Getting started in research: systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Authors

Stephen R. Kisely, University of Queensland
Alice Chang, RANZCP
Jim Crowe, RANZCP
Cherrie Galletly, RANZCP
Peter Jenkins, RANZCP
Samantha Loi, University of Melbourne
Jeffrey C. L Looi, Australian National University
Matthew D. Macfarlane, University of WollongongFollow
Ness Mcvie, RANZCP
Stephen Parker, University of Queensland
Brian D. Power, University of Western Australia
Dan Siskind, University of Queensland
Geoff Smith, University of Western Australia
Sally N. Merry, University of Auckland
Stephen Macfarlane, Monash University

RIS ID

100053

Publication Details

Kisely, S., Chang, A., Crowe, J., Galletly, C., Jenkins, P., Loi, S., Looi, J. C., Macfarlane, M. D., Mcvie, N., Parker, S., Power, B., Siskind, D., Smith, G., Merry, S. & Macfarlane, S. (2015). Getting started in research: systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Australasian Psychiatry, 23 (1), 16-21.

Abstract

Objectives: Systematic reviews are one of the major building blocks of evidence-based medicine. This overview is an introduction to conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Conclusions: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) represent the most robust form of design in the hierarchy of research evidence. In addition, primary data do not have to be collected by the researcher him/herself, and there is no need for approval from an ethics committee. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are not as daunting as they may appear to be, provided the scope is sufficiently narrow and an appropriate supervisor available.