Catalogue of
Paediatric Speech Language Pathology Reviews
Systematic Review Methods
Identification and Examination of Relevant Articles
Step 1
– Search Strategies
Database searching was not an adequate procedure for constructing the
Catalogue because reviews of research were not reliably indexed. Therefore,
we searched by hand the tables of contents of each issue of 10 peer-reviewed
journals published between 2000-2006, as well as the entire Cochrane
Library. The 10 journals were selected based on the impact factors
(Web of Science), and in consultation with speech language pathologists.
Book Reviews, Letters to the Editor, résumés, position statements,
announcements, and so forth were not included.
|
Journals
|
Impact
Factor |
# of
Articles (2000-2006) |
|
American
Journal of Mental Retardation |
1.26 |
252 |
|
American
Journal of Speech-Language Pathology |
NA |
207 |
|
International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders |
1.089 |
183 |
|
Journal of
Communication Disorders |
1.155 |
181 |
|
Journal of
Fluency Disorders |
1.162 |
145 |
|
Journal of
Neurolinguistics |
1.429 |
114 |
|
Journal of
Occupational Rehabilitation |
1.652 |
185 |
|
Journal of
Speech, Language and Hearing Research |
1.044 |
668 |
|
Journal of
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology |
NA |
81 |
|
Language
Speech and Hearing Services in Schools |
0.886 |
116 |
|
Cochrane
Database of Systematic Reviews |
NA |
2785 |
|
Total |
4917 |
Step 2 –
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established by a team
of researchers and speech language pathologists trained in systematic review
methods. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to the titles and
abstracts of identified articles (N=4917).
|
|
Inclusion
criteria |
Exclusion
criteria |
|
Population |
Children
Birth through elementary school (0-12 yrs)
Industrialized nations
English or French |
Only adults |
|
Intervention |
Interventions administered by speech language pathologists
|
Theoretical models
Assessment training
‘How to’ guides |
|
Method of Review |
Published
in peer-reviewed source
Narrative, systematic, meta-analyses
|
Dissertations
Books
Introductions to research studies
Introductions to proposals for research
Reviews composed solely of authors' own research
Primary research studies
Opinion pieces
Theoretical discourse |
|
Outcomes |
Language,
speech, social development and skills, quality of life, learning and
school achievements |
Economic
only |
Two researchers assessed the reliability of the application of inclusion and
exclusion criteria to the titles and abstracts of approximately 30% (578) of
the 2132 articles found in the 10 journals. They disagreed on the inclusion
of 8 articles; reliability high, kappa = .83. The 8
disagreements were resolved by consensus during the evaluation of
the full text of the articles.
Step 3 – Results
|
Activity |
Resultant Number of Citations |
|
Search of 10 journals and
Cochrane Library |
4917 |
|
Application of
inclusion/exclusion criteria to titles and abstracts of each citation* |
98 |
|
Application of inclusion/exclusion criteria to full text of each
article |
65 |
*primary
reasons for exclusion: journal article was not a review of research;
Cochrane review
was unrelated to speech language pathology |
Step 4 - Data Extraction
Information from each of the 65
reviews was extracted and recorded in a spreadsheet. Categories of
information included factors relating to review methods, purpose of the
review, client populations, assessments and intervention methods, results,
conclusions, and useful features of the review.
Next
(Steps 5-8)
©2006 by Canadian Centre
for Knowledge Mobilisation. All rights reserved.