Skip to Main Content

Health Sciences Literature Reviews

Overview of the library's service and a listing of resources to get started with your review.

Types of Reviews

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
  • Should follow the methodology of a systematic review 
  • Literature is synthesized using a statistical technique for combining the findings from disparate quantitative studies
  • Uses statistical methods /software to objectively evaluate, synthesize, and summarize results

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 

Tools & Resources