Conducting systematic literature reviews

Background and objectives

The substantially increasing trajectory in the volume of academic research is reflected in the range, depth, and fragmentation of the literature. As a result, new research endeavors are more prone to miss significant prior literature, or more broadly challenged to fully engage with a comprehensive picture of the prior research. This emerging challenge is reflected by the surge in the use of multiple approaches to synthesis of prior research, such as a range of scientometric as well as systematic review approaches. For the systematic reviews to be rigorously designed and conducted, students need to master the procedures and steps related to their conduction and be aware of the potential pitfalls and biases related to their use. The course aims to equip the students with the basic skills and knowledge related to the use and conduction of systematic literature reviews particularly within the area of industrial engineering and management and management science.

The course will cover the purpose and rationale of systematic reviews, different steps in conducting systematic reviews, formulation of answerable research questions, potential pitfalls and challenging in conducting systematic literature reviews, approaches for interpreting results of systematic literature reviews.

The course deepens the students’ knowledge of conducting systematic literature reviews particularly on the following areas

• Purposes and goals of systematic literature reviews
• Methods for conducting systematic literature reviews
• Process of conducting systematic literature reviews
• Formulation of answerable research questions
• Potential pitfalls, biases and challenges in conducting systematic literature reviews
• Transparent reporting of systematic literature reviews

Target group

The course aims to equip the students with the basic skills and knowledge related to the use and conduction of systematic literature reviews particularly within the area of industrial engineering and management and management science. In addition, doctoral students from other fields of science, with an interest on systematic literature reviews are also warmly welcome.

Schedule and practicalities

The course is a seminar type of course that involves both independent work in the form of writing and reading and in-class interactive seminar session that features lectures and discussions. The course is lectured by Prof. Nader Naderpajouh from the University of Sydney and Assoc.Prof. Kirsi Aaltonen from University of Oulu.

A one full-day seminar will be organized on 17th of June, 2024 at 10 am – 3 pm. In addition, a short one-hour introductory lecture to the course and its assignments will be organized on 4th of June at 9 am- 10 am in Zoom, link: https://oulu.zoom.us/j/66877905692 (This session will also be recorded). Furthermore, discussion and supervision slots will be offered for those students who are interested by the teachers to guide the course assignments and independent research work of the students.

Registration

Please register to the course in Webropol https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/632A838E39438809 by 2nd of June. If you have any questions concerning the course, do not hesitate to contact Kirsi (kirsi.aaltonen@oulu.fi).

Requirements for passing the course

The course readings entail selected scientific articles on the different themes of systematic literature reviews. To be able to pass the course, a student needs to take part in the seminar on 17th of June, read the pre-reading materials for the seminar day, participate in seminar discussions, analyze one systematic literature review paper from one’s own field and write a short essay/paper on how systematic literature review as a methodological choice can be utilized in one’s own thesis topic. The format of the essay is free and it can also be a synthesis from the reading materials or an article draft. The key aim is that the writing of the essay supports the student’s doctoral work.