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Systematic Reviews (A How-To Guide): Planning & Practicalities

Use this guide to help navigate the processes involved in conducting a systematic review, including the many ways the library can support your project.

Project Goals & Rationale

A systematic review is a major undertaking. Before committing the necessary time and resources, it is important to have a clear project rationale, and answers to one or more of the following:

  • Have any systematic reviews already been conducted on this topic? 
  • What gap in current knowledge are you seeking to fill?
  • Will your review inform a new policy, practice, or protocol?
  • Do you want to update a previously published but outdated review?
  • Is there a sufficient body of information available on your topic?
  • If seeking to register your systematic review, will it fulfill your chosen registry's eligibility criteria?

Resource Planning

As for any large undertaking, in order to be successful, your systematic review will take some planning--including answers to questions relating to:

 

Time
  • How long will it take from the very start of your project through to the final publication of your systematic review report (systematic reviews typically take a year or more from start to finish)?
  • Are all your team members able to commit to the identified timeline?
  • What deadlines or milestones need to be incorporated into your project timeline?
  • See Timeline for a Cochrane Review for a suggested timeline
 
Team
  • How many people will you need to recruit for your systematic review team?
  • How will you assign different team roles, including project management, screening, library liaison, librarian, statistical analysis (if applicable), writing, proofreading, editing?
  • Do your team members have the necessary level of subject expertise to perform their assigned roles?
  • Will your team members be available to perform their intended roles at the appropriate time/s?
 
Search Tools & Information Resources
  • Which information tools and resources (e.g. databases, citation managers, screening tools) will you need to conduct your review, and which of those will be available and accessible to you and your team--including any team members working in another institution?
  • What information searching expertise do you have access to, including librarians?
  • How will you facilitate joint access and collaborative use of information tools and resources across your project team (e.g. for managing and sharing search results, citations, full text documents, screening and evaluation processes, analyzing and presenting your results, writing & editing your manuscript)?

Planning is Essential