Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviewing

1. Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviews Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviewing Dr. Mark Matthews Student Learning Development mark.matthews@tcd.ie Dr. Mark Matthews Student Learning Development http://student-learning.tcd.ie

2. Finding your way in the woods Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviewing Dr. Mark Matthews Student Learning Development mark.matthews@tcd.ie

3. Finding your way in the woods Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviewing Dr. Mark Matthews Student Learning Development mark.matthews@tcd.ie

4. And making your way back Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviewing Dr. Mark Matthews Student Learning Development mark.matthews@tcd.ie

5. Workshop Overview • explain elements of the systematic review process • explore how these might be used or adapted to support: - a thesis literature review; - approaches to keeping up-to-date with the literature through a PhD • contextualise this within other approaches to managing and working with the literature

6. 1 Minute Big Picture Interviewer Interview partner and take notes

7. The Literature Review ? “Literature reviews …… introduce a topic, summarise the main issues and provide some illustrative examples.” from www.eppi.ioe.ac.uk Agree? Disagree?

8. The Literature Review ? If they are to be considered a reliable source of research evidence they should record how the primary studies were sought and selected and how they were analysed to produce their conclusions. Readers need to be able to judge whether all of the relevant literature is likely to have been found, and how the quality of studies was assessed. 1 Agree? 5 Disagree? 10

9. Discussion • What is a Literature Review? • Why do we do Literature Reviews? • What are the main challenges?

10. disciplinary perspective connection to findings critical appraisal working understanding coverage scholarliness literature use Literature Matters From Holbrook et al (2007)

11. Means you need to be: critical= evaluate what you read analyse = extract differing information from what you read synthesise = show relationships between studies/sources; differing definitions, concepts, theories etc. evaluate = methodological approaches used (Hart, 2005)

12. Systematic Reviews areview of a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect and analyse data from the studies that are included within the review. Statistical methods (meta-analysis) may or may not be used to analyse and summarise the results of the included studies.  fromwww.sebc.bangor.ac.uk

15. Systematic v.s. Narrative reviews Agreed standards High degree of focus Minimise bias Context and differences Bias of empirical studies Strengths of both approaches Student Learning Development, TCD 15

16. “For some review topics, however, the strengths of the SR may turn into weaknesses…do not allow for comprehensive coverage” but “narrative reviews do not reveal how the decisions were made about relevance of studies” ‘Balancing the strengths of systematic and narrative reviews’ (Collins & Fauser, 2004) p. 103-104.

17. Key features of the systematic review process you might want to adopt or adapt– • Explicit and transparent methods • a standard set of stages • Accountable, replicable and updateable

18. Seven steps (of a Cochrane Review) • Formulating a problem • Locating and selecting studies • Critical appraisal of studies • Collecting data • Analyzing and presenting results • Interpreting results • Improving and updating reviews

19. Workflow for Literature Reviews • Search • Assess • Read • Write

21. 1. Formulating a Problem

22. 1. Formulating a Problem Example Questions? Standard SR question contains subject- intervention- outcome- comparator

23. Does drinking coffee raise people’s blood pressure (when compared to chocolate)? Standard SR question contains subject- intervention- outcome- comparator

24. 2. Locating and Finding Research

25. Where do I start? Previous Theses Review Papers Recent Conference Papers Subject librarian Supervisor

26. Phase 1- Identify the Research a broad but defined, systematic sweep Defined search terms – record recall and precision Defined search arena - e.g. databases, citation indices, reference lists from primary and review articles, grey literature, conference proceedings, research registers, the internet, individual researchers/practitioners Other broad search limits, e.g. language, date, TIPS! Document the search protocol and record what research was found Systematically manage the search output, e.g. using endnote

27. Phase 2- Selection select from research using criteria related to your research question Develop inclusion or exclusion statements, these might relate to study outcomes, research design, methods used, population worked with etc. e.g. studies with a mixed population of men and women e.g. random control trials only e.g. maximum exposure time of 10mins TIPS! Document the statements and their purpose (might be pragmatic or research related)

28. Search Log

29. Running the search How many titles and abstract can you check? How easy will it be to decide to accept or reject a record? Record the reason for rejection for “Excluded studies”

30. Don’t stop searching when you’ve stopped searching

31. 3. Critical appraisal of studies “Assessing the quality of methodology is a critical part of the systematic review process” No standard approach but there are hierarchies in fields of study

32. 3. Critical appraisal of studies What would be appropriate to consider when critically appraising research in your area? Student Learning Development, TCD 32

33. connection connection connection to findings to findings to findings critical critical critical appraisal appraisal appraisal disciplinary disciplinary disciplinary working working working perspective perspective perspective understanding understanding understanding coverage coverage coverage scholarliness scholarliness scholarliness literature use literature use 3. Critical appraisal of studies No standard approach but there are hierarchies in fields of study

34. 4. Collect data & analyse Evaluate Synthesise results of literature review Tables to compare Descriptive Meta-analysis Student Learning Development, TCD 34

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37. Write up literature review - Structure Background Purpose/Research question Method Findings Discussion Implications/Recommendations Student Learning Development, TCD 37

38. Voice Writer as tour guide - voice

39. Writing Style • Assess the value of the literature • Explain the context research takes place • Emphasise limitations of existing research • Tell a story

40. Writing Style Introduction What I will show you? Why? Body Why this area? Don’t leave reader to fill gaps Conclusion What we have seen? How this is relevant to research?

41. Evaluation and Literature Review Research evaluation

42. Comprehensive Literature Review What have been the main research questions? What are the main perspectives on this topic in previous research? In which subject areas has the topic been studied? Do parallel literatures exist for this topic? What are the main conclusions on previous research in this area? What are the key concepts in this area? Coherent synthesis of past and present research in the domain of study How is this topic approached by others? Who are these “others”? Which existing work could be extended? Where are the gaps in literature? Where is existing knowledge “thin”? Which aspects of this work are of most relevance to my study? Which discussions? What are the key areas of debate in this area? Which work is subject to challenge? Which sub-themes? Which writers? Source: Dr Hazel Hall, Napier University

43. Challenges in Conducting Literature Reviews

44. Other ideas and options Speed reading Endnote Databases in my area Google Alerts

45. SR websites Centre for Evidence-based Conservation -http://www.cebc.bangor.ac.uk/ Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (medical) -http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/index.htm Cochrane Collaboration (international- medical) -http://www.cochrane.org/ EPPI-Centre, Institute of Education - http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/ Social Policy and Social Care -http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/chp/srspsc/index.htm If you read one article, an example here of a review of the ways studies in reviews are appraised - http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=521688 If you prefer power-point, how about this one on mixed method reviewshttp://www.ccsr.ac.uk/methods/events/challenges/documents/JamesThomasESRCMethodologicalchallenges.ppt

46. Finding your way in the woods Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviewing Dr. Mark Matthews Student Learning Development mark.matthews@tcd.ie

48. Student Learning Development Thank you for your time Visit our website at: http://student-learning.tcd.ie