Subject Guides

Integrative Review

A step by step guide to conduct an Integrative Review

Differences between Narrative, Integrative & Systematic Review

  Narrative Integrative Systematic
Purpose Provides an
overview on a
topic of inquiry for
a research study,
dissertation, or
stand-alone review		 Critical analysis of
empirical,
methodological, or
theoretical literature,
which draws attention to
future research needs		 Answers a single specific clinical
question

Team Member(s)

 One or more Two or more and librarian involvement

Three or more (including subject specialist) and librarian
Review Protocol No No Yes
Review Question Not a specific question framework

Broad PPC Framework: 

Phenomena of Interest, Population & Context

Specific PICO formulated question: 

Population, Intervention, Control, Outcome
Reporting Guidelines No PRISMA PRISMA
Timeline 2-6 Months 6-12 Months 12-24 Months
Systematic Search Methodology No Yes Yes
Types of evidence Scholarly work Experimental, methodological & theoretical Experimental
Inclusion/Exclusion No Yes Yes
PRISMA flow diagram No Yes Yes
Critical Appraisal No  Yes Yes
Data Extraction No Yes Yes
Analysis & Synthesis Narrative Thematic analysis according to the research question and theoretical framework Descriptive qualitative synthesis
Evidence-based Practice Implications No Yes Yes

Source: Toronto, C. E., & Remington, R. (Eds.). (2020). A step-by-step guide to conducting an integrative review. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37