Systematic reviews do not replace good quality studies

doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7278.0/g

Systematic reviews do not replace good quality studies

On p 98 Petticrew reviews the history of systematic reviews and scotches some myths. Systematic reviews are a method of locating,appraising, and synthesising evidence while making explicit effortsto limit bias. Petticrew gives examples of systematic reviewsthat have provided answers to "real world" questions such as whetherjurors are influenced by a defendant's race. Other myths he scotchesare that systematic reviews are the same as ordinary reviews,only bigger; that they can be done without proper library or informationsupport; and that they are a substitute for good quality primarystudies.