CRS Literature Review & Synthesis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which synthesis approach involves grouping studies by their methodological design rather than by findings?
- Thematic synthesis
- Methodological synthesis (Correct answer)
- Narrative synthesis
- Meta-ethnography
Correct answer: Methodological synthesis
Methodological synthesis organizes and evaluates studies based on their research designs, enabling comparison of how methods influence outcomes.
Question 2: In a systematic literature review, what is the purpose of a PRISMA flow diagram?
- To summarize statistical results
- To document the screening and inclusion/exclusion process (Correct answer)
- To display thematic relationships between studies
- To rate the quality of individual studies
Correct answer: To document the screening and inclusion/exclusion process
PRISMA flow diagrams transparently document how records were identified, screened, and included or excluded at each stage of the review.
Question 3: A researcher finds two studies with contradictory findings on the same topic. The best next step is to:
- Exclude both studies from the review
- Accept the more recent study as definitive
- Examine moderating variables or methodological differences (Correct answer)
- Average the two findings together
Correct answer: Examine moderating variables or methodological differences
Contradictory findings often result from differences in sample characteristics, measures, or contexts, which moderating variables can help explain.
Question 4: Which term describes the process of extracting specific data points from primary studies into a standardized template?
- Data coding
- Data abstraction (Correct answer)
- Data triangulation
- Data imputation
Correct answer: Data abstraction
Data abstraction (or extraction) involves systematically pulling predefined information from each study into a structured form for analysis.
Question 5: What is 'citation chasing' in the context of a literature search?
- Searching for studies that have high citation counts
- Following references listed in found articles to locate additional sources (Correct answer)
- Using citation management software to organize references
- Tracking which articles cite your own work
Correct answer: Following references listed in found articles to locate additional sources
Citation chasing (also called backward searching) involves reviewing reference lists of retrieved articles to find additional relevant sources.
Question 6: In literature synthesis, 'heterogeneity' primarily refers to:
- The diversity of databases searched
- Variation in study results beyond what chance would predict (Correct answer)
- The number of authors per study
- Differences in publication year across sources
Correct answer: Variation in study results beyond what chance would predict
Heterogeneity refers to variability in study outcomes that reflects true differences in populations, interventions, or contexts rather than random sampling error.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a 'scoping review'?
- A review focused solely on randomized controlled trials
- A broad review mapping the extent and nature of evidence on a topic (Correct answer)
- A review limited to a single country's literature
- A quantitative synthesis using pooled effect sizes
Correct answer: A broad review mapping the extent and nature of evidence on a topic
Scoping reviews map the breadth and key concepts of a topic without necessarily assessing study quality, often used to identify gaps or research questions.
CRS Literature Review & Synthesis 2
Which synthesis approach involves grouping studies by their methodological design rather than by findings?