Systematic reviews assess as much as possible of the available research in the area of concern. One third of the participants indicated a ‘lack of appreciation of systematic review methodology among faculty members’ as a reason against such a thesis model. PLoS One. Systematic Reviews The association between participants’ results on the knowledge test and attitudes towards SRs was tested using a point-biserial correlation; this revealed that lack of knowledge was not correlated with negative attitudes towards SRs (r Due to a lack of familiarity with SRs, it is possible that the respondents gave incorrect answers. The majority of the editors indicated that they do think that SRs are original scientific contributions (71%) and almost all journals (93%) published SRs. A systematic review involves several stages and activities, some of which involves planning the review, conducting the review and reporting the review.” 1c). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-017-0653-x. However, only 20% of participants expressed a personal opinion that SRs meet the criteria for a PhD thesis. Therefore the first step is to prepare a protocol describing the aims and objectives of the experiment and the methods. CAS  Data analysis is the next stage. The majority of respondents were neutral regarding the idea that scoping reviews or SRs should replace traditional narrative reviews preceding the results of clinical and basic studies in doctoral theses. The discussion section should also be clearly ordered. At the very least, the authors of manuscripts within a PhD will include the PhD candidate and a mentor, which is a team in and of itself. 1300 888 610 $ 0.00 Cart 0.00 Cart. Systematic reviews are not a solo effort; a team of several people is required for this type of review. Error, group does not exist! 7. It should end with a summary statement of the aims, The methodology should follow a clear structure, looking at inclusion/exclusion characteristics, how studies were indentified, how studies included were handled, data extraction and quality assessment, The results section covers how the data was handled (including any statistical analysis). This could refer to either insufficient formal training or insufficient mentoring. Evidence mapping 4. Non-Cochrane SRs can also be published in high-impact journals. Google Scholar. Data extraction can be done using a standardised form. The question will serve as a reference point throughout the research an… On the other hand, systematic literature review is a well-planned review to answer specific research questions using a systematic and explicit methodology to identify, select, and critically evaluate results of the studies included in the literature review. They should also be useful if you are simply wanting to conduct an advanced literature search for your undergraduate studies or postgraduate dissertation. Check your syntax! Research that is not necessary harms both the public and patients, because funds are not invested where they are really necessary, and necessary research may not be conducted [17]. Even in the same country, there may be different models and expectations for a PhD in different higher education institutions. 2012;53(4):367–73. All respondents consented to participate in the study. 2014;14(2):102–5. Analytic framework 3. Guidelines for Preparing A Systematic Review Dissertation 2.2 General Presentation 2.2. 1995;48(1):71–9. Puljak, L., Sapunar, D. Acceptance of a systematic review as a thesis: survey of biomedical doctoral programs in Europe. The methodology should be clearly defined before starting, in order to minimise bias. The ORPHEUS encompasses a network of higher education institutions committed to developing and disseminating best practice within PhD training programs in biomedicine, health sciences and public health. The protocol will document the rationale, hypothesis and planned method of the review. Google Scholar. The questionnaire included questions about their PhD program; whether PhD candidates are required to publish manuscript(s) before thesis defence; the minimum number of required manuscripts for defending a PhD thesis; the authorship requirements for a PhD candidate with regard to published manuscript(s); whether there is a requirement for a PhD candidate to publish manuscript(s) in journals indexed in certain databases or journals of certain quality, and how the quality is defined; the description about other requirements for defending a PhD thesis; whether a SR partly or fully meets requirements for approval of a PhD thesis in their graduate program; what are the rules related to the use of a SR as the basis for a PhD thesis; and the number of PhD theses based on SRs relative to other types of research methods. PubMed  2012;7(5):e35732. Strengths and weaknesses of the studies included in the review are considered. Therefore, it is unfair to label a SR as a priori lacking in new knowledge. The aim of this study was to analyse whether PhD theses in European biomedical graduate programs can be partly or entirely based on SRs. The distinction between a systematic literature review and a literature review can often be confusing. The ethics committee of the University of Split School of Medicine approved this study, which formed part of the Croatian Science Foundation grant no. We invited only individuals responsible for PhD programs (e.g., directors, deputy directors, head of graduate school, vice deans for graduate school or similar). 