When carrying out research, all searching should be conducted thoroughly.

However, some research may not require the full rigours of a full systematic review methodology.

Some research questions are better suited to different review methodologies based on perhaps, how much and what quality of literature is published on a specific topic at a given time. Additionally, some researchers may have a limited amount of time to complete the review, thereby making a full systematic review impractical. In these instances, students and researchers should consider other review types that can be undertaken.

There are many different types of reviews, the most common types of review are

- Systematic Review

- Systematic Literature Review (*Guide coming soon)

- Scoping Review

- Rapid Review

 

*Important: Students that have been requested to carry out a review for research purposes,should discuss the matter in detail with their supervisor to identify the type of review which is most appropriate for their research.

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In the table below, you can view the key differences between the various types of reviews. 

 

Systematic Review	Systematic Literature Review	Scoping Review	Rapid Review
Brings together the results of studies to answer a specific question	Provides a subjective summary of the literature on a topic	Addresses an exploratory research question aimed at mapping key concepts, types of evidence, and gaps in research related to a defined area or field	Rapid reviews are a form of knowledge synthesis in which components of the systematic review process are simplified or omitted to produce information in a timely manner"
Extensive search covering published literature. More detailed systematic reviews will also include grey literature.	Thorough search of published literature	Comprehensive searches across a range of resources with explicit strategies; typically includes grey literature	The aim is to conduct a rigorous review with limited time and/or resources.
Involves a detailed protocol often developed using the PICO framework	Includes a detailed search strategy	Includes a detailed search strategy	Involves a systematic survey of literature on a topic or question of interest.
Usually involves three or more people to eliminate bias (*A more limited version can be done by a single student for their dissertation)	Can be produced by a single person, so may be open to bias	Requires at least three team members, including expertise in the research area, scoping review methods, and information retrieval; requires an exploratory question; involves no critical appraisal	Can be done by an individual researcher or a research team; due to time and/or resource constraints, rapid reviews are less comprehensive and more prone to bias than systematic and scoping reviews; should provide explanations for shortcuts and subsequent limitations.
Large, professional systematic reviews can take months or years to produce	Can take weeks or months to complete.	12+ months	1 to 6 months
Includes... • A detailed protocol • Systematic search strategy • Review of results against eligibility criteria • Evaluation of studies • Interpretation and presentation of results • Extensive reference list Detailed appendices showing search strategies	Includes... • Introduction • Methods - search strategy • Discussion • Conclusion • Long reference list	Include the following sections in your protocol. Objectives of the review Eligibility criteria (inclusion and exclusion) Databases and other sources to be searched Search strategy Study selection process Data extraction process Method of summarizing and reporting results	1. Focused Research Question 2. Systematic Search Strategy 3. Study Selection 4. Data Extraction & Analysis 5. Synthesis of Findings

 

*Summary adapted from: Kysh, L. (n.d.) What's in a name? The difference between a systematic review and a literature review and why it matters / URL:https://figshare.com/articles/Difference_between_a_systematic_review_and_a_literature_review/766364 [30 Jan.2025]

 

Systematic Review: Seeks to systematically search, appraise, and synthesize research evidence. Requires exhaustive, comprehensive searching, including searching of grey literature. 

See our Guide on conducting a Systematic Review

Systematic Literature Review: This is a generic term that can cover a wide range of subjects and varies in completeness and comprehensiveness. The Systematic Literature Review is typically narrative, and analysis may be chronological, conceptual or even thematic. 

*Coming Soon - See our Guide on Systematic Literature Reviews

 

Scoping Review: A preliminary assessment of the size and scope of available published literature. A scoping review is intended to identify current research and the extent of such research and determine if a more comprehensive review is viable. Can include research in progress, and the completeness of searching is determined by time/scope. 

See our Guide on conducting a Scoping Review

Rapid Review: Assessment of what is already known about a policy or practice issue. Uses systematic review methods to search and critically evaluate existing research, but search is limited by time constraints. The current state of telehealth evidence: A rapid review

See our Guide on conducting a Rapid Review