PRISMA
Research synthesis should be performed using specific scientific standard to ensure comprehensiveness, transparency, and reproducibility. PRISMA is one such set of guidelines. Are you familiar with the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)” and the associated website?
Reading
Take a few minutes to look into the website and skim the paper by Page et al. (2021) referenced below (60 minutes), paying particular attention to the checklist and flow diagrams presented. In addition, read the introduction to systematic search by Atkinson and Cipriani (2018).
Exercise
Pick a systematic literature search and/or meta-analysis that you are familiar with or search for one using a database of your choice (e.g., Web of Science, Scopus, PsycInfo, PubMed). To what extent does the report follow the PRISMA guidelines?
Guidelines and Resources
The table below lists a few additional resources that may be helpful when conducting a research synthesis using PRISMA, ncluding the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Campbell Collaboration.
| PRISMA | The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) is used as a reporting standard in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. |
| Cochrane | The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions provides many useful resources for the process of preparing and writing an evidence synthesis. |
| Campbell Collaboration | The Campbell Collaboration provides resources for systematic reviews and evidence synthesis in the social sciences. |
Recommended Readings
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Atkinson, L., & Cipriani, A. (2018). How to carry out a literature search for a systematic review: A practical guide. BJPsych Advances, 24(2), 74-82. http://doi:10.1192/bja.2017.3