Evidence synthesis methods and systematic reviews have been well established as an academic output in Medicine and Health Sciences supported by organizations including the Cochrane Collaboration and the Joanna Briggs Institute. While this work is less prevalent in STEM, its impact is growing. This guide aims to assist researchers who may be reviewing or conducting evidence synthesis projects in STEM, regardless of previous experience.
Protocol Development
Much of the discussion around Systematic Reviews is focused on Health research, however, a recommended multidisciplinary introductory paper is MacFarlane, A., Russell-Rose, T. and Shokraneh, F. (2022) ‘Search strategy formulation for systematic reviews: Issues, challenges and opportunities’.
Database Selection
You should select multiple databases from this list, as no one database (even multidisciplinary databases) have complete coverage. A good paper discussing an effective non-health search is Wanyama, S., McQuaid, R., & Kittler, M. (2022). Where you search determines what you find: The effects of bibliographic databases on systematic reviews.
Prior Research
Before beginning a new Systematic Review, it's a good idea to search for previously published Systematic Reviews to determine whether there are existing best practices.
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