Module 2 Learning Objectives

Identify key differences between a systematic review and a systematic search
Define steps in a systematic search

Systematic Search vs Systematic Review

The terms used for systematic reviews can sometimes be confusing! It helps to understand the difference between a systematic review and a systematic search.

Systematic Search

Systematic Review

A systematic search is just one part of a research review - and it is used in almost every review type (such as scoping, rapid, or realist reviews), not just systematic reviews.

A systematic search is:

Logical: A clear, step-by-step process that reads like a recipe.
Fully documented: Every detail of how and where you searched is written down.
Repeated: The same general strategy is used across multiple databases.

The main goal of a systematic search is to be thorough, clear, and easy to repeat. Ideally, anyone reading your notes should be able to run the exact same search and get the exact same results.

A systematic review is a structured research method that leads to a published paper. Conducting a systematic review involves many different steps, and completing a systematic search is only one part of the process.

To learn more about how systematic reviews work, go back to Module 1: Synthesis Reviews.

There are several stops along the way of a systematic search:

First, identify your research question. We will cover how to create a clear, focused research question in the next section, Module 3: Building a Clear Question
Next, do a quick check to see if your topic is doable: Is there enough research out there? Has someone already published a review on this exact topic? We will dive into all the details about checking your topic in Module 3: Can You Do This Review?
Once you are sure that your topic and resources are ready to go, you need to build a structured search plan. We will cover how to do this step-by-step in Module 4: Design a Search
We recommend starting your search in the MEDLINE database. For more details on how to run your search, check out Module 5: Running a Search in Medline
To be thorough and avoid missing important studies, you will need to run your search in other relevant databases. For a list of common databases, check out Module 3: Where to Search. For details on how to adapt your search for different databases, see Module 5: Translating Your Search
Make sure to export your results from all databases on the same day (or as close together as possible) when you run your search. We cover how to do this in Module 6: Covidence
To make sure your search is clear and easy for others to repeat, it is crucial to keep track of every step. We cover how to do this in Module 6: Documenting Your Search
To be as thorough as possible, you should search for "Grey Literature" alongside standard academic articles. We cover what this means and where to find it in Module 3: Where to Search