Systematic review research process
The following steps are your starting point with working through the systematic review research process, and this section outlines the Library resources that will assist.
Step 1: Develop your research question
The first step of your systematic literature review is to develop your research question or topic.
There are frameworks and tools you can use to help you develop your research question, including the PICO and SPIDER frameworks, and the PRISMA checklist. Check that you are complying with any expectations of a systematic review in your field. For example, make sure you are clear on whether you need to register your review with PROSPERO.
The Library's self-paced systematic literature review workbook offers further resources on developing a research question.
Once you've formulated your research question, you can start searching for examples of systematic literature reviews.
Register your review
It is good practice to register your systematic review with PROSPERO or the International Database of Education Systematic Reviews.
Other systematic review types can be registered with either Figshare or Open Science Framework.
Further information can be found on the tools page.
Step 2: Find examples of systematic reviews
Systematic reviews which have been published in journals can help you decide where and how to conduct searches for your own review. SLRs often include the search strategy and library databases the researchers used.
You can find an example of a systematic review by including the phrase "systematic review" in your search strategy in any of your chosen databases.
e.g. "systematic review" AND (topic words)
You can also search for examples of SLRs in evidence based health databases like these:
- Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database & Tools
Evidence Based Practice. Resources include Evidence Based Recommended Practices (consists an equipment list & occupational health and safety provisions), Evidence Summaries and Systematic Reviews (Literature Reviews) and Protocols and Consumer Information Sheets. Updated weekly.
Also access to the two EBP tools: SUMARI & PACES. Click to view access instruction and specific requirement on using these tools.
- Cochrane Library
Evidence based practice, including Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and the central register of clinical trials from the Cochrane Collaboration research groups. International. Full-text. Dates vary. Within Advanced Search, apply Search Limits to search the full database or specific content type.
The Library's systematic review workbook will guide you through the process of finding examples of other reviews.
Step 3: Select and search databases
It takes time to develop and replicate your search and this stage can be time consuming and iterative.
Once you find a search strategy that works for you, run the same search in each of the databases you have selected for your review. The Library's subject guides list databases specific to your faculty or discipline and you can use these search tips for systematic reviews.
The Library's systematic review workbook will guide you through the process of developing your database searching skills.
Step 4: Keep track of your searches
Document your search in each database using a tool such as the UOW Literature Review Search Tracker.
- Set up alerts for your search strategy so you can re-run them easily
- Record the number of results (citations) from each search
- Remove duplicate citations (note the number of duplicates)
- Record the number of remaining citations from each database
For more tips and tools see documenting your search results.
Step 5: Manage your results
Reference management software such as EndNote and other referencing tools can help you manage your search results.
The University of Sydney also provides an EndNote for Systematic Reviews guide.
