Systematic Review of the Literature: Best Practices

Abstract

Reviews of published scientific literature are a valuable resource that can underline best practices in medicine and clarify clinical controversies. Among the various types of reviews, the systematic review of the literature is ranked as the most rigorous since it is a high-level summary of existing evidence focused on answering a precise question. Systematic reviews employ a pre-defined protocol to identify relevant and trustworthy literature. Such reviews can accomplish several critical goals that are not easily achievable with typical empirical studies by allowing identification and discussion of best evidence, contradictory findings, and gaps in the literature. The Association of University Radiologists Radiology Research Alliance Systematic Review Task Force convened to explore the methodology and practical considerations involved in performing a systematic review. This article provides a detailed and practical guide for performing a systematic review and discusses its applications in radiology.

Keywords: effective systematic review; radiology review; research methodology; systematic review.