Knowledge Synthesis: Systematic & Scoping Reviews

• Chapter 5 of the Cochrane Handbook discusses inclusion and exclusion criteria for systematic reviews.
• The PRISMA Statement notes that you should document the total number of studies you reviewed, including those you excluded from your systematic review.

There are two kinds of screening:

1. Practical screens identify potentially useful studies
2. Methodological screens identify best available studies

Practical screening - some examples

1. Date of publication - only studies conducted between 2005 and 2010
2. Participants or subjects - only children 6 to 12 years of age
3. Publication language - only materials written in English or French
4. Research design - only clinical trials

Methodological screening - worksheet

• Critical Appraisal Worksheets (Dartmouth College)