---
title: "Systematic review"
chunk: 3/6
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_review"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:26:30.659047+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

=== Analyse and combine the data ===
Analysing and combining data can provide an overall result from all the data. Because this combined result may use qualitative or quantitative data from all eligible sources of data, it is considered more reliable as it provides better evidence, as the more data included in reviews, the more confident we can be of conclusions. When appropriate, some systematic reviews include a meta-analysis, which uses statistical methods to combine data from multiple sources. A review might use quantitative data, or might employ a qualitative meta-synthesis, which synthesises data from qualitative studies. A review may also bring together the findings from quantitative and qualitative studies in a  mixed methods or overarching synthesis. The combination of data from a meta-analysis can sometimes be visualised. One method uses a forest plot (also called a blobbogram). In an intervention effect review, the diamond in the 'forest plot' represents the combined results of all the data included. An example of a 'forest plot' is the Cochrane Collaboration logo. The logo is a forest plot of one of the first reviews which showed that corticosteroids given to women who are about to give birth prematurely can save the life of the newborn child.
Recent visualisation innovations include the albatross plot, which plots p-values against sample sizes, with approximate effect-size contours superimposed to facilitate analysis. The contours can be used to infer effect sizes from studies that have been analysed and reported in diverse ways. Such visualisations may have advantages over other types when reviewing complex interventions.

=== Communication and dissemination ===
Once these stages are complete, the review may be published, disseminated, and translated into practice after being adopted as evidence. The UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) defines dissemination as "getting the findings of research to the people who can make use of them to maximise the benefit of the research without delay".
Some users do not have time to invest in reading large and complex documents and/or may lack awareness or be unable to access newly published research. Researchers are, therefore, developing skills to use creative communication methods such as illustrations, blogs, infographics, and board games to share the findings of systematic reviews.

== Automation ==
Living systematic reviews are a newer kind of semi-automated, up-to-date online summaries of research that are updated as new research becomes available. The difference between a living systematic review and a conventional systematic review is the publication format. Living systematic reviews are "dynamic, persistent, online-only evidence summaries, which are updated rapidly and frequently".
The automation or semi-automation of the systematic process itself is increasingly being explored. While little evidence exists to demonstrate it is as accurate or involves less manual effort, efforts that promote training and using artificial intelligence for the process are increasing. In particular, since 2023, there has been a growing emergence of tools powered by large language models designed to support, automate, or even generate literature reviews.

== Research fields ==

=== Health and medicine ===

==== Current use of systematic reviews in medicine ====
Many organisations around the world use systematic reviews, with the methodology depending on the guidelines being followed. Organisations which use systematic reviews in medicine and human health include the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, US), and the World Health Organization. Most notable among international organisations is Cochrane, a group of over 37,000 specialists in healthcare who systematically review randomised trials of the effects of prevention, treatments, and rehabilitation as well as health systems interventions. They sometimes also include the results of other types of research. Cochrane Reviews are published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews section of the Cochrane Library. The 2015 impact factor for The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was 6.103, and it was ranked 12th in the Medicine, General & Internal category.
There are several types of systematic reviews, including:

Intervention reviews assess the benefits and harms of interventions used in healthcare and health policy.
Diagnostic test accuracy reviews assess how well a diagnostic test performs in diagnosing and detecting a particular disease. For conducting diagnostic test accuracy reviews, free software such as MetaDTA and CAST-HSROC in the graphical user interface is available.
Methodology reviews address issues relevant to how systematic reviews and clinical trials are conducted and reported.
Qualitative reviews synthesize qualitative evidence to address questions on aspects other than effectiveness.
Prognosis reviews address the probable course or future outcome(s) of people with a health problem.
Overviews of Systematic Reviews (OoRs) compile multiple pieces of evidence from systematic reviews into a single accessible document, sometimes referred to as umbrella reviews.
Living systematic reviews are continually updated, incorporating relevant new evidence as it becomes available.
Rapid reviews are a form of knowledge synthesis that "accelerates the process of conducting a traditional systematic review through streamlining or omitting specific methods to produce evidence for stakeholders in a resource-efficient manner".
Reviews of complex health interventions in complex systems are to improve evidence synthesis and guideline development.

==== Patient and public involvement in systematic reviews ====

There are various ways patients and the public can be involved in producing systematic reviews and other outputs. Tasks for public members can be organised as 'entry level' or higher. Tasks include: