Systematic Reviews, Scoping Reviews, and Other Knowledge Syntheses

Types of knowledge syntheses

There are many types of knowledge syntheses and it is important to choose the right type of synthesis for your question. The following resources provide a general overview of the types of knowledge syntheses being used in current research.

This video is the recording of a webinar by Dr. Andrew Booth, describing the different types of reviews.

Booth, A. Fifty shades of review [Internet]. Sheffield: EAHIL. 2016 Nov 24. Video: 70 min
 

What review is right for you?

Right Review is a tool to help guide your choice of a knowledge synthesis method when looking at quantitative studies.

Journal articles on knowledge syntheses and reviews

• Gough D, Thomas J, Oliver S. Clarifying differences between review designs and methods. Syst Rev. 2012;1:28.
• Grant MJ, Booth A. A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Info Libr J. 2009;26(2):91-108.
• Greenhalgh T, Thorne S, Malterud K. Time to challenge the spurious hierarchy of systematic over narrative reviews? Eur J Clin Invest. 2018;48(6):e12931.
• Kastner M, Antony J, Soobiah C, Straus SE, Tricco AC. Conceptual recommendations for selecting the most appropriate knowledge synthesis method to answer research questions related to complex evidence. J Clin Epidemiol. 2016.
• Straus SE, Kastner M, Soobiah C, Antony J, Tricco AC. Engaging researchers on developing, using, and improving knowledge synthesis methods: introduction to a series of articles describing the results of a scoping review on emerging knowledge synthesis methods. J Clin Epidemiol. 2016.
• Sutton A, Clowes M, Preston L, Booth A. Meeting the review family: Exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements. Health Info Libr J. 2019;36(3):202-22.
• Tricco AC, Tetzlaff J, Moher D. The art and science of knowledge synthesis. J Clin Epidemiol. 2011;64(1):11-20.

Guidance on conducting systematic reviews

Systematic reviews should address specific, answerable questions and may be limited to relevant study designs, depending on the type of question (e.g., intervention, etiology, prognosis, diagnosis).

There are handbooks, standards, and guides to help you through the process of conducting systematic reviews, and these books can also be useful for other types of knowledge syntheses.

See also:

Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR)

Resources for specific types of systematic reviews

These resources provide guidance on specific types of systematic reviews.

Munn Z, Stern C, Aromataris E, Lockwood C, Jordan Z. What kind of systematic review should I conduct? A proposed typology and guidance for systematic reviewers in the medical and health sciences. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2018;18(1):5.

Adverse effects of interventions

• Peryer G, Golder S, Junqueira D, Vohra S, Loke YK. Chapter 19: Adverse effects. In: Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.4 (updated 2023). Cochrane, 2023. Available from www.training.cochrane.org/handbook.

Diagnostic test accuracy

• Campbell JM, Klugar M, Ding S, et al. Diagnostic test accuracy: methods for systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Evid Based Healthc. 2015;13(3):154–62.
• Deeks JJ, Bossuyt PM, Leeflang MM, Takwoingi Y, editors. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell; 2023.
• Leeflang MMG, Deeks JJ, Takwoingi Y, Macaskill P. Cochrane diagnostic test accuracy reviews. Syst Rev. 2013;2(1):82.

Environmental health sciences

• Woodruff TJ, Sutton P. The Navigation Guide systematic review methodology: a rigorous and transparent method for translating environmental health science into better health outcomes. Environ Health Perspect. 2014 Oct;122(10):1007-14.

Equity and specific populations

• Welch VA, Petkovic J, Jull J, Hartling L, Klassen T, Kristjansson E, Pardo Pardo J, Petticrew M, Stott DJ, Thomson D, Ueffing E, Williams K, Young C, Tugwell P. Chapter 16: Equity and specific populations. In: Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.1 (updated 2023). Cochrane, 2023. Available from www.training.cochrane.org/handbook.

Etiology

• Dekkers OM, Vandenbroucke JP, Cevallos M, Renehan AG, Altman DG, Egger M. COSMOS-E: Guidance on conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies of etiology. PLoS Med. 2019;16(2):e1002742.

Genetic association studies

• Sagoo GS, Little J, Higgins JPT. Systematic reviews of genetic association studies. PLoS Medicine 2009;6(3):e 1000028.

Nutrition and dietetics

• Evidence Analysis Manual (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Patient-reported outcome measures

• Mokkink LB, Elsman EBM, Terwee CB. COSMIN guideline for systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures version 2.0. Qual Life Res. Published online August 28, 2024. doi:10.1007/s11136-024-03761-6

Prognostic studies

• Cochrane Prognosis Methods Group. Tools. 
• Debray TPA, Damen JAAG, Snell KIE, Ensor J, Hooft L, Reitsma JB, et al. A guide to systematic review and meta-analysis of prediction model performance. BMJ. 2017;356:i6460.
• Dretzke J, Ensor J, Bayliss S, Hodgkinson J, Lordkipanidzé M, Riley RD, et al. Methodological issues and recommendations for systematic reviews of prognostic studies: An example from cardiovascular disease. Syst Rev. 2014;3(1):140.
• Riley RD, Moons KGM, Snell KIE, Ensor J, Hooft L, Altman DG, et al. A guide to systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic factor studies. BMJ. 2019;364:k4597.

