Evidence Synthesis
"Evidence synthesis" refers to the method of identifying, selecting, and combining results from multiple studies. There are many types of evidence synthesis, including literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis.
- Synthesis TutorialComprehensive tutorial discussing the information synthesis.
Literature Reviews
A literature review is typically the section of a research paper, dissertation or thesis that considers the writing that other authors have already produced on the topic (Pelgrave Key Concepts). A literature review is not simply a list of articles about your topic, rather, it summarizes and synthesizes preexisting research to establish the significance of your paper or to provide background for original research.
A literature review:
- Is iterative (ongoing).
- Includes a search of literature for relevant materials.
- Cites all used sources.
- Empirical vs. DescriptiveA research guide examining the difference between empirical and descriptive articles.
- Literature Review Research GuideThis guide discusses the format and process for writing a literature review.
Databases
- PsycARTICLES This link opens in a new window
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PsycARTICLES provides full-text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in psychology.
- PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
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PsycINFO includes citations from all psychology and related disciplines. Ninety-nine percent of the covered material is peer-reviewed. You will find abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations in behavioral science and mental health.
- PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed is a database accessing the MEDLINE database of citations, abstracts, and some full-text articles on life sciences and biomedical topics. PubMed® comprises more than 35 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books.
Systematic Reviews
A systematic review is comprehensive and aims to answer a research question based on exact protocols and criteria. "A systematic review is a form of secondary research, guided by a detailed review protocol, that gathers primary studies and information from other sources on a clinical or policy question of interest and analyzes the data from these multiple studies to reach a conclusion" (Encyclopedia of Nursing Research).
These reviews:
- Uses clearly defined criteria.
- Are reproducible by future researchers.
- Include a systematic search of published literature (following the determined criteria) .
- Explore any biases that may be present.
- Assess the validity of findings.
- Produce a comprehensive report of findings.
- What is a Systematic Review?Description and definition of systematic reviews from The Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa).