1. From Extraction to Synthesis
Synthesis is more than summarising papers one by one. Compare studies across a common analytical frame and organise the evidence around the research questions.
Narrative synthesis
Use when studies are heterogeneous. Describe patterns, consistencies, contradictions and contextual differences, supported by evidence tables.
Thematic synthesis
Code recurring concepts, group related codes into descriptive themes and develop higher-level analytical themes that answer the review questions.
Quantitative synthesis
Where study designs and measures permit, numerical findings may be combined using an appropriate statistical approach. Do not combine incomparable outcomes merely to produce a pooled result.
2. Identifying Research Gaps
Look for gaps supported by the evidence: under-studied populations or contexts, inconsistent findings, methodological limitations, missing comparisons, limited longitudinal evidence, weak evaluation practices or unresolved theoretical relationships. Discovery tools may assist exploration, but the gap statement must be justified from the included literature.
3. Crafting the Manuscript
| Section | Core content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Context, problem, motivation, gap, review aim and research questions. |
| Method | Protocol, databases, search strings, eligibility criteria, screening, quality assessment, extraction and synthesis. |
| Results | PRISMA flow, study characteristics and findings organised around the RQs. |
| Discussion | Interpretation, comparison, implications, gaps, limitations and future research. |
| Conclusion | Concise answer to the review purpose and principal contribution. |
4. Tables and Figures
Use tables for study characteristics, quality results, taxonomies and evidence comparisons. Use figures for the PRISMA flow, conceptual relationships, trends or synthesis frameworks. Every visual must be explained in the text and contribute to an RQ.
Hands-on writing task
- Map every RQ to extracted evidence.
- Create at least one synthesis table.
- Draft one evidence-based results subsection.
- Write a defensible research-gap paragraph.
- Outline Introduction, Method, Results and Discussion.
Synthesis structure, core tables/figures, research-gap narrative and first substantial manuscript draft.