Knowledge Synthesis

• Knowledge synthesis, also called evidence synthesis, is an umbrella term for literature reviews that use transparent and reproducible methods to gather and synthesize research studies in order to answer a research question.
• Examples of knowledge synthesis reviews include:
  • Systematic reviews – a review that seeks to answer a research question by identifying, selecting, critically appraising, and synthesizing all relevant research.
  • Scoping reviews – a review that seeks to map the existing literature on a topic.
• Knowledge synthesis methods emerged out of the health sciences but have since been adopted and adapted by many different disciplines.

For traditional literature reviews:

• Search methods are:
  • Unreported
  • Usually not systematic
  • Not necessarily exhaustive
• Analysis / synthesis is:
  • Usually not transparent
  • Reliant on expertise and judgement of the author(s)

For knowledge syntheses:

• Search methods are:
  • Reported on
  • Systematic & reproducible
  • Usually exhaustive
• Analysis / synthesis is:
  • Transparent & reproducible
• Aim is to reduce bias and provide a comprehensive synthesis of available evidence

1. Assemble a team and establish a timeline
2. Formulate the research question, choose a review type, and develop criteria
3. Develop the protocol
4. Search for studies
5. Select studies for inclusion
6. Critically appraise studies and identify risk of bias
7. Extract and synthesize the data
8. Write the review

• Librarians at the University of Guelph provide training, expertise, and support to U of G researchers who are conducting knowledge syntheses. We can help you with:
  • Selecting an appropriate type of review
  • Refining a review topic
  • Identifying common components of a review
  • Locating guidance on methods for conducting reviews
  • Developing a search strategy by choosing databases, generating keywords, and using controlled vocabulary, operators, and search modifiers
  • Learning to extract and manage citations
• Currently our service does not include:
  • Conducting knowledge syntheses on behalf of researchers
  • Executing searches
  • Extracting or managing citations
  • Providing advice on critical appraisal, data extraction, or data synthesis (including meta-analysis)
  • Co-authorship
• To learn more about the service, visit the Knowledge Synthesis Service page on the Library website.

• Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions
  The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions provides detailed guidance on the Cochrane method of conducting a systematic review of an intervention
  
  While this handbook is focused on synthesizing intervention studies, its detailed search guidance (particularly the 4.S1 Technical Supplement to Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies) is useful for any kind of exhaustive searching.

Portions of this guide were adapted from the following guides: