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Updated: Sep 26, 2025

Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
How to appraise the literature: basic principles for the busy clinician - part 2: systematic reviews and
Aslam Alkadhimi1, Samuel Reeves2, Andrew T DiBiase3
1Senior Registrar in Orthodontics, The Royal London Hospital Barts Health NHS Trust and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. aslam.alkadhimi@nhs.net.
Abstract:
With the increasing numbers of primary research papers being published in dentistry and healthcare in general, it is almost impossible for busy clinicians to keep up with the literature. Reviews summarising the outcomes of trials can therefore be a considerably efficient tool for obtaining the relevant information about what works and what does not. To this end, systematic reviews are critical in summarising the best available evidence and providing an indication of its strength. However, as with clinical trials, they can be difficult to interpret, of varying quality and dependent on the studies they include. This is the second part of a two-part series and will discuss the principles of critically appraising systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It follows on from part one, which focused on appraising randomised controlled trials.
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