Public health and health promotion

• Jackson N, Waters E. Criteria for the systematic review of health promotion and public health interventions. Health Promot Int. 2005;20(4):367-74.
• Thomas BH, Ciliska DK, Dobbins M, Micucci S. A process for systematically reviewing the literature: providing the research evidence for public health nursing interventions. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2004;1:176-84.

Guidance on scoping reviews

A scoping review aims to address broader, more complex, and exploratory research questions where many different study designs may be applicable.

These resources will provide definitions and guidance on how to conduct a scoping review.

Online guides

• Peters MDJ, Godfrey C, McInerney P, Munn Z, Tricco AC, Khalil, H. Chapter 10: Scoping Reviews (2020 version). In: Aromataris E, Lockwood C, Porritt K, Pilla B, Jordan Z, editors. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. JBI; 2024. Available from: https://synthesismanual.jbi.global. https://doi.org/10.46658/JBIMES-24-01
• University of South Australia. Scoping Reviews. Available from https://guides.library.unisa.edu.au/ScopingReviews/Home

References

• Arksey H, O'Malley L. Scoping Studies: Towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res Methodol. 2005;8(1):19-32. doi:10.1080/1364557032000119616
• Levac D, Colquhoun H, O'Brien KK. Scoping Studies: Advancing the methodology. Implement Sci. 2010;5:69. doi:10.1186/1748-5908-5-69 (Open access)
• Morris, M., Boruff, J.T., Gore, G.C. Scoping reviews: Establishing the role of the librarian. J Med Libr Assoc. 2016;104(4):346–54. doi: 10.3163/1536-5050.104.4.020 (Open access)
• Munn Z, Peters MDJ, Stern C, Tufanaru C, McArthur A, Aromataris E. Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2018;18(1):143. doi: 10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x (Open access)
• Peters MDJ, Marnie C, Tricco AC, Pollock D, Munn Z, Alexander L, et al. Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews. JBI Evid Synth. 2020;18(10):2119-26. doi:10.11124/JBIES-20-00167 (Free)

Resources for other types of knowledge syntheses

Please note: This list is not complete but provides information on other review types which the health sciences librarians have been involved in supporting.

Campbell Collaboration intervention reviews

• WIlson DB, Pigott T, Welch V, Stewart, G, Hennessy, EA, Dewidar, O.  Methodological Expectations of Campbell Collaboration Intervention Reviews (MECCIR): 2023 Update. Campbell Collaboration, 2023. Available from https://osf.io/kcspx/ 
• Review areas covered: Ageing; Business and Management; Children and Young Persons Wellbeing; Climate Solutions; Crime and Justice; Disability; Education; International Development; Knowledge Translation and Implementation; Methods; Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity; and Social Welfare.

Environmental management evidence syntheses (systematic reviews, systematic maps)

• Pullin AS, Frampton GK, Livoreil B,Petrokofsky G, eds. Collaboration for Environmental Evidence. Guidelines and Standards for Evidence synthesis in Environmental Management. Version 5. 2022. Available from www.environmentalevidence.org/information-for-authors

Integrative reviews

• Toronto CE, Remington R, eds. A Step-By-Step Guide to Conducting an Integrative Review. Springer International Publishing; 2020. https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1183405744 

Mixed studies reviews

• Toolkit for mixed studies reviews

Overviews of reviews (Umbrella reviews)

• Pollock M, Fernandes RM, Becker LA, Pieper D, Hartling L. Chapter V: Overviews of Reviews. In: Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.1 (updated September 2020). Cochrane, 2020. Available from www.training.cochrane.org/handbook.

Rapid reviews

• STARR Decision Tool: SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews
• Dobbins, M. Rapid review guidebook. Hamilton, ON: National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools; 2017.
• Garritty C, Gartlehner G, Nussbaumer-Streit B, King VJ, Hamel C, Kamel C, L A, Stevens A. Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group offers evidence-informed guidance to conduct rapid reviews. J Clin Epidemiol. 2020 Oct 14:S0895-4356(20)31146-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.10.007. License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Tricco AC, Langlois EV, Straus SE, editors. Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: a practical guide. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

Realist reviews

• The RAMESES Projects - Includes information on publication, quality, and reporting standards -- as well as training materials -- for realist reviews (also called realist syntheses), meta-narrative reviews, and realist evaluation​

Find a librarian in your subject area to help you with your knowledge synthesis project.

Or contact the librarians at the
Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering
schulich.library@mcgill.ca

Online training resources