What is the primary purpose of a systematic review?

The primary purpose of a systematic review is to identify, evaluate, and synthesize research studies related to a specific question or hypothesis. This process involves a comprehensive and structured approach to gathering all relevant studies, ensuring that the review is thorough and minimizes bias. Systematic reviews aim to provide an objective summary of the available evidence, which can help inform clinical practice, policy decisions, and future research directions.

This involves defining clear inclusion and exclusion criteria, conducting a systematic search of the literature, and employing rigorous methods to assess the quality of the included studies. By synthesizing findings systematically, researchers can draw more reliable conclusions about the effectiveness of interventions, the strength of associations, or the overall state of knowledge on a given topic, making it a cornerstone of evidence-based practice.