Knowledge Synthesis in Health, Wellness and Social Care Research: The Fundamentals of Conducting Comprehensive Reviews

Abstract

Knowledge synthesis is often a term that is widely used to define the process of summarizing and integrating research findings into the existing field of research of a specific topic. While knowledge syntheses can take many forms, it is commonly produced as a review of previously published literature in a specific field. With the recent tremendous increase in scientific, especially health, publications, conducting literature reviews has become an absolute necessity for investigators to scope out the body of research work that has already been done. Literature reviews provide a unique function of providing a clear and articulate understanding of the extent of previous work that has been done such that resources are not wasted in redundant duplication. Moreover, literature reviews can serve multiple purposes such as providing context to current crises, efficiently summarizing previously published work, identifying gaps in the literature of a specific topic, and aiding the overall advancement of knowledge in the research field of interest. In this manuscript, we provide detailed general steps for conducting a review based on standard and common methodological frameworks used to inform and conduct knowledge syntheses.