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Gibson D. Lewis Library Libguides

Systematic Reviews

Resources for conducting systematic reviews

Step Six

Step Six: Write Your Findings

The final step will be to write an article about your systematic review. Writing systematic reviews involve a structured process in order to ensure transparency and rigor. To have a success review, you will need to know the process and it will probably have several sections including an introduction, methods, results, a discussion, and conclusion.  

  The following are important areas to concentrate on: 

Writing Process

If you completed a well-crafted protocol, it can help you greatly during the writing process.  

 You will: 

  1. Review the reporting standards you will use, such as PRISMA. 
  2. Gather your protocol, completed data tables, fully reproducible search strategies, and your PRISMA chart. 
  3. Write the sections needed for a systematic review:  Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion and an Abstract.
  4. Cite the studies included in your systematic review and any other articles you may have used in your paper. 
  5. Review the article with all authors and contributors before submission to publish.
  6. Publish your work by choosing a key journal for your article and make sure that you follow the submission requirements.  Need help choosing a journal?  Reach out to the library at Askalibrarian@unthsc.edu or use a journal selector tool like JANE (Journal / Author Name Estimator).

The PRISMA Checklist you completed will help you report the details of your systematic review. Your paper will also include a PRISMA chart that is an image of your research process in your Results section.  There are free PRISMA chart templates available or if you used Covidence, it would automatically generate a flowchart for you based on your screened articles.

NOTE:  Your review will need to communicate your process and methodology clearly so that other researchers can follow and/or replicate each step of your

Sections of Systematic Review Paper

There are various reporting guidelines that you may follow to make sure all required elements are being reported in your systematic review. Most systematic reviews should contain the following elements:

  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Reference List/Required Supplemental Information
  • Abstract

See the tabs to right for further explanation of each of these elements.

The introduction to a systematic review should include:

  • The rationale for the review
  • An explicit statement of the objective(s) and research question(s)

The methods section of the systematic review will discuss:

  • Eligibility criteria for the studies, including inclusion and exclusion criteria
  • All databases, websites, or other data sources searched
  • The search strategy for all databases, including any filters and limits used
  • The selections process and how reviewers screened each study
  • Data collection process
  • All outcomes and variables of the data that was sought
  • Study risk of bias assessment
  • Effect measures
  • Synthesis methods
  • Reporting bias assessment
  • Certainty assessment

Methods Wizard (Systematic Review Accelerator) a nifty tool to help you write several sections of your systematic review.  The Methods Wizard is part of the Systematic Review Accelerator created by Bond University and the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare.

The results section should summarize the results and findings of search and selection process. Details to include:

  • Study selection results
  • Study characteristics of each study chosen
  • Any risk of bias in the included studies
  • Summary or results for included studies
  • Results of the syntheses
  • Assessment of certainty and risk of bias

The discussion section is similar to the conclusion section of a literature review. It will provide a general interpretation of the results and any limitations of the evidence and review process. 

A reference list at the end of a systematic review is essential. Citing all sources gives credit to the authors of the literature, allows others to find the literature for evaluation or their own research, and helps to avoid plagiarism. HSC provides EndNote (citation manager) for all affiliated faculty, staff, and students 

Other information that may be included are the registration and protocol information of the review. Details of availability of the data, financial support, or competing interests may also be reported. 

Required Supplemental Information for Systematic Reviews:

  • documented search strategies for each database

The abstract is a dedicated section in your review that briefly provides a structured summary of your protocol. The abstract may include a brief description of your research question, objectives, core concepts, search criteria, data sources, conclusions and key findings and search process.

Guidelines for Writing a Systematic Review

Guidelines for writing a systematic review includes established standards of reporting such as the PRISMA provide structured checklists to enhance clarity, transparency, and methodological consistency in the review.