Lecture 4 Secondary Data & Systematic Literature Review

Secondary data &

Systematic literature review

Dr. Inci Toral

Learning outcomes

• Understand what secondary data is and what it can be used

for

• Understand where to find secondary data

• Critically assess secondary data

• Understand what a systematic literature review is

• Identify how to undertake a systematic literature review

What are systematic reviews?

• Systematic reviews are a type of literature review of research

which require equivalent standards of rigour as primary
research. They have a clear, logical rationale that is reported to
the reader of the review. They are used in research and
policymaking to inform evidence-based decisions and
practice. They differ from traditional literature reviews
particularly in the following elements of conduct and
reporting.

What are systematic reviews?

• Systematic reviews:

• use explicit and transparent methods
• are a piece of research following a standard set of stages
• are accountable, replicable and updateable
• involve users to ensure a review is relevant and useful.

• Systematic reviews should have a clear research question, and the perspective

of the authors in their approach to addressing the question is described.

• There are clearly described methods on how each study in a review was

identified, how that study was appraised for quality and relevance and how it is
combined with other studies in order to address the review question.

Systematic Review vs Literature Review

• The difference between literature review and systematic

review comes back to the initial research question. While
the systematic review is very specific and focused, the
standard literature review is much more general.

• The components of a literature review, for example, are similar

to any other research paper. That is, it includes an
introduction, description of the methods used, a discussion
and conclusion, as well as a reference list or bibliography.

Systematic Review vs Literature Review

• A systematic review, includes entirely different

components that reflect the specificity of its research question, and
the requirement for transparency and inclusion. For instance, the
systematic review will include:

• Eligibility criteria for included research
• A description of the systematic research search strategy
• An assessment of the validity of reviewed research
• Interpretations of the results of research included in the review

Systematic Review vs Literature Review

• Contrary to the general overview or summary of a topic, the systematic

literature review includes much more detail and work to compile than a
standard literature review. Indeed, it can take years to conduct and write
a systematic literature review. But the information that practitioners and
other researchers can glean from a systematic literature review is, by its
very nature, exceptionally valuable.

• This is not to diminish the value of the standard literature review. It’s just

that the two types of research reviews answer different questions, and,
therefore, have different purposes and roles in the world of research and
evidence-based writing.

Systematic Literature Review vs Meta
Analysis

• It would be understandable to think that a systematic literature

review is similar to a meta analysis. But, where a systematic
review can include several research studies to answer a
specific question, typically a meta analysis includes a
comparison of different studies to suss out any inconsistencies
or discrepancies.

Multiple Choice

What is the difference between systematic reviews and literature reviews?

• Systematic reviews are conducted using secondary data, while literature reviews are not.

• Systematic reviews are more time-consuming to undertake than literature reviews.

• Systematic reviews are more specific and focused than literature reviews.

• Systematic reviews are less reliable than literature reviews.

Multiple Choice

What are the specific components of a systematic review?

• Comparing different studies and answering specific questions

• Eligibility criteria, search strategy, validity assessment, and result interpretation

• Defining clear research questions and reporting findings

• Searching for relevant studies and assessing validity

Steps in Conducting a Systematic
Literature Review

• Defining a clear research question.

• 2. Developing a protocol for the review.

• 3. Searching for studies.

• 4. Selecting studies.

• 5. Assessing the quality of studies.

• 6. Extracting data.

• 7. Analysing and interpreting results.

• 8. Reporting the review.

Defining a Clear Research Question

• The first step in a systematic literature review is to define a

clear and concise research question. This question should be:
specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound
(SMART). For example, "What is the impact of climate change
on agricultural productivity in the last decade?"

Developing a Protocol for the Review

• The next step is to develop a protocol for the review. This

protocol outlines the plan for the review and includes the
research question, the search strategy, the criteria for
including studies, the process for assessing the quality of
studies, and the method for extracting and analysing data.

Searching for Studies

• After developing the protocol, the next step is to search for

studies. This involves using databases and search engines to
find relevant literature. The search should be as
comprehensive as possible to ensure that all relevant studies
are included.

•Source:

•Saunders et al. (2019: 319).

•

Draw

Worksheet for starting your systematic reviews

Selecting Studies

• Once the search is complete, the next step is to select studies

based on the inclusion criteria outlined in the protocol. This
process involves screening the titles and abstracts of the
studies, and then reviewing the full text of any studies that
appear to meet the inclusion criteria.

Assessing the Quality of Studies

• After selecting the studies, the next step is to assess their

quality. This involves evaluating the methodology of the
studies to determine their reliability and validity. Studies that
do not meet the quality criteria are excluded from the review.

Extracting Data and Analyzing Results

• The next step is to extract data from the studies and analyze

the results. This involves summarising the findings of the
studies and synthesising the data to answer the research
question.

