Purpose and resources
Choosing a review type
There are two main areas to consider in deciding which review type to use for your research: purpose and available resources. By engaging with the content and activities below you will have a clearer understanding of how your own purpose and resources match to particular review types.
What is the purpose of your review?
The overall purpose of all review types is to provide an informative synthesis or summary of existing evidence related to a particular topic. However, the type of question you are asking and what you are hoping to discover will impact the type of review you choose.
For example, a clearly defined question seeking to establish what is 'true' would match a systematic review approach, whereas a broad question seeking to establish what is 'known' will better align with a scoping review or a traditional literature review.
Examples of review purposes:
- to synthesise all available evidence to assist with decision-making
- to summarise evidence
- to place research into context or to determine new directions for research
What resources will you need for your review?
Along with your purpose, the specific resources available to you will impact on the type of review you can undertake. Click on the plus icons below to learn a little more about each of the following resourcing considerations.
What if there is already a review on the same topic?
Even if you find a review that’s on your topic, that doesn't mean you can't do your review. Explore similar reviews and investigate what gaps you can find. Evaluate whether you would be adding new knowledge.
Through your investigation you may find:
- The review was limited in its inclusion criteria in a way that your review may not be.
- There have been significant new publications since the review was published
- There is a flaw in the appraisal of the papers or the method used to acquire them
Caution
If there’s a recent review on your topic you will generally need to change the focus of your research.
Activity: Which review for you?
Want to get an idea of which review type might suit your current question and resources? Explore the decision tree activity below then click through to the next section to learn more about review types.
Remember and reflect
Key takeaway
The purpose of your review (what you are hoping to discover or demonstrate) and the resourcing you have available to you should determine the type of review you conduct.
Consider
Stop and consider the following questions:
- How broad or specific is the research question you are exploring?
- What do you need to complete your review (resources, knowledge, experience, skills, research team)?
- Are there other reviews that cover similar topic or approach to yours?
- Does your purpose and your available time and other resources match up?
- What limitations do you have for your review that need to be overcome?