Q: What is the difference between a literature review and a systematic review?

That’s a good question! Literature review vs. systematic review – Let’s unravel the differences. 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

A literature review serves mostly as a broad overview of existing studies on a particular topic, often commenced without a stringent, well-defined methodology. This type of review, also known as a traditional (narrative) review, aims to provide a contextual or theoretical understanding of the subject matter. Consider it a stepping stone, laying the groundwork for subsequent research endeavors. 

A literature review can be either a section of a larger research paper or an entire paper in its own right. Almost all papers and theses based on observational or experimental research begin with a literature review, however brief or detailed, to set context for the study performed. When a literature review is published as a stand-alone article, it’s not part of an original research paper; its sole objective is to provide a comprehensive overview existing literature on a topic. 

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW 

A systematic review, on the other hand, is a highly focused, rigorously defined, inquiry into existing research, characterized by its strict adherence to transparency and reproducibility standards. There are usually five stages to this: 

1. Formulating the Question: This is the foundational stage where you need to frame a precise and answerable inquiry. 

2. Searching for Literature: Here, you need to come up with a well-defined search strategy that ensures that all possibly relevant studies are identified while guaranteeing reproducibility and inclusivity of ALL eligible studies. 

3. Checking Quality: In this step, you need to scrutinize each of the eligible studies you’ve identified, focusing on whether they meet clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Judging the scientific quality of a study involves assessing not only how robust the study design is but also how rigorously the design is executed and how well the risk of any type of bias is identified and accounted for.  

4. Summarizing the Evidence: This involves collating and summarizing the findings from multiple studies in a clear and cohesive form. If the review includes a meta-analysis, then the data are extracted (with tools or programs that have been predefined). 

5. Interpreting the Findings: This is where you draw conclusions and finally make sense of it all. 

Systematic reviews, as you can see, are quite different and involve a lot more work than a traditional literature review, even if it is done systematically and comprehensively. (Note: There is another type of study called a “Systematic Literature Review,” which falls somewhere between a traditional review and a full systematic review.) 

Undoubtedly, systematic reviews entail a substantial investment of time and resources, which is why they are generally conducted by a team comprising information professionals, statisticians, and subject-matter experts. This collaborative effort ensures methodological rigor and meticulous evaluation of included studies, mitigating the risk of bias. 

Choosing the Right Approach 

Systematic reviews are powerful tools, but they require significant time and resources. Given you’re embarking on your first project and likely working solo (I am assuming this based off your question), a systematic literature review might be a good middle ground for you. This approach involves a more systematic search strategy and selection process than a traditional review, but it may not involve the full rigor of a full systematic review (such as assessing risk of bias for each study or conducting a meta-analysis). 

Here’s why a systematic literature review might be suitable for you: 

1. It provides a more structured and comprehensive overview than a traditional review. 

2. It’s a valuable learning experience for familiarizing yourself with research methods and the existing research landscape. 

3. It’s achievable within a very reasonable timeframe, unlike a systemic review. 

4. It does not need too many hands on deck (or even prior knowledge of data-extraction tools and statistical software). 

This answer may hopefully have provided some clarity. However, remember this, the best person to answer your question is almost always your guide. And if you are too hesitant about approaching the PI, perhaps you could consider approaching a friendly senior who can offer insights derived from their experience? 

With that said, I wish you good luck on your research journey!