Skip to Main Content

Systematic Review Service

Before You Begin

1. Enlist a team to work on the systematic review. Authors should establish a team with appropriate experience and expertise in both the topic of the review and systematic review methods.

2. Ensure you have enough time to devote to a systematic review. Systematic reviews are time consuming, often spanning many months. Establishing a timetable can help determine if you can conduct a systematic review.

Systematic Review Process

  1. Assemble a project team.
  2. Formulate a focused and relevant research question.
  3. Conduct a preliminary search to determine whether there are existing systematic reviews that address your research question.
  4. Create a protocol with a plan for conducting the review. Include the rationale for your review, objectives, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and more.
  5. Register your protocol.
  6. Develop a search strategy. Contact your librarians if you need assistance.
  7. Search for studies.
  8. Perform title and abstract review to identify potentially relevant studies.
    • Rayyan is a free systematic review tool.
  9. Obtain and review full-text and apply inclusion and exclusion criteria.
  10. Assess quality of eligible studies.
  11. Extract data from individual studies.
  12. Analyze data and synthesize where appropriate.
  13. Write review and report findings.

Subject Specialist

Profile Photo
Deb Werner
Contact:
Director of Library Research in Medical Education
Joseph Regenstein Library, Room 268
773-702-8552

Subject Specialist

Profile Photo
Kaitlyn Van Kampen
She/Her/Hers
Contact:
Clinical Librarian
Joseph Regenstein Library, Room 263
773.702.4557