Reporting the Review

• The final step in a systematic literature review is to report the

review. This involves writing a report that includes the research
question, the methodology, the results, and the conclusion.
The report should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539417/

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Why is it important to frame clear and structured questions before beginning a review?

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What should be done if alternative ways of defining the populations, interventions, outcomes, or study designs become apparent during the review work?

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How extensive should the search for studies be in a review?

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What should be considered when specifying the study selection criteria?

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Why is study quality assessment relevant to every step of a review?

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What are some methods for assessing the quality of studies in a review?

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How can detailed quality assessments help inform decisions regarding meta-analysis and future research?

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What does data synthesis involve in a review?

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When exploring heterogeneity in a review, what should be planned in advance?

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How can the risk of publication bias and related biases be explored in a review?

What is Secondary Research

• Secondary research is a research method that involves using already existing data. Existing data

is summarized and collated to increase the overall effectiveness of the research.

• One of the key advantages of secondary research is that it allows us to gain insights and draw

conclusions without having to collect new data ourselves. This can save time and resources and
also allow us to build upon existing knowledge and expertise.

• When conducting secondary research, it’s important to be thorough and thoughtful in our

approach. This means carefully selecting the sources and ensuring that the data we are analysing
are reliable and relevant to the research question. It also means being critical and analytical in the
analysis and recognising any potential biases or limitations in the data.

• Secondary research is much more cost-effective than primary research, as it uses already existing

data, unlike primary research, where data is collected firsthand by organizations or businesses or
they can employ a third party to collect data on their behalf.

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Can you give an example of data from Internet?

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Can you give an example of data from Non/Government Agencies?

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Can you give an example of data from commercial inormation resources?

Name

Secondary data

UK Data Archive

Archive of UK social and economic digital data

UK Data Service

Gateway to and support for social, economic and population data, both
quantitative and qualitative for the UK and other countries

Wharton Research Data Service

Gateway to databases in finance, accounting, banking, economics,
management, marketing and public policy

Morningstar

Financial information, guide to companies and investment trusts, report service
and market activity analysis

Name

Secondary data

Amadeus

Financial, descriptive and ownership information for companies in Europe

British Newspapers Archive

Full text and images of British newspapers since c. 1700

Datamonitor

Company profiles for world’s 10,000 largest companies; industry profiles for
various industries

Datastream

Company, financial and economic information

Euromonitor International

Global market information database searchable by industry, product, country
etc.

Key Note Reports

1,600 market reports covering a range of sectors

Mintel Reports

Market research reports on wide range of sectors

Nexis

Full text of UK national and regional newspapers

QIN

Company accounts, ratios and activities for over 300,000 companies in
mainland China

Regional Business News

Full text of US business journals, newspapers and newswires

Key Differences
between Primary
Research and
Secondary
Research

Multiple Choice

What is the second step in conducting a systematic literature review?

• Develop a protocol for the review

• Search for relevant studies

• Select studies based on inclusion criteria

• Assess the quality of selected studies

Attendance Code:

42841843

Now look at this paper

Try to identify the elements of SLR, Highlight them. You have 5mins. You can work in pairs.
After this, you will answer the questions.

Birmingham University IdP - Stale Request

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Open Ended

Look at the introduction. What is the research question?

Poll

Was the review question clearly and explicitly stated?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure where to look.

Poll

Was it a focused review question?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure where to look.

Open Ended

What are the steps in the methodology? List them here.

Open Ended

What was the search strategy?

Open Ended

What was the criteria used to decide which studies to include in the review?

Open Ended

What characteristics do you notice in their approach to the methodology?

Open Ended

How the reviewers assessed the validity (i.e. quality) of each study included in the review?

Open Ended

If meta-analysis was done, how were the study results combined (pooled)?

Poll

Were the meta-analysis methods appropriate?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Open Ended

What statistical model was used for meta-analysis?

Poll

Did the reviewers check for heterogeneity?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Open Ended

What method was used?

Poll

Did the reviewers check for publication bias?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Open Ended

What method was used?

Poll

Is it likely that relevant studies were missed?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know.

Poll

Did the reviewers assess the potential impact of study quality on the results of the SR?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know.

Poll

Were the results similar from study to study?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know.

Poll

Were the overall results of the review explained?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know.

Poll

Were conclusions made by the review authors supported by the data presented in the review?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know.

Poll

Did they develop new knowledge after this review?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know.

Summary

A systematic literature review is a type of research that involves following a standard set of stages to gather and analyse existing research studies. It requires a clear research question, explicit and transparent methods, and involves assessing the quality of studies and interpreting the results. On the other hand, secondary research is a research method that uses already existing data to gain insights and draw conclusions without collecting new data. It is cost-effective and allows researchers to build upon existing knowledge and expertise. The key differences between primary research and secondary research include the collection of firsthand data in primary research and the use of existing data in secondary research.