Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29546155›Full record

ReviewAIMS public health2016

What Synthesis Methodology Should I Use? A Review and Analysis of Approaches to Research Synthesis.

Kara Schick-Makaroff, Marjorie MacDonald, Marilyn Plummer, Judy Burgess, Wendy Neander

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in AIMS public health, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
54citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

54 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  13. The role of nursing communication: A critical interpretive synthesis.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Kara Schick-MakaroffFaculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Marjorie MacDonaldSchool of Nursing, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Marilyn PlummerCollege of Nursing, Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Judy BurgessStudent Services, University Health Services, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Wendy NeanderSchool of Nursing, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhen we began this process, we were doctoral students and a faculty member in a research methods course. As students, we were facing a review of the literature for our dissertations. We encountered several different ways of conducting a review but were unable to locate any resources that synthesized all of the various synthesis methodologies. Our purpose is to present a comprehensive overview and assessment of the main approaches to research synthesis. We use 'research synthesis' as a broad overarching term to describe various approaches to combining, integrating, and synthesizing research findings.

methodsWe conducted an integrative review of the literature to explore the historical, contextual, and evolving nature of research synthesis. We searched five databases, reviewed websites of key organizations, hand-searched several journals, and examined relevant texts from the reference lists of the documents we had already obtained.

resultsWe identified four broad categories of research synthesis methodology including conventional, quantitative, qualitative, and emerging syntheses. Each of the broad categories was compared to the others on the following: key characteristics, purpose, method, product, context, underlying assumptions, unit of analysis, strengths and limitations, and when to use each approach.

conclusionsThe current state of research synthesis reflects significant advancements in emerging synthesis studies that integrate diverse data types and sources. New approaches to research synthesis provide a much broader range of review alternatives available to health and social science students and researchers.

Indexed as

knowledge synthesismethodologyresearch synthesissystematic review

Identifiers

PMID29546155
PMCPMC5690272

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.