Clarifying differences between review designs and methods
<p><b>Abstract</b></p> <p>This paper argues that the current proliferation of types of systematic reviews creates challenges for the terminology for describing such reviews. Terminology is necessary for planning, describing, appraising, and using reviews, building infra...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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BMC
2012-06-01
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Series: | Systematic Reviews |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.systematicreviewsjournal.com/content/1/1/28 |
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author | Gough David Thomas James Oliver Sandy |
author_facet | Gough David Thomas James Oliver Sandy |
author_sort | Gough David |
collection | DOAJ |
description | <p><b>Abstract</b></p> <p>This paper argues that the current proliferation of types of systematic reviews creates challenges for the terminology for describing such reviews. Terminology is necessary for planning, describing, appraising, and using reviews, building infrastructure to enable the conduct and use of reviews, and for further developing review methodology. There is insufficient consensus on terminology for a typology of reviews to be produced and any such attempt is likely to be limited by the overlapping nature of the dimensions along which reviews vary. It is therefore proposed that the most useful strategy for the field is to develop terminology for the main dimensions of variation. Three such main dimensions are proposed: (1) aims and approaches (including what the review is aiming to achieve, the theoretical and ideological assumptions, and the use of theory and logics of aggregation and configuration in synthesis); (2) structure and components (including the number and type of mapping and synthesis components and how they relate); and (3) breadth and depth and the extent of ‘work done’ in addressing a research issue (including the breadth of review questions, the detail with which they are addressed, and the amount the review progresses a research agenda). This then provides an overarching strategy to encompass more detailed descriptions of methodology and may lead in time to a more overarching system of terminology for systematic reviews.</p> |
first_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:21:38Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-271605b9942642769babf925e9b36764 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2046-4053 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:21:38Z |
publishDate | 2012-06-01 |
publisher | BMC |
record_format | Article |
series | Systematic Reviews |
spelling | doaj.art-271605b9942642769babf925e9b367642022-12-21T19:40:58ZengBMCSystematic Reviews2046-40532012-06-01112810.1186/2046-4053-1-28Clarifying differences between review designs and methodsGough DavidThomas JamesOliver Sandy<p><b>Abstract</b></p> <p>This paper argues that the current proliferation of types of systematic reviews creates challenges for the terminology for describing such reviews. Terminology is necessary for planning, describing, appraising, and using reviews, building infrastructure to enable the conduct and use of reviews, and for further developing review methodology. There is insufficient consensus on terminology for a typology of reviews to be produced and any such attempt is likely to be limited by the overlapping nature of the dimensions along which reviews vary. It is therefore proposed that the most useful strategy for the field is to develop terminology for the main dimensions of variation. Three such main dimensions are proposed: (1) aims and approaches (including what the review is aiming to achieve, the theoretical and ideological assumptions, and the use of theory and logics of aggregation and configuration in synthesis); (2) structure and components (including the number and type of mapping and synthesis components and how they relate); and (3) breadth and depth and the extent of ‘work done’ in addressing a research issue (including the breadth of review questions, the detail with which they are addressed, and the amount the review progresses a research agenda). This then provides an overarching strategy to encompass more detailed descriptions of methodology and may lead in time to a more overarching system of terminology for systematic reviews.</p>http://www.systematicreviewsjournal.com/content/1/1/28Aggregation configurationComplex reviewsMappingMethodologyMixed methods reviewsResearch methodsScoping reviewsSynthesisSystematic reviewsTaxonomy of reviews |
spellingShingle | Gough David Thomas James Oliver Sandy Clarifying differences between review designs and methods Systematic Reviews Aggregation configuration Complex reviews Mapping Methodology Mixed methods reviews Research methods Scoping reviews Synthesis Systematic reviews Taxonomy of reviews |
title | Clarifying differences between review designs and methods |
title_full | Clarifying differences between review designs and methods |
title_fullStr | Clarifying differences between review designs and methods |
title_full_unstemmed | Clarifying differences between review designs and methods |
title_short | Clarifying differences between review designs and methods |
title_sort | clarifying differences between review designs and methods |
topic | Aggregation configuration Complex reviews Mapping Methodology Mixed methods reviews Research methods Scoping reviews Synthesis Systematic reviews Taxonomy of reviews |
url | http://www.systematicreviewsjournal.com/content/1/1/28 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT goughdavid clarifyingdifferencesbetweenreviewdesignsandmethods AT thomasjames clarifyingdifferencesbetweenreviewdesignsandmethods AT oliversandy clarifyingdifferencesbetweenreviewdesignsandmethods |