A systematic review is a long and detailed process. It takes at least 9 to 12 months depending on:
- your topic
- the number of citations you screen
- the number of studies you include
- the number of outcomes you are examining
Other factors can contribute to the time it takes:
- learning the software needed
- learning the systematic review process
- generating the tables (Summary of Findings, Risk of Bias, PRISMA flow diagram, etc.)
- performing a meta-analysis
Many people are surprised at how long the process takes. If you don't have the time for such a large project, there are many other types of reviews you can write that take less time:
- a regular literature review
- a scoping review
- a rapid review
- a systematized review
