1. Systematic Approaches to Literature Reviewing
Presenter:
Dr. Derek Richards
derek.richards [at] tcd.ie

2. Workshop Overview explain elements of the systematic review process
explore how these might be used or adapted to support:
- a thesis literature review;
- approaches to keeping up-to-date with the literature through a PhD

3. Literature Matters disciplinary perspective connection to findings
coverage
working
understanding
critical
appraisal
scholarliness
literature use
From Holbrook et al (2007)

4. What is a Systematic Literature Review?

5. Systematic Reviews
A review of a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select and critically appraise relevant research.
from
Literature Reviews:
More than a description of current research/knowledge of a topic area
Critically evaluate theoretical positions and quality of research studies
Systematic Approach:
More than summary
“Same level of rigour to reviewing research evidence as used in producing the research evidence” (
“Find all relevant studies published and unpublished, assess each study, synthesise the findings from individual studies in unbiased way and present balanced and impartial summary of findings with due consideration of any flaws in the evidence.” (
Describe the method used to conduct the rigourous search

6. Systematic Reviews
Readers need to be able to judge whether all of the relevant literature is likely to have been found, and how the quality of studies was assessed.

7. Key features - the systematic review process invites you to adopt–
Explicit and transparent methods
A standard set of stages
Accountable, replicable and updateable

8. To summarise … A clearly formulated question
The use of systematic and explicit methods
A critical appraise of the relevant research

9. What is your research question?
1. Formulating a Problem
What is your research question?
- Specific -
- Focused -
- Clearly formulated -
- Well defined -

10. What is your research question?
1. Formulating a Problem
What is your research question?
Take a few moments and write down your research question.

11. Computer-based psychological treatments for depression:
1. Formulating a Problem
One Example
Computer-based psychological treatments for depression:
A systematic review and meta-analysis

12. 2. Locating and selecting studies
Phase 1- Identify the Research
a broad but defined, systematic sweep
Defined search terms
Online self-help treatment for depression,
Web-based intervention for depression,
Online depression treatments,
Computerized (+Computerised) cognitive behaviour therapy for depression,
Internet (+delivered) treatment for depression.

13. 2. Locating and selecting studies
Phase 1- Identify the Research
a broad but defined, systematic sweep
Defined search arena
A. Databases, citation indices, reference lists from primary and review articles, grey literature, conference proceedings, research registers, the internet, individual researchers/practitioners
A search of three databases (EMBASE, PubMed, and PsychINFO including PsychARTICLES)
B. Other broad search limits, e.g. language, date:
studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals in the last 10 years (March 2001–March 2011)
the authors decided that the years represented a meaningful timeframe in terms of contemporary technologies, advances in multimedia, and broadband developments.

14. 2. Locating and selecting studies
Phase 2- Selection
select from research using criteria related to your research question
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Develop inclusion or exclusion statements, these might relate to study outcomes, research design, methods used, population worked with etc.
e.g.
studies with a mixed population of men and women,
only random control trials,
maximum exposure time of 10mins

15. 2. Locating and selecting studies
Phase 2- Selection
select from research using criteria related to your research question
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Included studies could be deployed using a variety of different computer-based technologies, synchronously and asynchronously, they could be solely self-administered or therapist-led; or a blended delivery using both.
Study participants had to be adults (18+years) with depression (self-report or diagnosis), established using valid and reliable measures, whom may also have had comorbidity, e.g. anxiety or physical health problems.
Studies included were published in peer reviewed journals in English in the last 10 years,
investigated a computer-based treatment for depression, and included
Participants could be from the general population or a clinical group so long as depression was specifically measured.
Preliminary research into recent developments in computerized paradigms for depression such as cognitive bias modification (CBM) based interventions were not considered for inclusion

16. 3. Critical appraisal of studies
“Assessing the quality of methodology is
a critical part of the systematic review process”
You will need to make decisions on all aspects of the review and simply justify what you decide, making sure its credible and meets the criteria that it is transparent, replicable and updateable.

17. 3. Critical appraisal of studies
“Assessing the quality of methodology is
a critical part of the systematic review process”

18. 3. Critical appraisal of studies
In field/ discipline
Brainstorm the range of research variance that exists
that can be used to discriminate
between studies and write a review:
e.g. in methodological approaches,
theoretical stances, or in relation to other factors …

19. 3. Critical appraisal of studies
Computer-based psychological treatments for depression:
Programs and their content
Methodological characteristics
Objectives of the studies
Recruitment, sample types and sizes
Eligibility criteria employed
Outcome measures used
Support type and communication mode in the studies
Outcomes, support types and dropout
Satisfaction
Limitations

20. 3. Critical appraisal of studies
What?
When?
Who?
Where?
Why?
How?
What if?
Description
Analysis
Evaluation
So what?
What next?
Learning Development University of Plymouth
Model to Generate Critical Thinking
Topic

21. Other ideas and options
Speed reading
Endnote
Databases in my area
Data mining techniques
Recording

22. SR websites
Centre for Evidence-based Conservation -
Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (medical) -
Cochrane Collaboration (international- medical) -
EPPI-Centre, Institute of Education -
Social Policy and Social Care -
If you read one article, an example here of a review of the ways studies in reviews are appraised -
If you prefer power-point, how about this one on mixed method reviews