Scientific integrity

Evidence review

Systematic review and critical appraisal with explicit, reproducible methods.

Method

How a review is conducted

Register a protocol. Define the question, eligibility criteria and planned methods before searching, and register the protocol.
Search comprehensively. Search multiple databases and trial registries with a documented, reproducible strategy.
Assess risk of bias. Use RoB 2 for randomised trials and ROBINS-I for non-randomised studies.
Synthesise appropriately. Pool results only where studies are similar enough, and explore heterogeneity rather than hide it.
Rate certainty. Rate the certainty of each key outcome with GRADE and present it in a summary of findings table.
Report fully. Report against PRISMA 2020, including the flow of studies and every deviation from the protocol.
Appraise others’ reviews. Appraise existing systematic reviews with AMSTAR 2 before relying on them.

Tools

Appraisal and reporting tools

The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviewsOPEN ACCESS

Matthew J Page, Joanne E McKenzie, Patrick M Bossuyt et al.

BMJ · DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n71

2021

RoB 2: a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials

Jonathan A C Sterne, Jelena Savović, Matthew J Page et al.

BMJ · DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l4898

2019

ROBINS-I: a tool for assessing risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventionsOPEN ACCESS

Jonathan AC Sterne, Miguel A Hernán, Barnaby C Reeves et al.

BMJ · DOI: 10.1136/bmj.i4919

2016

GRADE guidelines: 1. Introduction—GRADE evidence profiles and summary of findings tables

Gordon Guyatt, Andrew D. Oxman, Elie A. Akl et al.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.04.026

2011

AMSTAR 2: a critical appraisal tool for systematic reviews that include randomised or non-randomised studies of healthcare interventions, or bothOPEN ACCESS

Beverley J Shea, Barnaby C Reeves, George Wells et al.

BMJ · DOI: 10.1136/bmj.j4008

2017

Handbooks

Reference handbooks

Handbook

Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions

Julian P. T. Higgins, James Thomas, Jacqueline Chandler et al. (eds.)

2nd editionWiley-Blackwell2019

Textbook

Introduction to Meta-Analysis

Michael Borenstein, Larry V. Hedges, Julian P. T. Higgins et al.

2nd editionWiley2021

Examples

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the library

All evidence reviews

Prevalence, severity, and nature of preventable patient harm across medical care settings: systematic review and meta-analysisOPEN ACCESS

Maria Panagioti, Kanza Khan, Richard N Keers et al.

BMJ · DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l4185

2019

What is the epidemiology of medication errors, error-related adverse events and risk factors for errors in adults managed in community care contexts? A systematic review of the international literatureOPEN ACCESS

Ghadah Asaad Assiri, Nada Atef Shebl, Mansour Adam Mahmoud et al.

BMJ Open · DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019101

2018

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart diseaseOPEN ACCESS

Lindsey Anderson, David R Thompson, Neil Oldridge et al.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001800.pub3

2016

Global Burden of Untreated Caries: A Systematic Review and Metaregression

N.J. Kassebaum, E. Bernabé, M. Dahiya et al.

Journal of Dental Research · DOI: 10.1177/0022034515573272

2015

Need a review conducted or appraised? Contact the Evidence Review unit.