How to conduct a literature review to ensure the rigor of the methodology?

A systematic literature review ensures methodological rigor by comprehensively evaluating existing research to justify and refine study design, mitigate biases, and establish a credible foundation for the research question. Its feasibility is demonstrated through established protocols and critical appraisal frameworks. Key principles involve formulating a clear research question specifying participants, interventions, comparisons, and outcomes (PICO or similar). A transparent, pre-defined protocol is essential, detailing search strategies across multiple databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science), precise inclusion/exclusion criteria, and standardized data extraction methods. Rigor necessitates critical appraisal of included studies' quality and validity using tools like CASP checklists or risk-of-bias assessments (e.g., Cochrane RoB 2). Consistency and objectivity throughout the process are mandatory, often requiring multiple reviewers and resolving discrepancies through consensus. Implementation involves systematically searching, screening titles/abstracts, reviewing full texts, extracting data, critically appraising study quality, synthesizing findings thematically or quantitatively (e.g., meta-analysis), and transparently reporting the entire process following guidelines like PRISMA. This structured approach enhances reproducibility, identifies knowledge gaps, prevents unnecessary replication, strengthens methodological choices, and provides context for interpreting new results, significantly increasing the study's overall validity and contribution.