The problems with systematic reviews: updates on a living systematic review

This webinar presented an overview of the living systematic review of the problems with systematic reviews (www.systematicreviewlution.com) including its aim, methods and findings. Evidence syntheses are experiencing a boom in production in the academic literature. But despite the developments within guidelines and extensions to improve methodological and reporting quality, there is much evidence that systematic reviews are being published which fail to live up to their esteemed reputation. The underlying reasons that are likely contributing to the problems identified were discussed, such as the impact of the evolving research environment and other human influences in research, as well potential solutions and recommendations to help researchers ensure that systematic reviews accurately answer questions that matter to people and society.
Dr Lesley Uttley is Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, working in the field of meta-meta-meta research scrutiny. Following an educational background in Psychology and 10+ years working as a systematic reviewer in the faculty of medicine, Lesley was awarded a fellowship by the UK Medical Research Council in 2019 to investigate the reliability and validity of published systematic reviews- the gold standard in evidence syntheses. This research integrity initiative is a living systematic review which aims to join up and amplify the conversation about systematic review conduct to help people doing and using systematic reviews strive for best practice. Her work uses systematic reviews as the litmus test for the health of the research production ecosystem and the she advocates considering how human influences such as researcher allegiances and other conflicts of interest, as well as research culture, can impact seemingly objective research projects.