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Integrative Reviews

What is an integrative review?

Integrative reviews bring together the practical ‘what works’ with the theoretical ‘how and why does it work’ to address the more complex issue of ‘what works under which circumstances’. This kind of combination mixed method review may provide a more complete picture of the research landscape within a specific topic area.

Integrative review features:

  • It could take longer to complete than a systematic review 
  • Like systematic reviews, integrative review searching should be methodical, comprehensive and reproducible
  • Uses both quantitative and qualitative studies, or experimental and non-experimental studies
  • Are recommended when drawing on literature that has utilised different methodologies.

Integrative reviews may also be referred to as:

  • Systematic integrative reviews
  • Integrative literature reviews
  • Integrative research reviews.

Source:

Steps to an integrative review

  1. Plan the review 

  2. Search for the literature.

  3. Analyse the results.

  4. Synthesise findings from included sources.

  5. Write the review.

  6. Publish the review.

The Guidelines & Tools section includes guidelines and handbooks as well as software and other tools to manage the process.

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