 |
|
Writing a Systematic Review
by Jeremy Ducharme, Exercise Science Doctoral Student |
| What is a Systematic Review? A systematic review is a methodical approach to create a comprehensive summary of all empirical evidence to answer a specific research question. The review systematically searches, identifies, selects, appraises, and synthesizes evidence relevant to the question. Reviews are focused and specific with clear and reproducible methodology and provide a strong take home message (Liberati et al. 2009). When writing think, “If a reader were to remember one thing about my review, what would it be?'' (Harris et al. 2014). Developing a research question: The research question needs to be answerable and specific. Avoid questions that are too broad such as, “Is exercise beneficial?”, as well as those that are too narrow, ''Is exercising 43 minutes per day 3 times per week better than exercising 38 minutes per day 4 times per week?'' (Harris et al. 2014). Title: Accurately reflects the topic being reviewed. Under 10 words may be preferable. Introduction: Summarizes the topic and justifies the need for the review such as gaps in the existing knowledge or a disagreement in the literature. State the purpose (research question) and identify the specific aims of the review. Methods: One of the most important parts of a review since the quality of a systematic review is often only as good as the studies that it analyzes (Harris et al. 2014). The search for studies should be extensive and use multiple databases. .,,Keywords along with the inclusion and exclusion criteria used for study selection should be stated and align with the research question. Selected studies should be subjected to a more refined quality assessment. For example, is the generalizability of the study limited by its research design? A quality assessment can aid in assessing the strength of inferences and making recommendations. Results: Briefly describe the search results such as how many studies were included, characteristics of the included studies, and their quality. Finally discuss the effect of the intervention on the outcome that pertains to your research question. Discussion: Summarizes the main findings from the review. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the review as well as implications for current practice (take home message). References: ACSM H&F limits us to 12 references so be rigorous with your inclusion. References Harris JD, Quatman CE, Manring MM, et al (2014) How to write a systematic review. Am J Sports Med 42:2761-2768. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546513497567 Khan KS, Kunz R, Kleijnen J, Antes G (2003) Five steps to conducting a systematic review. J R Soc Med 96:118-121 Liberati A, Altman DG, Tetzlaff J, et al (2009) The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration. PLOS Med 6:e1000100. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000100 |
 |