Step 9: Synthesise your results
In this step we will synthesize data narratively, using tables and figures as appropriate, to provide structured reporting.
Types of synthesis which is a part the results section
- Qualitative synthesis (or descriptive synthesis)
- Quantitative synthesis
- Subgroup analysis
- Sensitivity analysis
- Narrative synthesis
Qualitative synthesis
- Description of the publications that you found. Authors, Countries, Types of studies.
- Trying to bring the knowledge, understanding and interpreting the topic
- Deeper understanding about your judgements about the evidence
- Do you believe the evidence?
- How could these judgements have affected your interpretation of the results?
- What about missing evidence? Could this have affected your judgement? How could you handle that? Would you do a sensitivity analysis? What do you think about the interpretation of your findings given this factor?
- Reasonableness of conducting a meta-analysis
- Describe patterns in evidence: young people vs older group (subgroup analysis). Would this help interpret your findings?
Quantitative analysis
- Do studies address the same question?
- The studies you’re going to include in your systematic review usually differ in one way or another
- Each study is summarized by an estimate of effect (the result) (i.e., risk ratio)
- The overall measure of the effect is a weighted average of the results of the individual studies
- Weighted average: more weight if more information (mainly sample size); more information leads to increased precision
Evidence tables
Evidence tables are summaries of the data extraction tables