Characteristics of Reviews Published in Nursing Literature: A Methodological Review

Integrative and systematic reviews present synthesized research. Scholars have called for increased rigor and reporting in reviews. The purpose of this methodological review was to describe the characteristics of nurse-led reviews. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines directed the review process. Many reviews did not clearly report the search strategy used and methods for data extraction and quality appraisal, indicating that there has not been an increase in rigor. Authors of reviews are encouraged to report sufficient methodological details, so peer reviewers and consumers can determine whether the methods were rigorous enough to contribute meaningful results.