Evidence synthesis involves bringing together the key findings from research studies in an organized, structured, and methodical way. Synthesis can be accomplished using a variety of methods.
This page provides access to recommended articles and e-books related to evidence synthesis and different review types. These resources are meant to increase your understanding of evidence synthesis and its importance within the evidence-based practice process. Click the links below to jump to specific sections of this page:
The following articles provide information on the methods used to effectively and efficiently synthesize evidence from research studies, including:
Click the links below to access these readings in full-text. After clicking the links below, proceed to the full-text by either clicking the PDF Full-Text or FindIt@UT icons.
Articles
Bowden, V. R. (2021). Types of reviews - Part 1: Systematic reviews. Pediatric Nursing, 47(6), 301–304.
Bowden, V. R. (2022). Types of reviews - Part 2: Meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. Pediatric Nursing, 48(1), 43–49.
Bowden, V. R. (2022). Types of Reviews - Part 3: Literature review, integrative review, scoping review. Pediatric Nursing, 48(2), 97–100.
Davies, A. (2019). Carrying out systematic literature reviews: An introduction. British Journal of Nursing, 28(15), 1008–1014. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.15.1008 (*This article provides an excellent summary of both quantitative and qualitative systematic reviews)
Fineout-Overholt E., Melnyk B.M., Stillwell S.B., & Williamson K.M. (2010). The process of synthesis: Seeing similarities and differences across the body of evidence. American Journal of Nursing, 110(11), 43–51 (*Note: Although this article was published over ten years ago in 2010, it is widely recognized as a classic resource on evidence synthesis. The principles are timeless and applicable in today's EBP environment. This article provides a good example of an evidence synthesis table.)
Sutton, A., Clowes, M., Preston, L., & Booth, A. (2019). Meeting the review family: Exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 36(3), 202–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12276 (*Refer to Table 3 on pp. 206-10 for helpful descriptions of various review types)
See Chapter 8: How to Synthesize
See Chapter 6: Synthesis Folder - How to Write a Synthesis
The chapters throughout this book describe different types of systematic reviews for various types of evidence (i.e. experimental research, observational studies, qualitative, etc.)
This comprehensive guide outlines the process of conducting an integrative review of the literature, and how this process differs from other review types
Below is a template for creating your Evaluation Table. This table is for ALL studies, NOT one table per study.
This template was developed by Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt and is included on pp. 848-849 in the 5th edition of their text Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing & Healthcare: A Guide to Best Practice (2023). This text is required for UT-CON graduate students and is also available on Reserve at the Mulford Library. It provides additional details and prompts to help you populate your table with information from your included "keeper" studies.
| Citation: Author, Date of Publication & Title | Purpose of Study | Conceptual Framework |
Design/ Method |
Sample and Setting |
Major Variables Studied and Their Definitions | Measurement of Major Variables | Data Analysis | Study Findings |
Worth to Practice Level of Evidence (LOE) Strengths/Weaknesses Conclusion Recommendation |
Add as many rows as needed to your table