Research Guides: Systematic and Scoping Reviews: Planning Your Review

Your Timeline

On average, the systematic review process is 12 to 18 months. Each step needs to be carefully planned, executed and documented.

Estimated Timeline for Systematic Review
Detailed breakdown of the systematic review process with estimated timelines (in months).

PredicTER tool
Calculates the time requirements for various tasks involved in the systematic review.

Borah, R., Brown, A. W., Capers, P. L., & Kaiser, K. A. (2017). Analysis of the time and workers needed to conduct systematic reviews of medical interventions using data from the PROSPERO registry. BMJ Open, 7(2), e012545. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012545

Your Team

Those planning a systematic review are encouraged to have a team of individuals, each with different skill sets.

The team should have a minimum of three members to minimize bias in the review process but a larger team is recommended.

The team should consist of members with the following skills/knowledge:

Content expert(s)
Methodology expert(s)
Librarian or search expert
Statistician/data manager

Standards, Manuals and Guidelines

A range of standards and guidelines are available to help you plan and conduct your systematic review. PRISMA for example includes a list of items necessary for reporting a review. Having this list in advance will aid in the planning process.

Standards and manuals for systematic reviews:

Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (2021)
Includes MECIR - Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews
Campbell Systematic Reviews: Policies and Guidelines (2020)
Includes MECCIR - Methodological Expectations for Campbell Collaboration Intervention Reviews
Joanna Briggs Institute - JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis (2020)
For reviews in Nursing
Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews (2011)
Collaboration for Environmental Evidence - Guidelines and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental Management (2018)
What Works Clearinghouse Procedures Handbook - Version 4.1
For reviews in Education

Guidelines for documenting and reporting:

Search For Published Systematic Reviews

You will want to be sure that there isn't an existing review on your topic already. Here are some places you can look for existing systematic reviews.

Campbell Collaboration
For systematic reviews on the effects of social interventions in the areas of business, crime and justice, education, international development and social welfare.
Collaboration for Environmental Evidence
Contains all systematic reviews and systematic maps related to environmental policy and practice, approved by the CEE.
Epistemonikos
Largest source of systematic reviews relevant for health decision making.
Evidence Search (NIHCE)
Selected evidence, including systematic reviews, in health, social care and public health.
PROSPERO
Systematic reviews of health care interventions.

Databases containing systematic reviews available through the Library:

CINAHL
Tip: Use the Publication Type filter for systematic reviews.
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Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Reviews
Tip: Use the 'Full Systematic Reviews' limit in the database.
PsycINFO
Tip: Use the Methodology filter in Advanced Search for systematic reviews.
PubMed
Tip: Use the Article Type filter for systematic reviews.

There are also journals that focus specifically on publishing systematic reviews.