It is common to confuse literature and systematic reviews because both are used to provide a summary of the existing literature or research on a specific topic. Despite this commonality, these two reviews vary significantly. The table below highlights the differences.
| Literature Review | Systematic Review | |
|
Definition |
Qualitatively summarizes evidence on a topic using informal or subjective methods to collect and interpret studies | High-level overview of primary research on a focused question that identifies, selects, synthesizes, and appraises all high quality research evidence to that question |
| Goals | Provide summary or overview of topic |
Answer a focused clinical question Eliminate bias |
| Question | Can be a general topic or specific question |
Clearly defined and answerable clinical question |
| Components |
Introduction Methods Discussion Conclusion Reference List |
Pre-specified eligibility criteria Systematic search strategy Assessment of the validity of findings Interpretation and presentation of results Reference list |
| Number of Authors | One or more | Three or more |
| Timeline |
Weeks to months |
Months to years (average 18 months) |
| Requirements |
Understanding of topic Perform searches of one or more databases |
Thorough knowledge of topic Perform searches of all relevant databases Statistical analysis resources (for meta-analysis) |
| Value | Provides summary of literature on a topic |
Connects practicing clinicians to high-quality evidence Supports evidence-based practice |
Kysh, Lynn (2013). Difference between a systematic review and a literature review. figshare. Poster. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.766364.v1