How to Write Systematic Reviews for Health Science Articles
You can write systematic reviews for health science articles after you form a research question, develop a search strategy, perform a critical appraisal, and reporting your findings. Systematic reviews aim to shed more light on the findings from multiple studies about a given topic.
Several steps are involved to write systematic reviews. In this guide, we’ll get to see major steps you can take to write systematic reviews for health science articles. You can take advantage of the steps and tips provided in this guide to complete systematic reviews with valid findings about your chosen health science topic.
What is a Systematic Review?
A systematic review is a transparent attempt to synthesize existing evidence about a certain research question. Systematic reviews involve a deep search, critical appraisal, synthesis of existing findings and a follow-up analysis to infer valid conclusions and suggest recommendations.
A systematic review may become necessary when there is a massive body of literature about one research question or health science topic. Such a review aims to harmonize evidence across studies to deliver a meaningful conclusion and suggest practical research on related topics.
Systematic reviews also help identify gaps in knowledge, inform readers about current knowledge on certain topics, and provide valid details to drive decision-making.
How to Write Systematic Reviews for Health Science Articles
1. Form a research question
You need to form a solid research question as the basis of your systematic review. Your research question should be:
- clear,
- focused on a specific topic, and
- easy to answer after a thorough review of existing research
Your research question should align with study objectives of your systematic review. It should also address a very important topic within the health sciences.
2. Develop an inclusive search strategy
An inclusive search strategy ensures that every important study gets recognition and is a part of the systematic review. Thorough search strategies usually rely on vast electronic databases like CINAHL or PubMed to pick the most relevant studies about a certain topic. You can also adopt a manual search strategy to include other relevant journals unavailable on electronic databases.
3. Screen and pick studies
You can screen and choose studies from results of your search strategy to include it in your systematic review. The process involves two main stages – title page and full screening.
Title page screening involves assessing the relevance of a research based on exclusion and inclusion criteria. Full screening involves assessing an article for inclusion in the review based on details throughout the text.
4. Extract data for critical appraisal
The next step involves extraction of data from selected studies to retrieve important information. Vital details for extraction from such studies include the study design, sample (technique used and size), exposure or interventions, measured outcomes, and results.
You will need to record such information in a standard form, probably in a data extraction app. Next, you must conduct the critical appraisal for each study to determine their relevance level and low bias. Completing this step makes sure only quality studies form the overall findings of your systematic review.
5. Synthesize evidence
Synthesizing evidence allows authors analyze and summarize findings of all included studies. Authors can synthesize evidence using the following methods:
- narrative synthesis, and
- meta-analysis
Researchers can rely on either synthesis method depending on how much data is available or the research question. Narrative synthesis usually involves a qualitative summary of all results while meta-analysis usually combines information from multiple quantitative studies to determine the potential effect of a result.
6. Interpret results and draw conclusions
The next step involves interpreting findings and analyzing synthesized evidence that align with the research question and objectives. Authors are expected to provide findings correctly and in a way that many sections of the audience can understand. You can also draw conclusions based on the results you discovered.
7. Report the review
Report all your findings in line with existing guidelines that govern the structure of systematic reviews. Your systematic review could follow the IMRaD format; however, your preferred publisher may require a discussion and conclusion section in the report.
You can go ahead to complete the peer review process for your review and get it published after your preferred journal approves.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Writing Systematic Reviews for Health Science Articles
Some authors of systematic reviews for health science articles are likely to make these common mistakes:
- Ambiguous or incomplete research question
- Incomplete search strategy
- Biased selection of studies
- Inadequate or wrong data extraction
- Ignoring quality assessment tools
- Poor data synthesis
- Poor transparency in reporting
- Lack of updates to reflect the emergence of new information in your review
Failure to identify these common mistakes make it difficult to write high-quality systematic reviews for health science articles. Take note of these common mistakes to avoid limiting the potential of your systematic review on any given topic.
FAQs
Can I update a systematic review after it has been published?
You should update a systematic review to reflect new information and add new evidence about changes in a certain topic. A high-quality systematic review should receive periodic updates to ensure its rolling relevance and validity to the health sciences.
Should I write a systematic review alone?
Experienced researchers can write and complete systematic reviews with little to no external assistance. However, assembling a team of expert researchers can improve the efficiency and quality of a systematic review.
Can I update a systematic review after publishing?
Authors should update their systematic reviews after a given period to provide new information and recognize fact-based changes in arguments.
Final Word
You can write a systematic review for health sciences by adopting a rigorous approach. Your research requires deep research to ensure all your findings are reliable and valid. Following the steps outlined above can help you write systematic reviews for health science articles with ease.
Take advantage of the information about to conduct and report well-written systematic reviews. It will be easy to synthesize evidence, identify knowledge gaps, guide future research, and inform decision-making with such articles.