A systematic review is a rigorous study of academic studies. Systematic reviews are evidence-based research that answers a focused question through a comprehensive strategy that identifies, screens, validates, and interprets different references, both published and unpublished.

Systematic reviews are very labor-intensive and time-consuming, but through systematic review software like DistillerSR, the process has become simpler, faster, and more accurate. Tools such as DistillerSR make systematic reviews easier for every reviewer involved with the process.

What Are DistillerSR Systematic Reviews?

DistillerSR systematic review software is designed to improve the systematic review process. DistillerSR is packed with tools and features powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent workflows that automate key steps in the systematic review lifecycle, from database searches to reporting and auditing, down to the project management tasks between them all.

What Is the Alternative to DistillerSR for Conducting Systematic Reviews?

There are other systematic review tools available that could complement DistillerSR’s capabilities. But aside from these tools, the main alternative to DistillerSR is to go old-school systematic review process—that is, to follow more traditional research methods.

That said, this route for conducting systematic reviews will take a significantly longer amount of time and would require many more resources; plus, the systematic review will likely be more vulnerable to human errors and biases.

What Are Three Important Types of Systematic Reviews?

A systematic review can refer to the general scope of intensive evidence-based research–but systematic reviews can also be broken down into three types: a rapid review, a scoping review, and a living review.

A rapid review is basically a systematic review with a condensed timeline. This literature review follows the regular pipeline of tasks, but with time constraints, it’s done with limitations and uses pre-specified search and screening methods for all references.

A scoping review is like a preliminary systematic review. It’s done to identify the nature and scope of existing research to determine the viability of a more thorough review. These systematic reviews search library and article references to create the foundation for a new study.

A living review is a systematic review that involves active monitoring of new research. These systematic reviews are primarily done for high-priority topics that may be impacted by emerging references that monitor real-time study progress. Any fresh relevant data is immediately included as it becomes available.

What Is the Best Systematic Review Search Database?

A systematic review is heavily based on the references considered during its process, so it’s crucial that you find the right file databases to extract different works from. Here are some of the best systematic review databases to consider based on your field of search:

Health Sciences Library

• Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL): Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials
• Joanne Briggs Institute EBP Database: Evidence-based research
• PubMed: Medicine and related fields
• Biosis Citation Index: Life and biomedical sciences
• Embase: Biomedicine and pharmaceuticals
• ChiroACCESS: Alternative medicine

Education

• ERIC: Education research and information
• Web of Science: Sciences, arts, and humanities
• Education Research Complete: Education and educational specialties

Social Studies

• ProQuest: Business, management, economics
• Sociological Abstracts: Sociology and behavioral sciences
• Criminal Justice Abstracts: Criminal justice
• EconLit: Economics
• PsycINFO: Psychology

Within these databases live a trove of literature references, which can be difficult to sort through and evaluate. DistillerSR is built to handle large amounts of data from different databases. DistillerSR tools can extract the information that you need to successfully accomplish your systematic review.