Literature Review & Synthesis Flashcards

Which approach to synthesis is most appropriate when studies are too heterogeneous to pool statistically but share a common topic?

Answer: Narrative synthesis

Narrative synthesis describes and interprets findings across studies using text and tables when statistical pooling is inappropriate due to heterogeneity.

A researcher notices that only studies with positive results appear in the literature on a topic. This pattern is called:

Answer: Publication bias

Publication bias occurs when studies with statistically significant or positive results are more likely to be published, skewing the available literature.

When synthesizing literature, 'transferability' is most relevant to which type of research?

Answer: Qualitative studies assessing whether findings apply in other contexts

Transferability, analogous to external validity in quantitative research, refers to how well qualitative findings can be applied to other settings or populations.

A 'sensitivity analysis' in a systematic review is used to:

Answer: Test how robust the overall findings are when specific studies or assumptions are altered

Sensitivity analyses test whether conclusions change when borderline studies are excluded or different analytical assumptions are applied, checking the robustness of findings.

Which of the following best describes the 'snowball sampling' technique in a literature search?

Answer: Identifying additional sources by reviewing references of already-found relevant articles

Snowball sampling in literature searching means using the reference lists and forward citations of known relevant studies to locate additional sources.

In the GRADE framework used in systematic reviews, 'certainty of evidence' can be downgraded for all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer: Large sample sizes across studies

GRADE downgrades certainty for bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias; large sample sizes actually increase confidence rather than reduce it.

A researcher conducting a literature review on employee training effectiveness decides to include dissertations and conference papers alongside journal articles. This decision primarily addresses concerns about:

Answer: Publication bias

Including unpublished and grey literature such as dissertations and conference papers helps counteract publication bias by capturing studies regardless of their outcome direction.