Designing a Systematic Review: Steps and Best Practices in Research

The purpose of conducting a systematic review is to synthesize existing research on a particular topic or question, in order to provide comprehensive evidence and inform decision-making. It is a rigorous and objective process that involves systematically searching, selecting, evaluating, and synthesizing all available evidence on a topic. Systematic reviews are widely recognized as the highest level of evidence in research, and their findings can have a significant impact on policy, practice, and future research directions.

In this article, we will discuss the steps involved in designing a systematic review and highlight some best practices that researchers should consider for a successful and high-quality review.

Step 1: Formulate the Research Question
The first step in designing a systematic review is to clearly define the research question. This should be a focused and specific question that will guide the entire review process. The question should be relevant, answerable, and based on a well-defined concept or theory. A clearly defined research question will ensure that the review is focused and the evidence gathered is relevant to the study.

Step 2: Develop an Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Next, researchers should determine the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the review. These criteria will determine which studies will be included in the review based on factors such as study design, time frame, study population, and other relevant factors. Developing these criteria will ensure that the review is systematic and the evidence collected is relevant to the research question.

Step 3: Conduct a Comprehensive Search
The heart of a systematic review is a comprehensive search of all available literature on the topic. This involves searching multiple databases, such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane, for relevant studies. It is crucial to use a combination of keywords and subject headings to ensure that all relevant studies are captured. The search strategy should be documented and reported to ensure transparency and reproducibility of the review.

Step 4: Screen and Select Studies
Once the search is complete, the next step is to screen and select studies based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This involves reviewing the titles and abstracts of the identified studies and then selecting full-text articles that meet the criteria. Two or more reviewers should independently screen and select studies to minimize bias.

Step 5: Assess the Quality of Selected Studies
It is essential to critically appraise the quality of the selected studies as the credibility of the review findings depends on the quality of the evidence. Studies should be evaluated for their risk of bias, validity, and generalizability. It is recommended to use standardized tools for quality assessment, and two or more reviewers should assess the quality of studies independently.

Step 6: Extract and Synthesize Data
The next step is to extract data from the selected studies and synthesize them to answer the research question. This involves systematically organizing and summarizing the data from the studies in a structured way. The analysis should include both qualitative and quantitative data, if applicable. It is important to use appropriate statistical methods to combine data from different studies and to assess heterogeneity between studies.

Step 7: Report and Interpret Findings
The final step in designing a systematic review is to report and interpret the findings. The results should be presented in a clear and transparent manner, using tables, figures, and narrative summaries. The findings should be interpreted in the context of the research question, and the implications and limitations of the review should be discussed. The review should also be reported using established guidelines, such as PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses).

Best Practices in Systematic Reviews
In addition to following the steps outlined above, there are some best practices that researchers should consider when designing a systematic review. These include:

1. Conducting a protocol
Developing a protocol for the systematic review and registering it with a database such as PROSPERO ensures that the review is conducted in a systematic and transparent manner. A protocol outlines the research question, search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and methods for data extraction and analysis.

2. Involving a team with diverse expertise
Systematic reviews require a multidisciplinary team with expertise in the topic, research methodology, statistics, and subject-specific databases. This ensures that the review is comprehensive and of high quality.

3. Adhering to ethical standards
Systematic reviews involving human subjects should adhere to ethical standards and may require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Ethical considerations should also be taken into account when presenting and publishing the results of the review.

4. Updating the review
To ensure that the review remains current, it should be periodically updated as new evidence becomes available. This also allows for comparisons between older and newer evidence and can provide insights into changes over time.

In conclusion, designing a systematic review requires careful planning, meticulous execution, and adherence to best practices. Following these steps and incorporating best practices will ensure that the review is of high quality and contributes to the existing body of evidence in a meaningful way. As systematic reviews are considered the gold standard in research, it is imperative that researchers adhere to these steps and practices to ensure the credibility and impact of their findings.