Principal speaker
Professor Catherine Pickering
Systematic quantitative literature review is a smart and effective method for undertaking literature reviews, particularly for research students and others exploring new disciplines. It bridges the gap between traditional narrative review methods and meta-analysis.
In contrast, the method we have developed involves systematically searching the literature using online databases and other sources to find all relevant papers that fit specific criteria (systematically identifying the literature), entering information about each paper into a personal database, then compiling tables that summarise the current status of the literature, including identifying research gaps (quantifying the literature).
The results are reliable, quantifiable and reproducible. Using this method, it is also possible to determine whether there are suitable datasets for meta-analysis. The method works well for specific topics, but also for summarising diverse inter-disciplinary research.
In the morning workshop, Professor Pickering will outline the method, how it complements other review methods, how to systematically search the literature and how to then quantify it. Additional support material on the method is available at including videos that have now been watched ~150,000 times - https://www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-sciences/school-environment-science/research/systematic-quantitative-literature-review.
In the afternoon the advanced workshop we will focus on key stages in the method where issues may arise, including the selection of literature, how to create and use categories in your personal dataset, and on the different ways that are being used to analyse the resulting datasets. The workshop will include a chance to ask questions arising from your own reviews.