Comparison between traditional and systematic reviews
The table below presents a condensed overview of the differences between traditional and systematic reviews (from Jesson, Matheson & Lacey, 2011, p. 105).
| Traditional (scoping) review | Systematic review | |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | To gain a broad understanding, and description of the field | Tightly specified aim and objectives with a specific review question |
| Scope | Big picture | Narrow focus |
| Planning the review | No defined path, allows for creativity and exploration | Transparent process and documented audit trail |
| Identifying studies | Searching is probing, moving from one study to another, following up leads | Rigorous and comprehensive search for ALL studies |
| Selection of studies | Purposive selection made by the reviewer | Predetermined criteria for including and excluding studies |
| Quality assessment | Based on the reviewer's opinion | Checklists to assess the methodological quality of studies |
| Analysis and synthesis | Discursive | In tabular format and short summary answers |
| Methodological report | Not necessarily given | Must be presented for transparency |
Editor: University Library Web Team
Last updated: 2021-11-09