Methodology of systematic reviews: an introduction

Abstract

Most readers of articles cannot afford the time to perform systematic reviews as a means of achieving an adequate overview of the literature, and therefore frequently have to rely on the outcomes of adequately performed reviews as their primary source of information. This article gives the background and considerations of the method of systematic reviewing. Specific attention is given to evaluation of the quality of studies incorporated in a review and to the description and interpretation of the results of a systematic review.