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A systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive, unbiased synthesis of many relevant studies into a single document using rigorous and transparent methods. A systematic review aims to synthesize and summarize existing knowledge in order to inform policy and practice. 

Systematic reviews:

• Attempt to uncover "all" of the evidence relevant to a question.
• Should be conducted by review groups with specialized skills.
• Set out to retrieve international evidence.
• Follow a structured research process that requires rigorous methods to ensure that the results are unbiased, reliable and meaningful to end users.
• Have pre-determined search strategies and eligibility criteria. To report search strategies follow the PRISMA-S guidance
• May or may not include a meta-analysis.

When should you use a systematic review?

You might undertake a systematic review when:

• You want to combine all the known research on a topic
• You want to see how others have addressed a question
• There are no other systematic reviews covering the topic you are interested in