Research Synthesis Methods
A Guide for Conducting Rigorous and Relevant Reviews
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12385149 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brandy R Maynard (0000-0002-9356-7318, School of Social Work, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 607-620 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-15 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Research on Social Work Practice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-7315 • E-ISSN: 1552-7581 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10497315251334150 |
| OpenAlex | W4409473008 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 26 |
Research synthesis plays a vital role in advancing knowledge, informing policy and practice, and shaping future research in social work. However, the proliferation of poorly designed and methodologically weak reviews threatens to dilute the evidence base, undermine decision-making, and slow progress. This paper calls for stronger adherence to high standards in research synthesis, emphasizing the need for thoughtful, well-executed reviews that add value and address important questions. It examines four key synthesis methods—systematic reviews, overviews of reviews, scoping reviews, and evidence and gap maps—clarifying their appropriate applications and highlighting methodological standards. In addition to providing guidance to help authors conduct higher quality reviews, it calls on journal editors and peer reviewers to uphold higher publication standards. Research synthesis can serve as a reliable foundation for evidence-informed practice and decision-making, but only if the syntheses are of high quality and address important questions
Management science · Sociology · Computer Science · Engineering · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Health Policy Implementation Science · Meta-analysis and systematic reviews · Psychology
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions
JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis
The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis
What kind of systematic review should I conduct? A proposed typology and guidance for systematic reviewers in the medical and health sciences
Meeting the review family
Robis
Robins-I
The Mass Production of Redundant, Misleading, and Conflicted Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses
A Brief History of Research Synthesis
Recommendations for the extraction, analysis, and presentation of results in scoping reviews
Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews
A typology of reviews
Use and Impacts of Campbell Systematic Reviews on Policy, Practice, and Research
Don’t Waste Your Time Doing Social Work Research
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |