Meta-analysis topic ideas by specialty
A good systematic review or meta-analysis topic is new, answerable from the studies that exist, and worth the months it takes. These guides show where gaps tend to hide in each specialty, which outcomes pool well, and the traps to avoid. New to choosing a topic? Start with how to find a novel, valid and impactful one.
CardiologyHow to find a cardiology systematic review or meta-analysis topic that has not been doneOncologyFind an oncology meta-analysis topic that has not been doneNeurologyFind a neurology systematic review or meta-analysis topic that has not been donePsychiatry and mental healthFind a psychiatry or mental health meta-analysis topic that has not been donePaediatrics and neonatologyFind a paediatrics or neonatology systematic review topic that has not been doneInfectious diseasesFind an infectious diseases systematic review or meta-analysis topic that has not been doneEndocrinology, diabetes and obesityFind a diabetes, obesity or endocrinology meta-analysis topic that has not been doneRespiratory medicineFind a respiratory medicine meta-analysis topic that has not been done
How to choose a topic, in four steps
- Narrow it. Broad questions are almost always covered. Restrict by population, setting, outcome or intervention until the question is specific.
- Check the studies exist. You need enough primary studies that measure the same outcome in a comparable way.
- Check it is not done. Before committing months to a topic, check that nobody has beaten you to it. Search PubMed with its systematic review filter, the Cochrane Library, the PROSPERO register (for reviews that are registered but not yet published) and Epistemonikos. Look at how recent the latest review is and whether new trials have appeared since its search date.
- Check it matters. Ask whether the answer would change what clinicians or guideline writers do.
Let SynthGap do the first pass
Enter an area, and SynthGap proposes candidate topics, checks them against existing systematic reviews, and lists the primary studies behind each. The free plan includes 3 discovery runs a month.
Start freeGeneral methodological guidance, not medical advice.