Finding a novel, valid and impactful review topic
A good systematic review or meta-analysis topic passes three tests: it is novel, it is valid, and it is impactful. These guides explain each test and how to apply it before you spend months on a review.
How to find a novel, valid and impactful meta-analysis topicA practical method for choosing a meta-analysis topic that is new, methodologically sound and worth doing: three tests, five steps and a checklist.Is my meta-analysis topic novel?What counts as a novel systematic review topic, what does not, and how to decide whether to skip, update, extend or proceed when a review already exists.Is my meta-analysis topic valid and feasible?How to test whether a meta-analysis question has enough comparable, good-quality studies to answer it, with red flags that mean you should stop.Is my meta-analysis topic impactful?How to judge whether a review topic adds to the literature and answers an important question: decision uncertainty, burden and guideline gaps.How to check whether a systematic review already existsA step-by-step method to check whether a systematic review on your question already exists, in PubMed, Cochrane, PROSPERO and Epistemonikos.
Let SynthGap run the first pass
Enter an area. SynthGap proposes candidate topics and checks them against existing systematic reviews. The free plan includes 3 discovery runs a month.
Start freeLooking for ideas by specialty? Browse topic guides for cardiology, oncology, neurology and more.
General methodological guidance, not medical advice.