RTI uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By clicking “accept” on this website, you opt in and you agree to the use of cookies. If you would like to know more about how RTI uses cookies and how to manage them please view our Privacy Policy here. You can “opt out” or change your mind by visiting: http://optout.aboutads.info/. Click “accept” to agree.
Resource use during systematic review production varies widely
A scoping review
Nussbaumer-Streit, B., Ellen, M., Klerings, I., Sfetcu, R., Riva, N., Mahmić-Kaknjo, M., Poulentzas, G., Martinez, P., Baladia, E., Ziganshina, L. E., Marqués, M. E., Aguilar, L., Kassianos, A. P., Frampton, G., Silva, A. G., Affengruber, L., Spjker, R., Thomas, J., Berg, R. C., ... Working group 3 in the EVBRES COST Action (2021). Resource use during systematic review production varies widely: A scoping review. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 139, 287-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.05.019
Objective: We aimed to map the resource use during systematic review (SR) production and reasons why steps of the SR production are resource intensive to discover where the largest gain in improving efficiency might be possible.Study design and setting: We conducted a scoping review. An information specialist searched multiple databases (e.g., Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus) and implemented citation-based and grey literature searching. We employed dual and independent screenings of records at the title/abstract and full-text levels and data extraction.Results: We included 34 studies. Thirty-two reported on the resource use-mostly time; four described reasons why steps of the review process are resource intensive. Study selection, data extraction, and critical appraisal seem to be very resource intensive, while protocol development, literature search, or study retrieval take less time. Project management and administration required a large proportion of SR production time. Lack of experience, domain knowledge, use of collaborative and SR-tailored software, and good communication and management can be reasons why SR steps are resource intensive.Conclusion: Resource use during SR production varies widely. Areas with the largest resource use are administration and project management, study selection, data extraction, and critical appraisal of studies. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.
