Systematic Review

A systematic review is a rigorous, reproducible synthesis of research on a narrowly-defined question, using a pre-registered protocol, exhaustive database search, explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, independent dual screening, formal quality appraisal, and - where possible - quantitative meta-analysis. It contrasts with scoping reviews (which map an emerging field broadly) and narrative reviews (which are unstructured). In accessibility, systematic reviews are the gold standard for questions like the efficacy of a specific intervention; PRISMA is the dominant reporting standard.