GENERAL REVIEWS
Literature Review/Narrative Review
- Board term refers to reviews with a wide scope that examine recent or current literature
- Does not follow established methodology or reporting guidelines
- Search does not need to be comprehensive or exhaustive
- Critical appraisal is not necessary
- A good choice for reviewing literature without following defined parameters and on a shorter time frame
EVIDENCE SYNTHESES
Systematic Review
- Seeks to answer a clearly defined research question formulated using a preexisting framework, ex: PICO
- Follows a standard/published methodology
- Comprehensive and exhaustive searching is required to find all scholarly research on the topic, including both traditionally published and gray literature
- Conducted in an unbiased and reproducible manner
- Must include critical appraisal of the literature
- Literature is synthesized in both narrative and tabular formats.
- Typically take 12-18 months to complete
Suggested Methodology: Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions
Meta-analysis
Suggested Methodology: Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions - Ch. 10 Meta-Analysis
Rapid Review
- Applies systematic review methodology within a time-constrained setting
- Employs methodological "shortcuts" at the risk of introducing bias
- Useful for addressing issues needing quick decisions
- Shorter time-frame than a systematic review
- Learn more - Evidence Summaries: The Evolution of a Rapid Review Approach
Suggested Methodology: Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group offers evidence-informed guidance to conduct rapid reviews
Scoping Review
- Seeks to address a broader research question, set of questions, and/or identify gaps in research
- Follows a standard/published methodology
- Comprehensive and exhaustive searching is required to find all scholarly research on the topic, including both traditionally published and gray literature
- Conducted in an unbiased and reproducible manner
- May critically appraise literature but does not seek to synthesize or analyze data in the same manner as a systematic review
- May take longer to complete than a systematic review
Suggested Methodology: JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis - Ch. 11 Scoping Reviews
Umbrella Review
- Seeks to review other systematic reviews on a particular topic
- Follows a standard/published methodology
- Often requires a broader question than is typical for a traditional systematic review
- Comprehensive and exhaustive searching is required to find all evidence syntheses on a topic
- Conducted in an unbiased and reproducible manner
- May or may not include a meta-analysis
- Useful for when there are competing interventions to consider
Suggested Methodology: Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions - Ch. V Overview of Reviews
