Systematic Reviews

Standards:

• Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 6.5, 2024)
  • Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews(MECIR) (2023)
• JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis (2020)
• AHRQ Training Modules for the Systematic Reviews Methods Guide
  • from AHRQ's Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews
• Finding what works in health care: Standards for systematic reviews. National Academies Press. 2011.
•  In Finding What Works in Health Care the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends 21 standards for developing high-quality systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research. 

Manuals:

Systematic Reviews in Health Research: Meta-Analysis in Context. Egger M, Higgins JPT, Davey Smith G, eds. Wiley; 2022.

Introduction to Meta-Analysis. Borenstein, Hedges, Larry V, Higgins, Julian P. T, & Rothstein, Hannah R. (2011, 2nd ed.). 

Handbook of Meta-Analysis. Schmid, C.H., Stijnen, T., & White, I. (Eds.). (2020). 

Publication bias in meta-analysis : prevention, assessment and adjustments. Rothstein, Sutton, A. J, & Borenstein, Michael. (2005). Wiley.

Articles:

 A Primer on Performing Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. Umscheid, 2013. doi: 10.1093/cid/cit333. .

"Targeted to beginners.... this primer (1) highlights the differences between review types; (2) outlines the major steps in performing a systematic review; and (3) offers a set of resources to help authors perform and report valid and actionable systematic reviews."

Guidance to Best Tools and Practices for Systematic Reviews. Kolaski, Kat; Logan, Lynne Romeiser; Ioannidis, John P.A. Syst Rev. Jun 8 2023;12(1):96. doi:10.1186/s13643-023-02255-9

 "Our objective is to distill this sprawling information into a format that is understandable and readily accessible to authors, peer reviewers, and editors."  

Improving systematic reviews: guidance on guidance and other options and challenges. Kolaski K, Logan LR, Ioannidis JPA.  J Clin Epidemiol. Jul 2023;159:266-273. doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.05.008

Why do you need a biostatistician? BMC Med Res Methodol. Zapf A, Rauch G, Kieser M. Feb 5 2020;20(1):23. doi:10.1186/s12874-020-0916-4

Credit: "Steps in a systematic review" illustration created by Karolinska Institutet University Library.