The short answer to the question, “Is systematic review qualitative or quantitative?” is that it can be both. The methodology for a systematic review has a direct effect on the findings and implications, so you have to choose wisely.
The long answer to the query is this blog. So, read it to learn about qualitative and quantitative systematic literature reviews in detail.
Qualitative Vs Quantitative Systematic Review
A systematic review is the pinnacle of evidence-based research. It is a detailed review of existing literature on a research question, designed to provide a thorough summary of current evidence related to that question. Additionally, it draws conclusions based on wider information than any individual study may offer.
The key features of a systematic literature review include, that it has predefined criteria, requires exhaustive research of multiple databases and even grey literature, and includes studies with a critical assessment and data extraction. But, is systematic review qualitative or quantitative? Let’s break down the categories and then answer them.
Qualitative Research
In qualitative research, you explore and understand the deeper meanings of human experiences, perceptions, emotions, and interactions. It is mostly concerned with the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of decision-making rather than just the ‘what,’ ‘where,’ or ‘when.’ Moreover, it focuses on depth over breadth and rich, descriptive data instead of numerical status. Mostly, qualitative research is used in social sciences and health when the research questions demand a detailed understanding of something.
The main characteristics of qualitative research include:
- It uses non-numerical data like texts, interviews, images, or observations.
- Works with smaller, more focused samples
- Acknowledges the subjective nature of human experiences
Qualitative Systematic Reviews
A qualitative systematic review combines findings from multiple qualitative studies to offer a better understanding of a research question. It does not aggregate quantitative data, but rather creates a narrative synthesis of themes. Furthermore, it provides insight into how phenomena are understood and experienced in different settings or populations. Like quantitative reviews, qualitative systematic reviews follow a systematic search process and criteria for inclusion and exclusion of studies.
Here is how you can conduct a qualitative systematic review:
- Define the research question and focus on the qualitative aspects of the academic research, such as experiences and perceptions.
- You have to conduct systematic research using relevant databases and keywords.
- Now, critically evaluate the methodological quality of included qualitative studies.
- Develop a thematic or narrative synthesis by identifying and interpreting recurring themes and concepts.
- Form conclusions based on the qualitative data.
Qualitative Systematic Review Example
A qualitative systematic review on how patients with chronic illness experience healthcare services.
The review might identify common themes such as “communication barriers” and “access to care.” The synthesis of findings from multiple qualitative studies will allow insights into patient needs and guide improvements in health care services.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research involves large-scale data collection and analysis of numerical data, which aims to test hypotheses and establish patterns through statistical analysis. This type of research is focused on producing results that are objective and generalisable. Additionally, it focuses on controlling variables to isolate causal relationships. Quantitative research is commonly used in fields such as economics and natural sciences.
Quantitative Systematic Reviews
A quantitative systematic review is the synthesis of quantitative data from multiple studies. It uses statistical methods to pool results and generate overall conclusions. Meta-analyses are a common feature of quantitative systematic reviews, where results from individual studies are statistically combined to estimate a common effect. This type of research involves strict inclusion and exclusion criteria and focuses on the quality and relevance of the included studies.
The steps to conduct an effective quantitative systematic review are defined below.
- Formulate a precise research question that is focused on measurable outcomes.
- Identify and collect quantitative studies that match the research question through systematic search.
- You have to assess the quality of the research design and statistical analysis of included studies.
- Extract and analyse data, often through meta-analysis
- Draw conclusions based on the overall effect sizes and statistical significance of the pooled data.
Quantitative Systematic Review Example
A quantitative systematic review on the effectiveness of a new drug for treating high blood pressure.
The review would include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and statistical analysis of the impact of the drug on patients’ blood pressure compared to a placebo.
Mixed Method Research
Mixed methods research combines both qualitative (numerical) and quantitative (descriptive) approaches. It integrates numerical data with detailed contextual understanding and allows researchers to address complex questions where both numerical trends and subjective experiences are important. You should know that in this type of research, data collection can happen sequentially (one method after the other) or concurrently (both methods at the same time).
Mixed Method Systematic Reviews
A mixed methods systematic review integrates findings from both qualitative and quantitative studies and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the research question. This approach allows for the triangulation of findings, where the qualitative data can add depth to quantitative results, and vice versa. Mixed-methods systematic reviews follow systematic protocols for searching and appraising.
Here are five easy steps to help you conduct a mixed-method systematic review.
- Define a research question that requires both qualitative and quantitative data to be fully addressed.
- Identify relevant qualitative and quantitative studies.
- Assess the quality of both qualitative and quantitative studies using appropriate appraisal tools.
- Combine qualitative and quantitative data, either by integrating findings or keeping them distinct but complementary.
- Use insights from both types of data to form a detailed conclusion.
Mixed Method Systematic Review Example
A mixed-method systematic review that explores the effectiveness of an educational intervention for improving reading skills.
Quantitative studies might provide data on improvements in test scores, while qualitative studies could offer insights into how students perceive the intervention. A combination of the results would offer both numerical evidence of effectiveness and a deeper understanding of how and why the intervention worked from the students’ perspectives.
Comparison Table
| Aspect |
Qualitative Systematic Review |
Quantitative Systematic Review |
Mixed Methods Systematic Review |
| Purpose | Understand experiences and perceptions | Aggregate numerical data to answer measurable questions | Provide a comprehensive view by combining qualitative and quantitative data |
| Data | Narrative, thematic data from qualitative studies | Numerical data from quantitative studies | Both narrative and numerical data |
| Synthesis | Thematic or narrative synthesis | Statistical synthesis, often with meta-analysis | Integration of qualitative and quantitative findings |
| Strengths | Provides a deep contextual understanding | Offers generalisable, objective results | Offers both context and generalisability |
| Limitations | Not generalisable to larger populations | May miss the contextual aspect | More complex to conduct and analyse |
Is a Systematic Review Qualitative or Quantitative?
Now that you are familiar with qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods systematic review, let’s answer the question, is systematic review qualitative or quantitative? You can use both. You can also use an amalgamation of these research methods. However, you have to consider certain factors to make the right choice.
Factors To Consider
Here are the top factors that researchers must consider before making the choice.
Research Question
You need to evaluate whether your research question is measuring (e.g., How do patients feel about their treatment experience with Drug X?) or quantifying (e.g., How effective is Drug X compared to Drug Y?
Available Data
The kind of literature available on the research topic also plays an important part. At times, the nature of existing research can guide your review method.
Desired Outcomes
You have to understand what kind of results you want from your research. Are looking for statistical data to guide clinical decisions, or do you want insights to inform patient counselling.
Research Objectives
If the primary objective of your research is to measure something in the form of numerical data, go for a quantitative systematic review. Conversely, if you want to understand experiences without a pre-set hypothesis, then qualitative systematic reviews would be ideal. If you want to do both, then opt for mixed methods research.
Frequently Asked Questions
A systematic review can be both qualitative and quantitative, depending on the type of research you want to conduct and the available sources. Some systematic reviews are even mixed methods as well.
Systematic review is a type of research that follows a rigorous process for primary research. It depends on the existing literature present on a research topic.
Systematic reviews can be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method research.
