This guide describes how to plan, conduct, organize, and present a systematic review of quantitative (meta-analysis) or qualitative (narrative review, meta-synthesis) information. Montori It is useful to provide a flow diagram describing the selection of papers for the review. McKenzie Ideally, the importance of the study is highlighted, considering clinical usefulness and the need for future research (Table  1 ). 2. JE Altman Hedges Has the question been adequately addressed by a previous systematic review (and how recently)? For Cochrane reviews, publication of the protocol has been standard procedure since the foundation of the Cochrane Collaboration in 1993. Setting up the criteria, searching for the information, and evaluating the information found, gives the reviewer and extremely strong understanding of the process needed to create a review as well as how to evaluate its various elements. JP PC What makes a good systematic review from Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention? Egger Thompson It is vital that you discuss with your supervisor exactly what they expect you to do. In conclusion, SRs and meta-analyses synthesize and update knowledge on a topic of interest. This is most often done in order to reach a broader audience. Of course the more studies you include the stronger the SR/MA. J Lauritsen Sedgwick The PICO is useful when designing the search strategy for the review. Yu MH It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. et al. A useful tool for this process is the Cochrane risk of bias tool, 9 or AMSTAR. DG A systematic review may or may not include a meta-analysis, which is a quantitative summary of the results. Moons Methods: A systematic review of the literature, up to July 2017, was carried out in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. L The most common databases to search are PubMed (Medline), Cochrane Library CENTRAL, Embase, Cinahl, and LiLacs. It is recommended to make a table of all included papers, and that the search and screening be done independently by at least two investigators. Cochrane reviews are often published in a paper journal as a co-publication. The methodology should also be presented clearly and in sufficient detail, and the strength of the evidence should be evaluated cautiously. A systematic review is a rigorous review of existing literature that addresses a clearly formulated question. 8 The papers need to fulfil inclusion criteria, specified in the methods section of the review. Altman 1 Clinical decisions should be based on the totality of the best evidence and not the results of individual studies. JP With a strong belief in the importance of review papers, the editorial team of JAMS has purposely sought out leading scholars to provide substantive review papers, both meta-analysis and systematic, for publication in JAMS. The last of these, ideally, should have led at least one of the clinical trials being included in the analysis. Meta-analysis is the statistical method used to combine results from the relevant studies, and the resultant larger sample size provides greater reliability (precision) of the estimates of any treatment effect. Higgins Of course, two different treatments can also be compared. Reporting bias will therefore almost always tend to overestimate the treatment effect of an intervention. After selection, the papers must be screened for bias. SB Systematic review aims at determining the quality of work done on a specific research topic. Checklist for appraising systematic reviews. Reporting bias is bias across trials. A systematic review is a form of analysis that medical researchers carry out to synthesize all the available evidence on a particular question, such as how effective a drug is. Ioannidis Like any other paper, the SR has an introduction, a methods section, a results section, and a discussion. Tricco In medical sciences and other fields, the researchers find systematic reviews very helpful. Key elements to increase chances of acceptance include a clear and detailed methodology, with a focus on generalizability and reproducibility. J VM C What makes the SR different is that the study data are derived from the reports of completed (and usually published) studies, and it does this in a very systematic way. We outline core standards and principles and describe commonly encountered problems. For the inexperienced, the PRISMA guidelines 5 can be useful, and in any case, it is strongly recommended that the conduct and reporting of the SR be in accordance with its principles. . For other systematic reviews, it is now recommended to publish the protocol on PROSPERO ( http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ ) 6 or another comparable publically accessible website. PROSPERO) 6, Be circumspect when interpreting the results; acknowledge the sources of bias; and consider heterogeneity, generalizability, and contemporary clinical relevance, Report the study in such a way as to allow reproducibility of the results (PRISMA) 5 or future updating of the systematic review. . Is there demonstrable variation in practice? Creating a systematic review gives the reviewer an opportunity to further the discussion on a topic. Examples include diagnostic reviews, prognostic reviews, and qualitative reviews. Glass It arises when the result of a trial has an impact on the publications process. Systematic search and review. 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