Quality of reviews in epidemiology.

1 March 1998

journal article
research article
Published by American Public Health Association in American Journal of Public Health

Vol. 88 (3) , 475-477
https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.88.3.475

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the quality of recent reviews in epidemiology. METHODS: All 1995 issues of 7 widely read epidemiology journals were searched to identify reviews. RESULTS: Twenty-nine reviews were identified. Methodology was not specified or incomplete for literature searches in 79% of reviews; the same was true for inclusion criteria in 83% and for combining studies in 62%. More than 60% of the reviews were not methodologically systematic. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to improve the quality of review papers in epidemiology. If systematic methodology were followed more frequently, epidemiologic science and its application could be improved.

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