Systematic Review |
Literature Review |
Search strategies must be replicable
|
Search strategies do not need to be replicable
|
Follow specific search methodologies that ensure comprehensive results
|
Searches vary in how comprehensive they are
|
Require a significant time commitment
|
Take much less time
|
Typically retrieve high number of results
|
Retrieve lower number of results
|
Require a team
|
Can be completed by individuals
|
Protocol-driven
|
Does not use a protocol |
Adapted from Penn State Hershey
The types of review that you conduct depends on the type of project that you are doing. The chart on the right is a useful guide to differences between systematic reviews & literature reviews.
If you are interested in learning more about the different types of literature reviews, consult this article, A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies, which defines 14 types of reviews. There is a helpful summary table on pp. 94-95.
You can also use this handy tool to find the best types of review to use: https://
A newer review type article: Sutton A, Clowes M, Preston L, Booth A. Meeting the review family: exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements. Health Info Libr J. 2019;36(3):202–222. doi:10.1111/hir.12276