Locating Systematic Reviews
Before starting work on a systematic review, check to ensure that a systematic review does not already exist, or is currently underway.
A check of what systematic reviews already exist in your discipline may also provide a starting point for selecting a review topic.
The databases in this section extensively index the systematic review literature in their discipline.
General
- Cochrane Library This link opens in a new windowThe Cochrane Library is a collection of databases, including: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR): includes all Cochrane Reviews (and protocols) prepared by Cochrane Review Groups. Each Cochrane Review is a peer-reviewed systematic review that has been prepared and supervised by a Cochrane Review Group (editorial team), according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions or Cochrane Handbook for Diagnostic Test Accuracy Reviews. CDSR also includes Editorials and Supplements. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL): is a highly concentrated source of reports of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials. In addition to bibliographic details (author, title, source, year, etc) CENTRAL records often include an abstract (a summary of the article). They do not contain the full text of the article. CENTRAL is published monthly. Cochrane Clinical Answers (CCAs) provide a readable, digestible, clinically-focused entry point to rigorous research from Cochrane Reviews. They are designed to be actionable and to inform point-of-care decision-making. Each CCA contains a clinical question, a short answer, and data for the outcomes from the Cochrane Review deemed most relevant to practising healthcare professionals, our target audience. The evidence is displayed in a user-friendly tabulated format that includes narratives, data, and links to graphics. Cochrane Clinical Answers were developed by Cochrane Innovations and Wiley. The Cochrane Library is available as a Spanish language version: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/es
- Systematic Reviews JournalAn online-only open-access peer-reviewed medical journal published by BioMed Central that focuses on systematic reviews. Articles are either about specific systematic reviews or about their protocols, methodologies, findings, followup, etc.
Public Health
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)Reports on common, costly medical conditions and new health care technologies and strategies. The Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs ) review all relevant scientific literature on a wide spectrum of clinical and health services topics. Also produce technical reports on methodological topics and other types of evidence synthesis-related reports.
- DoPHER (Database of Promoting Health Effectiveness Reviews)Contains details of over 2,500 reviews of health promotion and public health effectiveness.
- Health EvidenceAround 4000 Systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions by McMaster University, Canada.
Nursing and Allied Health
- Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database (JBI) This link opens in a new windowThe Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Library is a repository for publications and information for policy makers, health professionals, health scientists and others with a practical or academic interest in evidence based healthcare. It includes:
– The JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports;
– The JBI Database of Best Practice Information Sheets and Technical Reports; and
– The JBI Database of Rapid Appraisals of Published Papers (coming soon).
- OTSeekerA database that contains abstracts of systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials relevant to occupational therapy.
- PEDroPhysiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) is a free database of over 20,000 randomised trials, systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines in physiotherapy.
- SpeechBITESpeechBite is an evidence based practice initiative between The University of Sydney and Speech Pathology Australia. Studies on this database include Systematic Reviews (SR), Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT), Non-Randomised Controlled Trials (non-RCT), Case Series (CS), and Single Case Experimental Design (SCED).
- USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic ReviewSpecializes in conducting systematic reviews to inform Federal nutrition policy and programs.
Veterinary
- Systematic Reviews for Animals and Food (SYREAF)Submit protocols for Veterinary Studies and includes training tools
Social Science
- Campbell CollaborationHelps people make well-informed decisions by preparing, maintaining and disseminating systematic reviews in education, crime and justice, and social welfare.
- Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre)part of the Social Science Research Unit at the Institute of Education, University of London. EPPI develops systematic reviews and developing review methods in social science and public policy.
The EPPI-Centre also has a useful page on tools to automate the systematic review process.
- International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie)3ie funded database of policy briefs, systematic reviews and impact evaluations that generate evidence on what works in development programmes and why for policy-relevant evidence to make development more effective and improve people’s lives..Founded in 2008, 3ie is mainly funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UKaid through the Department for International Development and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
- What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)Established in 2002 as an initiative of the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education, WWC summarizes and compares the evidence of the effectiveness of interventions that address school or district’s needs.
- TRIP Database [Pro] This link opens in a new windowThe TRIP (Turning Research into Practice) Database is a clinical search engine designed to allow clinicians to quickly find answers to their clinical questions using the best available evidence. The Library has licensed the professional version of TRIP, which has added features, and requires IP authentication. However, the standard version is freely available.
Additional Databases Indexing Systematic Reviews
The following databases index a range of publications and study designs, including systematic reviews.
- CINAHL Complete: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature This link opens in a new windowClick 'Edit' (to the right of the search)
Select 'Systematic Review' from the 'Publication Type' drop down list - Embase This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Click 'Additional Limits'
Select 'Systematic Review' from the 'EBM-Evidence Based Medicine' drop down list
A limit to meta analysis is also available from the drop down list. - Ovid MEDLINE This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Click 'Additional Limits'
Select 'Systematic Reviews' from the 'Subject Subsets' drop down list
For meta analysis, select 'Meta Analysis' from the 'Publication Types' drop down list - PubMed for UC Davis This link opens in a new windowClick 'Limits' (under the search box), then 'Systematic Reviews' from 'Subsets'
- PROSPEROA site to register systematic reviews, rapid reviews and umbrella reviews. If you are planning a systematic review, it's good practice to check here to see if others are already planning a review on the same topic.