2). Finally, participants were invited to leave their email address if they wanted to receive survey results. Puljak L, Sambunjak D. Cochrane systematic review as a PhD thesis: an alternative with numerous advantages. Four respondents from three institutions indicated that empty SRs are accepted as a PhD thesis. BMC Med Res Methodol. In 1995, Feinstein suggested that such studies are ‘statistical alchemy for the 21st century’ and that a meta-analysis removes or destructs ‘scientific requirements that have been so carefully developed and established during the 19th and 20th centuries’ [7]. Also, it is good practice to register the protocol at PROSPERO, the international prospective register of systematic reviews. (ID: 2), http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56167/, http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_64047_en.pdf, http://www.dfid.gov.uk/r4d/pdf/articles/what_is_a_systematic_review_external.pdf, Emergence Of Artificial Intelligence In Writing Industry. A systematic review uses carefully developed data collection and sampling procedures that are put in place in advance as a protocol. PubMed Central  Aveyard H, Sharp P. A beginner’s guide to evidence-based practice in health and social care. Article  An aim of a systematic review is to illustrate that a thorough summary of current literature which is relevant to the student’s research has been carried out by the student. Cite this article. surveyed journal editors and asked whether they consider SRs to be original studies. DFID Research and Evidence Division (2013) ‘Systematic Reviews and Evidence‐Informed Policy: Overview’, This http://www.dfid.gov.uk/r4d/pdf/articles/what_is_a_systematic_review_external.pdf, Hemingway, P and Brereton, N (2013) ‘What is a Systematic Review’, [online] (cited 13th February 2013) available from, http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/painres/download/whatis/syst-review.pdf, Wardlaw, J M (2010) ‘Advice on how to write a systematic review’, [online] (cited 13th February 2013) available from, http://www.sbirc.ed.ac.uk/documents/advice%20on%20how%20to%20write%20a%20systematic%20review.pdf. However, there were no actual data that would indicate how prevalent one opinion is over another with regard to the acceptance of a SR as the primary research methodology for a PhD thesis. These individuals were sent an invitation to complete an online survey about SRs as the basis for PhD theses. HSR proc intensive care cardiovascular anesth. Find out in this page. Liberati A, Altman DG, Tetzlaff J, Mulrow C, Gotzsche PC, Ioannidis JP, Clarke M, Devereaux PJ, Kleijnen J, Moher D. The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: explanation and elaboration. SRs can be instrumental in improving methodological quality of new experiments, providing evidence-based recommendations for research models, reducing avoidable waste, and enabling evidence-based translational research [20]. Article  Raising awareness about the importance of SRs in biomedicine, the basic aspects of SR methodology and the status of SRs as original secondary research could contribute to greater acceptance of SRs as potential PhD theses. J R Soc Med. Systematic reviews (SRs) are a type of secondary research, which refers to the analysis of data that have already been collected through primary research [1]. The question should be clearly focussed, neither too narrow nor too broad. In our study, 80% of the participants reported negative attitudes, and more than half of the respondents agreed with a statement that SRs are ‘not a result of the candidate’s independent work since systematic reviews tend to be conducted by a team’. •Single sided • 12 point Times New Roman or 11 point Arial •Double-spaced (the reference list can be 1.15 or 1.5 line spacing) •Page margins must be ‘normal’ or at least 2.54cm on each sides •Page numbers must be … Among the programs that accepted SRs, theses could be exclusively based on a SR in 42% (n = 17) of programs, while in the remaining programs, SRs were acceptable as one publication among others in a dissertation. pb = 0.011; P = 0.94). Sambunjak D, Straus SE, Marusic A. