Doing systematic reviews in Psychology

Abstract

Systematic reviews by virtue of being a pre-determined, transparent, and comprehensive plan and search strategy are fast gaining popularity in psychology in South Africa. A systematic review allows one to obtain a thorough overview regarding the recent developments and debates on a given topic with the addition of metacommentary. In South Africa, we have noted stark differences in the reporting of systematic reviews. Often studies are identified as systematic reviews but methodologically have failed to meet the rigorous criteria that characterise this method. This article aims to provide a guide for the novice researcher on conducting systematic reviews. We draw on a practical case study by Hassem and Laher where the systematic review method was used to establish the efficacy of online depression screening tools in the South African context as a practical illustration of the systematic review method. In so doing, the affordances and limitations of the systematic review method are discussed.