A systematic literature review is a type of research method that involves collecting and critically analyzing multiple published research sources on a specific topic. The goal of a systematic literature review is to provide a comprehensive and unbiased overview of the current state of knowledge on a given topic, while also identifying any gaps in the literature that may be worthy of further study.
The process of conducting a systematic literature review typically begins with the development of a clear and well-defined research question, as well as a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria for the studies that will be included in the review. Researchers then use a systematic and transparent approach to search for and identify relevant studies and assess the quality of the studies using pre-determined criteria. This is followed by a critical analysis and synthesis of the findings from the included studies, which is used to draw conclusions and make recommendations for future research.
One of the main advantages of a systematic literature review is that it provides a more comprehensive and reliable summary of current knowledge and findings on a topic, it also enables to identify of trends and patterns in the literature, and more easily identifies gaps in knowledge, which may be addressed by future research. Additionally, by using a structured and transparent methodology, systematic literature reviews can help to reduce bias and improve the replicability of research.
It is a widely accepted method for identifying the current state of knowledge in a field, and for determining the direction for further research, used in many scientific fields, such as medicine, nursing, engineering, sociology, and many more.
Kitchenham is a surname. It is also the name of a research group at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, known as the “Kitchenham Group” or the “Software Engineering Group.” The group is led by Professor Barbara Kitchenham and conducts research in the field of software engineering, including the development and use of techniques for the systematic review of research literature. The group is known for its work on systematic literature reviews, a method for synthesizing and evaluating the results of multiple research studies in a systematic and transparent way.
The purpose of the Kitchenham Group at Loughborough University is to conduct research in the field of software engineering. The group is known for its work on systematic literature reviews, which are a method for synthesizing and evaluating the results of multiple research studies in an organized and transparent way. The group’s research focuses on a range of topics within software engineering, including software development methods, software maintenance, and software quality. The group aims to advance the state of knowledge in these areas and to provide practical guidance to practitioners and researchers in the field. The group’s work has been widely cited and has had a significant impact on the software engineering community.
The Kitchenham Group at Loughborough University has developed a systematic literature review process that consists of the following steps:
- Define the research question: This involves identifying the specific topic or problem that the review will address, as well as any relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria for studies that will be included in the review.
- Identify relevant studies: This involves searching for studies that are relevant to the research question, using databases and other sources such as conference proceedings and technical reports.
- Select studies: This involves reviewing the abstracts of the studies identified in step 2 and selecting those that meet the inclusion criteria for the review.
- Extract data: This involves collecting data from the selected studies, such as the study design, sample size, and main findings.
- Quality assessment: This involves evaluating the quality of the selected studies, using predetermined criteria such as the study design and sample size.
- Synthesize the results: This involves analyzing the data collected from the selected studies and synthesizing the results to draw conclusions about the research question.
- Report the results: This involves writing a report that documents the systematic literature review process and presents the results and conclusions of the review.
This process is designed to be systematic, transparent, and repeatable and to provide a rigorous and comprehensive review of the available research on a particular topic.