The Institute of Medicine recommends that a librarians or information specialist be involved in the systematic review process. In fact, a study shows that librarian involvement in systematic reviews improves both the quality and the reproducibility of the literature search (see Rethlefsen et al 2015).
Librarians at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries can help you:
For more information about this service and to submit a help request, please fill out the form or contact a review consultant listed on the home page of this guide.
A systematic review is a methodical and comprehensive literature synthesis focused on a well-formulated research question. Its aim is to identify and synthesize all of the scholarly research on a particular topic, including both published and unpublished studies. Systematic reviews are conducted in an unbiased, reproducible way to provide evidence for practice and policy-making and identify gaps in research. They may involve a meta-analysis.
Systematic reviews are much more time-intensive than traditional literature reviews. They usually require a multi-person research team. Before embarking on a systematic review, it is important to determine whether the body of literature warrants one and to clearly identify your reasons for conducting a systematic review. For a list of other types of literature reviews, see this page.
How does a systematic review differ from a traditional literature review?
Evidence maps and systematic maps
Meta-analysis
Rapid Review
Realist Review
Scoping Review
Umbrella Review