Guides: Systematic Reviews: Finding and Evaluating Existing Systematic Reviews

Finding and Evaluating Existing Systematic Reviews

Below is an example of a list of external databases and databases the library subscribes to that can be searched for systematic reviews. The list includes some examples of databases where systematic reviews can be searched that cover medicine and healthcare. For other disciplines, if you are not sure, contact the librarian.

APA PsycArticles This link opens in a new window
APA PsycArticles from the American Psychological Association (APA), includes full text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in psychology. It contains articles from journals published by the American Psychological Association (APA), its imprint the Educational Publishing Foundation (EPF), and from allied organizations including the Canadian Psychological Association and the Hogrefe Publishing Group. It includes all journal articles, book reviews, letters to the editor, and errata from each journal. Coverage spans 1894 to the present.
APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window
The APA PsycInfo from the American Psychological Association (APA), includes abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. Provides citations and abstracts to journal articles in the professional and academic literature in psychology and related disciplines including medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, social work, education, business, pharmacology, physiology, law, linguistics. Includes international material selected from periodicals in dozens of languages. Coverage from 1800 to present.
MEDLINE (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
MEDLINE includes citations and abstracts for biomedical and health journals used by health care professionals, nurses, clinicians and researchers. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, it has extensive subject coverage including: biomedical areas; mental health; reproductive health; epidemiology; surgical and pharmaceutical intervention; nursing practice; ethical and legal issues; institutional operations; laboratory techniques and procedures; diagnosis and management; clinical research trials and experimental treatment protocols; legislation and regulation; allied health specialties; continuing education; investigational drugs and new drug uses.

Cochrane Library
Includes published Cochrane systematic reviews and protocols in medicine and healthcare
TRIP (Turning Research Into Practice) Database Plus (Free)
Searches evidence-based sources of systematic reviews, practice guidelines, and critically-appraised topics and articles -- including most of those listed above and many more. Also searches MEDLINE’s Clinical Queries, medical image databases, e-textbooks, and patient information leaflets. It does not automatically link to JCKL resources, use PRIMO or Google Scholar to find full text.
Library Search
You can search any scholarly database that published research in your field of interest through James C. Kirkpatrick Library. Include "systematic review" as a search term to find systematic reviews in your discipline.

Evaluating Systematic Reviews

General tips for evaluating systematic reviews:

- Is the question clearly stated?

- Does it outline search criteria? (e.g. databases searched, search strategies used)

- Does the study explain inclusion and exclusion criteria (e.g. studies identified through searches, studies excluded)?

This explains selection bias.

- Were the characteristics of all the studies outlined (ranges of characteristics: age, sex, race etc.)?

- Is the conclusion the authors made supported by the data in the review?

Use this rating tool to evaluate the quality of systematic reviews (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK242394/)