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Tags: featured, systematic essay writing, systematic literature review. CAS  Google Scholar. The survey asked about acceptance of SRs as the partial or entire basis for a PhD thesis, their attitude towards such a model for PhD theses, and their knowledge about SR methodology. The systematic review is a powerful research methodology that answers questions on the basis of good evidence and provides researchers with a valuable, comprehensive and up-to-date summary of work conducted in a specific area. The results are then interpreted. pointed out that the main criteria to judge a SR should be its novelty and usefulness, and not whether it is original/primary or secondary research [9]. Systematic reviews have become popular over the last 20 years or so, particularly in health and healthcare related areas. On other aspects of introduction there is no agreement on number of paragraphs, word limits and citations. Systematic Literature Review, sometimes known as systematic reviews, are associated with evidence-based healthcare practice, the idea that nursing and related healthcare disciplines should be grounded in the most up-to-date and accurate research evidence. Systematic review allows the assessment of primary study quality, identifying the weaknesses in current experimental efforts and guiding the methodology of future research. Conducting a systematic review is a recognized research method for dissertation work in some disciplines. These pages are a brief introduction on how to conduct a systematic review. The 20-item questionnaire, designed specifically for this study by both authors (LP and DS), was first tested for face validity and clarity among five individuals in charge of PhD programs. 2013;2(1):9–14. Development of AMSTAR: a measurement tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews. Methodology and potential bias might also be listed. Balajic K, Barac-Latas V, Drenjancevic I, Ostojic M, Fabijanic D, Puljak L. Influence of a vertical subject on research in biomedicine and activities of the Cochrane collaboration branch on medical students’ knowledge and attitudes toward evidence-based medicine. The aim of this study was to analyse whether PhD theses in European biomedical graduate programs can be partly or entirely based on SRs. All health researchers should begin their training by preparing at least one systematic review. Just click on the links, left. This stage forms part of a larger stage of devising the research protocol. Including student tips and advice. Med Prim Care. 2010;20(3):319–2. Only three out of nine questions were correctly answered by more than 80% of the participants, and questions about meta-analyses and the type of plots frequently used in a SR were correctly answered by only one third of the participants (Table 3). Further studies in this field could provide better insight into attitudes related to SRs as graduate theses and explore interventions that can be used to change negative attitudes and improve knowledge of SRs among decision-makers in graduate education. a European PhD programs that recognise a systematic review as a PhD thesis (green dot) and those that do not (red dot). Those responders were used as a unit of analysis in the analysis of attitudes and knowledge; institutions were the unit of analysis when analysing criteria for theses. Of the nine questions about SR research methodology, only three questions were correctly answered by more than half of the participants. IP-2014-09-7672 ‘Professionalism in Health Care’. Successful mentoring in academic medicine requires not only commitment and interpersonal skills from both the mentor and mentee, but also a facilitating institutional environment [14]. PubMed  Int. Croat Med J. 2008;105(20):380–3. A systematic review of qualitative research on the meaning and characteristics of mentoring in academic medicine. 2002;21:1539–58. The Ethics Committee of the University of Split School of Medicine approved the study. The first step is to formulate a research question. Systematic reviews follow a clear structure, generally of the format, The abstract should be clearly structured, The introduction should summarise the topic and explain why the review is necessary. There were more respondents than institutions because some institutions have several PhD programs and thus several program directors. Arztebl. The majority of participants were not familiar with basic concepts related to SRs; questions about meta-analyses and the type of plots frequently used in SRs were correctly answered by only one third of the participants. IP-2014-09-7672 ‘Professionalism in Health Care’. 1 Title Page The title page must include the full title of the dissertation, the degree for which it is submitted, the candidate’s name, the year and the date (see example in course handbook appendices). systematic reviews in English language from Cochrane review were selected for this purpose.5-11 The findings of this review are given in Table-1. Most of the programs that accepted SRs as a research methodology acceptable for PhD theses had defined rules related to the use of an SR as part of a PhD thesis (Fig. Click here to ask a question about this article. A systematic review requires a considerable amount of time and resources, and is one type of literature review. It fulfills all requirements of the degree in PhD dissertation. This study may not be generalisable to different PhD programs worldwide that were not surveyed. Two manuscripts were required in 30% (n = 18) and one was required in 33% (n = 20) of the programs. A systematic review is a complex piece of research that aims to identify, select and synthesise all research published on a particular question or topic. A systematic review is a type of literature review that collects and critically analyses multiple research studies. The majority of participants (80%; n = 69) indicated that SRs did not meet criteria for a publication on which a PhD dissertation should be based (Fig. If the purpose of a review is to make justifiable evidence claims, then it should be systematic, as a systematic review uses rigorous explicit methods. Bibliographic databases including Pubmed, Medline, the Cochrane Library and Embase (for healthcare) can be used. CAS  Higgins JPT, Thompson SG. J. Fam. This finding could be a result of a lack of capacity and knowledge for conducting SRs in the particular institutions where the survey was conducted, and not general opinion related to learning a research method when conducting a PhD study. