Getting Started with Systematic Reviews: Definitions & being "systematic"

Systematic Review: “A review of the research literature using systematic and explicit accountable methods.” From the Gloassary in Gough, D., Oliver, S., & Thomas, J. (Eds.). (2012). An introduction to systematic reviews. London: SAGE.

Research Synthesis: "A review of a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect and analyze data from the studies that are included in the synthesis….Systematic review is a synonym of research synthesis.” From the Glossary in Cooper, H. M., Hedges, L. V., & Valentine, J. C. (Eds.). (2009). The handbook of research synthesis and meta-analysis (Second edition). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

“ A systematic review aims to comprehensively locate and synthesize research that bears on a particular question, using organized, transparent, and replicable procedures at each step in the process…a systematic review follows a protocol (a detailed plan) that specifies its central objectives, concepts, and methods in advance.  Steps and decisions are carefully documented so that readers can follow and evaluate reviewer’s methods."  Littell, J. H., Corcoran, J., & Pillai, V. K. (2008). Systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.

• Rigorous methods can be used to do a review.  This can involve using, for example, search strategies that are recommended for optimal results given your research goals.  Rigor can also involve documenting what you are doing so that the process is thoughtful as you work to complete the review. That care supports knowing what you have done, and possible "tweaks" to your process, etc.  Not all of what you record or document may be reported in the final review product.

• Rigorous methods can also be used to report review results and the process that was used to complete the review. In what are called formally "systematic reviews", there has been considerable emphasis on reporting a range of recommended types of information in a lot of detail.  It does seem like some level of such process detail might be included in any kind of literature review project (papers, grants, articles, dissertation/thesis literature review chapters). 

• Being systematic in your review activities can also involve seeking out guidance on methods that have been recommended for effective searching, reporting, "systematic reviewing", etc. and consciously pursuing actions and choices using that guidance.