Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a systematic review?

A systematic review is characterized by a structured and comprehensive approach to synthesizing research findings from multiple studies. One fundamental aspect is its commitment to utilize flexible inclusion and exclusion criteria. Instead, systematic reviews typically employ predefined criteria to ensure consistency and rigor in study selection, allowing for a more reliable aggregation of data.

Combining data from multiple studies is a core component of systematic reviews, as it aims to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the evidence surrounding a specific question. Assessing the quality of the included studies is also crucial, as it ensures that only studies that meet certain methodological standards are included in the review, thus enhancing the validity of the overall findings. The focus on specific research questions is what distinguishes systematic reviews from other types of literature reviews, as they aim to answer clearly defined queries through a methodical approach.