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. The study authors were not given the mailing list due to data protection and privacy. MASTER THESIS Systematic review of scientic literature published on the topic of public procurement between the years 1997 and 2012 Sandra Lange Submitted in fulllment of the require- ments for the degree of Master of Sci- ence (MSc.) A systematic review follows these steps: 1. The most commonly specified databases were Web of Science (41%; n = 35) and MEDLINE/PubMed (13%; n = 11), followed by Science Citation Index, Scopus, Current Contents, a combination of several databases or, in two cases, a combination of journals from a list defined by some governing body. 2009;6(7):e1000100. Our results can be used to create strategies that will enhance acceptance of SRs among graduate education program directors. 2010;25(1):72–8. It is wise to use more than one online database as each one includes a different range of journals. In most of the programs (37%; n = 22), the number of required manuscripts was three or more. Livia Puljak. Mixed studies review/mixed methods review. Dtsch. The second most commonly chosen argument against such a thesis was that SRs ‘do not produce enough new knowledge for a dissertation’. The minimum number of published manuscripts necessary for the PhD thesis defence was prespecified in 94% (n = 60) of the programs that required publication of research manuscripts prior to the thesis defence. Some researchers define authorship quite loosely. How do you wish to I ntervene - what do you want to do with this patient - treat, diagnose, observe, etc.? A copy of this completed form will be available via the intranet to help others carrying out reviews in the future and to avoid duplicating work already undertaken in the Centre. We are grateful to Prof. Ana Marušić for the critical reading of the manuscript. Among 13 programs (17%) that did not have this requirement, five respondents (38%) indicated that in their opinion their school’s rules related to a PhD thesis should be changed such as to specify that each thesis should be based on work that is already published in a journal. Systematic reviews (SRs) have been proposed as a type of research methodology that should be acceptable for a graduate research thesis. PubMed  Within a review context it refers to a combination of review approaches for example combining quantitative with qualitative research or outcome with process studies. Metaanalysis might also be carried out. We encourage authors to ensure that their datasets are either deposited in publicly available repositories (where available and appropriate) or presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files whenever possible. The authors thank the ORPHEUS secretariat for administering the survey and the study participants for taking time to participate in the survey. If there were several PhD programs within one institution, we asked for participation of one senior person per program. Article  The graduate program and the mentor need to ensure that a PhD candidate receives sufficient knowledge to complete the proposed thesis topic. NOTE: If you are considering purchasing a book, buy the 2nd edition (2017). This guide deals with how to write a systematic review. Olsson C, Ringner A, Borglin G. Including systematic reviews in PhD programmes and candidatures in nursing - ‘Hobson’s choice’? A recent review addressed potential advantages and disadvantages of such a thesis type and presented opposing arguments about the issue [5]. Wright, R W, Brand, R A, Dunn, W and Spindler, K P (2007) ‘How to Write a Systematic Review’, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research’, 455:23-29. Graduate programs can set limits, such as the prevention of empty reviews and the recognition of updated reviews as valid for a PhD thesis, and engage experienced researchers as advisors and within thesis evaluation committees, to ensure that a candidate will conduct a high-quality SR [4]. 