefer.
PRISMA also has a checklist that’s helpful in ensuring you’ve covered everything.
This will depend on your course. Sometimes, supervisors or tutors agree that a student project will be a critical literature review, but using systematic principles. On this page, we’ve detailed what would be expected from a full systematic review. It is important that you agree with your tutor or supervisor what their expectations are, and the extent to which you will follow the process of a formal systematic review.
For example, you may set out clear search criteria and provide a PRISMA flow chart, but might not formally screen papers for quality. The National Foundation for Educational Research has good examples of papers that use systematic principles. Search their research and publications for “literature review”.
The title of the paper should identify it as a systematic review. A good starting point is searching your chosen keywords AND "systematic review” in Library Search.
In some databases you can select “systematic review” in the “methodology” field.
There are also systematic review databases available, such as Cochrane Library, The Campbell Collaboration and Prospero. The EPPI-Centre website includes systematic reviews in social policy, including education, health and social care.
This will depend on your topic area. We recommend taking a look at your subject guide for recommended databases and taking advice from your tutor.
It’s worth noting that Library Search and Google Scholar are search engines, not databases.
Consider searching Google Scholar for the specific title you are looking for. You can also contact the lead (corresponding) author via email, ResearchGate, or Academia.edu, or place an inter library request
Look at our Study Skills Live page for upcoming searching workshops. You can also contact us via live chat or email, or get it touch with your Academic Liaison Librarian - they will be happy to help.
SR Accelerator allows you to quickly deduplicate your search results and screen your abstracts. Zotero or Mendeley can be used to manage your literature, store and annotate pdfs, and integrate with MS Word for referencing. We offer Study Skills Live sessions on SR Accelerator and Zotero.
Rayyan can be used to manage the review process, particularly when you have collaborators. Sign up is free, but a paid subscription is required for some of the more advanced features.