what is a rapid review?
a form of knowledge synthesis in which components of the systematic review process are simplified or omitted to produce information in a timely manner.
why conduct a rapid review?
rapid reviews are best for new and emerging topics. they also help assess current policies in a very short period of time.
what makes a rapid review different than a systematic review?
rapid review | systematic review | |
time | less than 5 weeks | 12-18 months |
search scope | limited sources | more comprehensive search |
synthesis | descriptive summary | qualitative summary with meta-analysis |
reviewers | may only be one reviewer | must have at least 2 reviewers |