Time - you need a timeline for the project. The time required to conduct a systematic review can vary significantly based on several factors, including the scope of the review, the complexity of the topic, the size of the team, and the availability of resources. According to a study analyzing data from the PROSPERO registry, the mean project length from start to publication is about 67.3 weeks, or approximately 1.3 years.* On average, conducting a systematic review can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Here's a breakdown of the stages and approximate timeframes:
- Planning and Protocol Development: 1-3 months
- Literature Search: 1-2 months
- Screening and Selection of Studies: 2-6 months
- Data Extraction and Management: 1-3 months
- Quality Assessment: 1-3 months
- Data Synthesis and Analysis: 2-4 months
- Writing and Reporting: 2-4 months
- Peer Review and Revisions: 1-3 months
These timeframes can overlap, and the total duration will depend on the efficiency of the processes and the specific requirements of the review.
*Borah R, Brown AW, Capers PL, Kaiser KA. Analysis of the time and workers needed to conduct systematic reviews of medical interventions using data from the PROSPERO registry. BMJ Open. 2017;7(2):e012545. Epub 20170227. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012545. PubMed PMID: 28242767; PMCID: PMC5337708.
Team - you need to be working with:
- subject experts to help clarify issues related to the topic
- librarians who can develop the comprehensive search strategies and identify the appropriate databases to search
- reviewers who can screen titles/abstracts and evaluate the full text
- statistician who can assist with the appropriate analysis of the data
- project leader who will coordinate and write the final report
Written protocol - you need a written protocol deposited in PROSPERO that outlines the methodology including:
- the rationale for the systematic review
- key questions broken into PICO/PECO components
- inclusion/exclusion criteria
- literature search for both published and unpublished literature
- screening search results
- data abstraction
- assessment of the risk of bias of individual studies
- data synthesis
Literature searching - you need to:
- perform preliminary searches for existing systematic reviews that may have already addressed the key questions
- harvest search terms
- develop search strategies
- identify the appropriate databases and other information sources
- translate search strategies for other databases
- conduct a comprehensive and detailed literature search that can be documented and duplicated
Citation management - you need working knowledge of citation management tools (e.g. EndNote, Zotero) to help manage the references from the literature search. You also need to use tools that are designed for screening references and/or performing other functions in conducting systematic reviews (e.g. Covidence, JBI SUMARI, Rayyan, etc.). For more information on how to use the tools, click here.
Guidelines for reporting - you need to use the appropriate guidelines for conducting and reporting your SRs.
- Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions - The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions is the official guide that describes in detail the process of preparing and maintaining Cochrane systematic reviews on the effects of healthcare interventions.
- Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR) - The Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (known as the MECIR Standards) are methodological standards to which all Cochrane Protocols, Reviews, and Updates are expected to adhere.
- PRISMA - PRISMA is an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The current version is PRISMA 2020.
- PRISMA Flow Diagram - The flow diagram depicts the flow of information through the different phases of a systematic review. It maps out the number of records identified, included and excluded, and the reasons for exclusions.
- JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis – This manual guides authors who wish to conduct systematic and scoping reviews following JBI methodologies. Each chapter is devoted to the synthesis of different types of evidence to address different types of clinical and policy-related questions. (Aromataris E, Lockwood C, Porritt K, Pilla B, Jordan Z, editors. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. JBI; 2024. Available from: https://synthesismanual.jbi.global.)