What is bias and how is it a part of my systematic review project?
Answer
Biases which affect systematic reviews may occur at any stage of research from development of the research question to interpretation of results. Deliberate biases occur when researchers approach a project with a desired result in mind; unconscious or implicit biases often reflect researchers’ personal preferences and professional and life experiences. To combat implicit bias, researchers and research teams may choose to identify, acknowledge, and assess their assumptions and biases as potential limitations inherent in the work. For a fuller discussion of these concepts, see the Research Bias section of Research Ethics in Sage Research Methods Online.
You can learn more about how to avoid bias in your systematic review project here. For more support on systematic reviews, advanced reviews, or evidence syntheses, please visit our Systematic Reviews and Evidence Syntheses Research Subject Guide.