Blog
Practical articles on literature reviews, systematic reviews, PRISMA 2020, search strategy, screening, data extraction, and synthesis.
Guidance on review methodology, search strategy, screening, extraction, and synthesis — grounded in PRISMA 2020, the Cochrane Handbook, and JBI methodology.
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Grey Literature: What It Is and How to Search for It
Grey literature — reports, dissertations, conference abstracts, and policy documents — reduces publication bias. Here is how to search it systematically.
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How to Use MeSH Terms in PubMed Searches
MeSH — Medical Subject Headings — is PubMed's controlled vocabulary. Used well, it catches records keyword searches miss. Here is the practical how-to.
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Common Mistakes in Systematic Reviews (And How to Avoid Them)
A field guide to the mistakes that cause systematic reviews to be rejected, cited weakly, or redone. With fixes for each.
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Covidence vs. Rayyan: Which Screening Tool Should You Use?
Covidence and Rayyan are the two most common screening tools for systematic reviews. Here is a head-to-head comparison and how to choose.
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How to Write a Literature Review for Your Dissertation
A practical roadmap for Chapter 2: scoping the review, building a matrix, structuring the chapter, and framing gaps that justify your study.
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Meta-Analysis for Beginners: Understanding Effect Sizes Across Studies
Meta-analysis pools effect sizes across studies to produce a summary estimate. This primer covers effect sizes, heterogeneity, models, and forest plots.
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PROSPERO Registration: Step-by-Step Guide
PROSPERO registration is expected for every systematic review in health. Here is exactly what to write in each field and how to get approved quickly.
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Data Extraction Forms: What to Include and How to Design Them
A well-designed extraction form turns screening into synthesis. Here is what fields to include, how to pilot, and how to handle dual extraction.
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How to Screen Articles Efficiently (Without Losing Your Mind)
Screening thousands of titles and abstracts is grueling but survivable. Here is a practical workflow, tool comparison, and conflict-resolution method.
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Boolean Operators for Database Searching: A Practical Guide
AND, OR, NOT — and the truncation, phrase, and proximity operators that go with them. A practical guide to Boolean logic for literature searches.
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Literature Review Matrix: How to Organize 100+ Sources
A literature review matrix turns a stack of PDFs into a comparable table you can synthesize from. Here is what to include and how to use one.
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Scoping Reviews Explained: When and How to Use Them
Scoping reviews map the breadth of a literature without the narrow question of a systematic review. Here is when to choose one and how to run it properly.
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How to Build a Search Strategy for Your Literature Review
A practical, step-by-step method for building a reproducible database search strategy — concept mapping, Boolean logic, controlled vocabulary, and peer review.
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PRISMA 2020: What Changed and How to Comply
PRISMA 2020 replaced the 2009 statement with a new 27-item checklist and updated flow diagram. Here is what changed and how to comply in practice.
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Narrative vs. Systematic Review: Which Do You Need?
Narrative and systematic reviews answer different questions and follow different rules. Here is how to tell them apart and pick the right one for your project.