Systematic Reviews

Writing a clear and detailed review report and sharing it in the appropriate medium ensures that your research has the greatest impact, reaching those who can best put it to use.

Your report will include a summary and analysis of your findings, and a detailed explanation of your methods and process. Readers should be able to follow and potentially replicate every step. There are several standards and guidelines that you can follow as you prepare your manuscript. Keep in mind the conventions of any commissioning body or target journal, as they may have specific requirements for systematic reviews.

Additional report writing resources:

Systematic reviews are intended to be a tool that provides a clear synthesis and assessment of available evidence to those who need it. It's crucial that they are disseminated in a way that best allows them to reach the researchers, clinicians, and policymakers who would most benefit from that knowledge.

When planning how to disseminate your review, consider:

• Which groups need to know the answer to your review question?
• What is the best way to get the message directly to that audience?

If you are publishing your review as a journal article, think about:

• The journals' audiences.
• Their impact factors.
• Their standards for systematic reviews (if they have any).

Resources: