Conducting Systematic Reviews of the Literature: Guidance for Quality Appraisal

Abstract

Increased attention has been placed on identifying and installing evidence-based practices (EBPs) to effectively and efficiently serve students with and at-risk for learning and behavioral challenges. Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC, 2014) Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education are often used to examine a range of strategies, practices, and programs to ascertain if they are indeed EBPs. Systematic reviews conducted to evaluate the evidence base of these potential EBPs are important as they inform practice. We contend it is important to provide well-vetted procedures for training scholars to conduct systematic reviews with replicable precision. We offer this chapter to assist scholars in conducting systematic reviews to quality appraise the methodological rigor of a body of literature using the CEC Standards for EBPs. We focus on (1) project management considerations and (2) steps and phases to support the development and dissemination of high quality, methodologically rigorous systematic literature reviews.

Citation

Lane, K.L., Common, E.A., Royer, D.J. and Oakes, W.P. (2022), "Conducting Systematic Reviews of the Literature: Guidance for Quality Appraisal", Tankersley, M., Cook, B.G. and Landrum, T.J. (Ed.) Delivering Intensive, Individualized Interventions to Children and Youth with Learning and Behavioral Disabilities (Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, Vol. 32), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 109-130. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0735-004X20220000032007