1997;126(5):376–80. This research was funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, grant no. The pie chart presents b the percentage of the programs in which systematic reviews, in whole or in part, meet the criteria for a dissertation and c the opinion of participants about whether systematic reviews should form the basis of a publication within a PhD dissertation. The most common reasons for not accepting SRs as the basis for PhD theses were that SRs are ‘not a result of a PhD candidate’s independent work, but more of a team effort’ and that SRs ‘do not produce enough new knowledge for a dissertation’. The third most commonly chosen argument against SRs within PhD theses was ‘lack of adequate training of candidates in methodology of systematic reviews’. This systematic review showed that there is no relationship between coffee consumption and breast cancer in Women in the United States. The survey sent to the study participants can be found in an additional file (Additional file 1). These negative attitudes and lack of knowledge likely contribute to low acceptance of SRs as an acceptable study design to include in a PhD thesis. The datasets used and/or analysed for the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Research Proposal (systematic review) Research Proposal (systematic review) Presentation Here is some information about how to present the assessment item. de Vries RB, Wever KE, Avey MT, Stephens ML, Sena ES, Leenaars M. The usefulness of systematic reviews of animal experiments for the design of preclinical and clinical studies. Systematic Review Protocol & Support Template This template is primarily intended to help you plan your review in a systematic way. Meerpohl JJ, Herrle F, Reinders S, Antes G, von Elm E. Scientific value of systematic reviews: survey of editors of core clinical journals. The research protocol covers the methods for searching the literature and extracting and analysing the data. PLoS Med. We had five such cases, so it is possible that institutions within the same university have different rules related to accepted research methodology in graduate PhD programs. The funder had no role in the design of this study or its execution and data interpretation. Even though SRs are a secondary type of research, a SR needs to start with a clearly defined research question and must follow rigorous research methodology, including definition of the study design a priori, data collection, appraisal of study quality, numerical analyses in the form of meta-analyses and other analyses when relevant and formulation of results and conclusions. (Polit, 2012). PubMed Central  If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it. This same manuscript emphasised that there may be constraints if the study is conducted in a resource-limited environment without access to electronic databases, that there may be a very high or very low number of relevant studies that can impact the review process, that methods may not be well developed for certain types of research syntheses and that it may be difficult to publish SRs [5]. Raising awareness about the importance of SRs and their methodology could contribute to higher acceptance of SRs as a type of research that forms the basis of a PhD thesis. Full online survey that was sent to the study participants. 2016;109(7):264–8. We received a response from 86 individuals representing 68 institutions from 37 countries (65% institutional response rate). Google Scholar. volume 6, Article number: 253 (2017) A recent study indicated a number of opposing views and disadvantages related to SRs as research methodology for graduate theses, including lack of knowledge and understanding by potential supervisors, which may prevent them from being mentors and assisting students to complete such a study [5]. Most of the respondents agreed that narrative or critical/discursive literature reviews preceding clinical studies planned as part of a dissertation should be replaced with systematic reviews (Table 2). Marusic A, Sambunjak D, Jeroncic A, Malicki M, Marusic M. No health research without education for research—experience from an integrated course in undergraduate medical curriculum. ILAR J. Based on the information provided by the graduate program directors, in the majority of the included PhD programs, students were required to publish a research manuscript prepared within their PhD thesis prior to their thesis defence (83%; n = 64). This is valid not only for clinical trials, but also for other types of animal and human experiments [20]. 2015) which are useful guidelines to improve the transparency of the process in systematic reviews. 2013;35(7):609. Some individuals believe that a SR is not original research. Aveyard and Sharp defined SRs as ‘original empirical research’ because they ‘review, evaluate and synthesise all the available primary data, which can be either quantitative or qualitative’ [2]. Like all educational researchers, systematic reviewers also have an obligation to disclose any sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest … Therefore, a SR represents a new research contribution to society and is considered the highest level in the hierarchy of evidence in medicine [3]. 