As a result of Children’s Wisconsin’s new security protocol, all users on the CW network will need to register for an OpenAthens account to access library resources (including UpToDate, VisualDx, etc.) via the library webpage. Click here to register for an OpenAthens account or view more information.
Work with a librarian on your next systematic review! Request an appointment to meet with us.
Need assistance with library resources or services? Ask a librarian! We are available via chat, email, phone or texting during staffed hours.
A systematic review attempts to collate all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a specific research question. It uses explicit, systematic methods that are selected with a view to minimizing bias, thus providing more reliable findings from which conclusions can be drawn and decisions made. The key characteristics of a systematic review are:
(Chapter 1.2.2, Higgins JPT, Green S (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0 [updated March 2011]. The Cochrane Collaboration, 2011. Available from www.cochrane-handbook.org.)
What Are Systematic Reviews: a video from the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group.
A meta-analysis uses statistical methods to combine information from a number of separate but similar studies and derive conclusions on that subject.
A literature review intends to provide an overview of a subject. It does not include a systematic search of the literature or a description of the methods used in the review and is sometimes based on author experience. These reviews may be subject to bias.
Kysh, Lynn (2013): Difference between a systematic review and a literature review. [figshare]. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.766364
Rapid review - A rapid review is like an accelerated systematic review. It may take 2-4 months to complete. While it assesses the evidence, it lacks the rigor of a full systematic review.
Definitions for various types of reviews are available from Grant MJ, Booth A. A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Info Libr J. 2009 Jun;26(2):91-108. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x. Review. PubMed PMID: 19490148
MCW Libraries
8701 Watertown Plank Road
Milwaukee, WI 53226
(414) 955-8300