Exeter Test Group and PenCLAHRC, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, Devon, EX1 1TE, UK.
Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (NMAHP) Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK.
Syst Rev. 2018 Mar 1;7(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s13643-018-0695-8.
Overviews of systematic reviews are a relatively new approach to synthesising evidence, and research methods and associated guidance are developing. Within this paper we aim to help readers understand key issues which are essential to consider when taking the first steps in planning an overview. These issues relate to the development of clear, relevant research questions and objectives prior to the development of an overview protocol.
Initial discussions and key concepts for this paper were formed during a workshop on overview methods at the 2016 UK Cochrane Symposium, at which all members of this author group presented work and contributed to wider discussions. Detailed descriptions of the various key features of overviews and their different objectives were created by the author group based upon current evidence (Higgins J, Green S. Cochrane Handbook Syst Rev Interv. 2011;4:5, Pollock M, et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:190-205, Pollock A, et al. Cochrane overviews of reviews: exploring the methods and challenges. UK and Ireland: Cochrane Symposium; 2016, Pieper D, et al. Res Syn Meth. 2014;5:187-99, Lunny C, et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:4-12, Hartling L, et al. Comparing multiple treatments: an introduction to overviews of reviews. In 23rd Cochrane Colloquium; 2015, Hartling L, et al. Plos One. 2012;7:1-8, Ballard M, Montgomery P. Res Syn Meth. 2017;8:92-108) and author experiences conducting overviews.
Within this paper we introduce different types of overviews and suggest common research questions addressed by these overviews. We briefly reflect on the key features and objectives of the example overviews discussed.
Clear decisions relating to the research questions and objectives are a fundamental first step during the initial planning stages for an overview. Key stakeholders should be involved at the earliest opportunity to ensure that the planned overview is relevant and meaningful to the potential end users of the overview. Following best practice in common with other forms of systematic evidence synthesis, an overview protocol should be published, ensuring transparency and reducing opportunities for introduction of bias in the conduct of the overview.
系统评价概述是一种相对较新的综合证据的方法，研究方法和相关指导正在不断发展。在本文中，我们旨在帮助读者理解在规划概述的第一步时需要考虑的关键问题。这些问题与在制定概述方案之前明确相关的研究问题和目标有关。
本论文的初步讨论和关键概念是在 2016 年英国 Cochrane 研讨会的概述方法研讨会上形成的，该研讨会上，本作者小组的所有成员都介绍了工作并为更广泛的讨论做出了贡献。作者小组根据现有证据（Higgins J，Green S. Cochrane Handbook Syst Rev Interv. 2011;4:5，Pollock M，et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:190-205，Pollock A，et al. Cochrane overviews of reviews: exploring the methods and challenges. UK and Ireland: Cochrane Symposium; 2016，Pieper D，et al. Res Syn Meth. 2014;5:187-99，Lunny C，et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:4-12，Hartling L，et al. Comparing multiple treatments: an introduction to overviews of reviews. In 23rd Cochrane Colloquium; 2015，Hartling L，et al. Plos One. 2012;7:1-8，Ballard M，Montgomery P. Res Syn Meth. 2017;8:92-108）和作者的经验来创建不同类型的概述，并提出这些概述所涉及的常见研究问题。我们简要回顾了讨论的示例概述的关键特征和目标。
在概述的初步规划阶段，明确与研究问题和目标相关的决策是基本的第一步。应尽早让关键利益相关者参与进来，以确保计划中的概述对概述的潜在最终用户具有相关性和意义。遵循与其他形式的系统证据综合相同的最佳实践，应发布概述方案，以确保透明度并减少在概述进行过程中引入偏见的机会。
