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Schick-Makaroff K, MacDonald M, Plummer M, et al. What Synthesis Methodology Should I Use? A Review and Analysis of Approaches to Research Synthesis. AIMS Public Health. 2016;3(1):172-215doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.1.172.
Schick-Makaroff, K., MacDonald, M., Plummer, M., Burgess, J., & Neander, W. (2016). What Synthesis Methodology Should I Use? A Review and Analysis of Approaches to Research Synthesis. AIMS public health, 3(1), 172-215. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2016.1.172
Schick-Makaroff, Kara, et al. "What Synthesis Methodology Should I Use? A Review and Analysis of Approaches to Research Synthesis." AIMS public health vol. 3,1 (2016): 172-215. doi: https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2016.1.172
Schick-Makaroff K, MacDonald M, Plummer M, Burgess J, Neander W. What Synthesis Methodology Should I Use? A Review and Analysis of Approaches to Research Synthesis. AIMS Public Health. 2016 Mar 30;3(1):172-215. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.1.172. eCollection 2016. PMID: 29546155; PMCID: PMC5690272.
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AIMS Public Health. 2016 Mar 30;3(1):172-215. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.1.172. eCollection 2016.

What Synthesis Methodology Should I Use? A Review and Analysis of Approaches to Research Synthesis.

AIMS public health

Kara Schick-Makaroff, Marjorie MacDonald, Marilyn Plummer, Judy Burgess, Wendy Neander

Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
  2. School of Nursing, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
  3. College of Nursing, Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada.
  4. Student Services, University Health Services, Victoria, BC, Canada.

PMID: 29546155 PMCID: PMC5690272 DOI: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.1.172

Abstract

BACKGROUND: When we began this process, we were doctoral students and a faculty member in a research methods course. As students, we were facing a review of the literature for our dissertations. We encountered several different ways of conducting a review but were unable to locate any resources that synthesized all of the various synthesis methodologies. Our purpose is to present a comprehensive overview and assessment of the main approaches to research synthesis. We use 'research synthesis' as a broad overarching term to describe various approaches to combining, integrating, and synthesizing research findings.

METHODS: We conducted an integrative review of the literature to explore the historical, contextual, and evolving nature of research synthesis. We searched five databases, reviewed websites of key organizations, hand-searched several journals, and examined relevant texts from the reference lists of the documents we had already obtained.

RESULTS: We identified four broad categories of research synthesis methodology including conventional, quantitative, qualitative, and emerging syntheses. Each of the broad categories was compared to the others on the following: key characteristics, purpose, method, product, context, underlying assumptions, unit of analysis, strengths and limitations, and when to use each approach.

CONCLUSIONS: The current state of research synthesis reflects significant advancements in emerging synthesis studies that integrate diverse data types and sources. New approaches to research synthesis provide a much broader range of review alternatives available to health and social science students and researchers.

Keywords: knowledge synthesis; methodology; research synthesis; systematic review

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this article.

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