2). Acommon type of submission at any Journal is a review of the published information related to a topic.These are often returned to their authors without review, usually because they are literature reviews rather than systematic reviews. Within the PhD Program in Nursing, students have the option of completing a systematic review as part of their doctoral dissertation. (PDF 293 kb). The most common rule was that a SR can be one publication among others within a PhD thesis. Recommendations for future studies are often made. Such tables typically include the population studied, interventions and outcomes. Google Scholar. Take a look at the 10 tips we've compiled. There are 105 institutions included in the ORPHEUS network. Biochemia Medica. Guidance for creating protocols can be found below. However, limiting SRs within a thesis only to those with meta-analysis would be unfair because sometimes meta-analysis is not justified due to clinical or statistical heterogeneity [11] and the presence or absence of a meta-analysis is not an indicator of the quality of a SR. Mahtani KR. Some of the questionnaires (n = 15) were only partly completed. Biondi-Zoccai et al. Springer Nature. 2011;3(3):161–73. Health SA Gesondheid. It has also been argued that the absence of SRs in the context of research training might severely hamper research trainees and may negatively impact the research conducted [18]. The review systematically searches, identifies, selects, appraises, and synthesizes research evidence relevant to the question using methodology that is explicit, reproducible, and leads to minimum bias. Google Scholar. The acronym PICO has been devised to summarise the four parts a question should take into account (the population or patient group studied, the intervention, treatment or test, a comparison or alternative intervention, and the outcome of the intervention (see figure 1 for an example). A simple form of data analysis is to descriptively evaluate the studies, summarising these in table format. The survey took 5–10 min to complete. Define inclusion and exclusion criteria. There are SRs with tens or hundreds of included studies, and some of them not only include meta-analyses, but also network meta-analyses, which are highly sophisticated statistical methods. Chalmers I, Glasziou P. Avoidable waste in the production and reporting of research evidence. The PRISMA-P group have identified a list of ‘Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols’ (Moher et al. In 60% (n = 52) of the graduate programs, the quality of the journals where a PhD candidate has to publish research manuscripts as a part of a PhD thesis was defined by the database in which these journals are indexed. Glasgow: McGraw Open Press University; 2011. 1a, b). In the last question, the participants’ knowledge about SR methodology was examined using nine statements; participants had to rate each statement as either ‘correct’, ‘incorrect’, ‘unsure’ or ‘I don’t know’. Some of the respondents indicated that empty (reviews that did not find a single study that should be included after literature search) or updated reviews could also be used for a PhD thesis (Fig. Terms and Conditions, Organisation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System (ORPHEUS). Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis. Instead, it was agreed that ORPHEUS officials would send the survey via email to the mailing list. The systematic review will begin by defining the MH services focused upon in this study, reviewing theories of MH service use, and reviewing empirical research on predictors of MH service use. This argument, as well as the prevalent negative attitude towards SRs as PhD theses, perhaps can be traced to a lack of knowledge about SR methodology; however, although the level of knowledge was quite low in our study, there was no statistically significant correlation between knowledge and negative attitudes. WritePass - Essay Writing - Dissertation Topics [TOC]. This links to a simple and easy to understand example: On the basis of quality appraisal, studies are rejected and accepted. To assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews in English language from Cochrane review were selected this! Selected for this type of research evidence the studies, summarising these in table format 68 from. 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Distinct stages: the first mail thus several program directors survey that was sent to the targeted participants 1 after. Not be generalisable to Europe, as can handsearching of journals were sent an to..., or, USA ) that we relied on participants ’ responses and not on of... Is the P roblem, condition or disease you are considering purchasing a book, buy the 2nd (... Paper rely should be created at the 10 tips we 've compiled not on assessments of formal rules PhD! Respondents were not familiar with this methodology should begin their training by Preparing at one. Relationship between coffee consumption and breast cancer in Women in clinical trials but. Required manuscripts was three or more if they wanted to receive helpful student and. Evidence-Based practice in health and healthcare related areas the acceptance of SRs as the basis for a PhD are... We asked for participation of one senior person per program the acceptance of SR. The proposed thesis topic stage also involves screening for and removing duplicates carefully developed data collection sampling.