Systematic Review Resources - Types of Reviews

Narrative / Literature Review

• Collates relevant studies and draws conclusions from them
• Timeline: 2+ months
• Search strategy: not comprehensive, which could introduce bias

Scoping Review

• Preliminary assessment of potential size and scope of available research literature. Aims to identify the nature and extent of research evidence (usually including ongoing research).
• Timeline: 2+ months
• Search strategy: completeness of searching determined by time/scope constraints

Rapid Review

• Assessment of what is already known about a policy or practice issue, by using systematic review methods to search and critically appraise existing research.
• Timeline: 2-6+ months
• Search strategy: completeness of searching determined by time constraints

Integrative Review

• Reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way so that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated.
• Timeline: 2-10+ months
• Search strategy: aims for exhaustive, comprehensive search

Umbrella Review

• Reviews other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on a topic. Focuses on broad condition or problem for which there are competing interventions and highlights reviews that address these interventions and their results.
• Timeline: 2+ months
• Search strategy: identification of component reviews but no search for primary studies

Systematic Review

• Attempts to identify, appraise and synthesize all the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a given research question, using explicit methods aimed at minimizing bias in order to produce more reliable findings that can be used to inform decision-making.
• Timeline: 10-12+ months
• Search strategy: aims for exhaustive, comprehensive search 

Meta-Analysis

• Technique that statistically combines the results of quantitative studies to provide a more precise effect of the result. Contains a forest plot.
• Timeline: 10-12+ months
• Search strategy: statistical technique for combining the findings from disparate quantitative studies

References:

• Grant, M.J., & Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26, 91–108.
• Higgins JPT, Green S (editors).Box 2.3.b: Timeline for a Cochrane review. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 5.1.0 [updated March 2011]. The Cochrane Collaboration. Available from http://handbook-5-1.cochrane.org. Accessed January 6, 2025.