A systematic review is an overview of primary research studies conducted according to an explicit and reproducable methodology - within evidence based practice systematic reviews are used as a good way of presenting rigorous summaries of the research evidence to practitioners and policy makers.

A literature review provides an overview of the literature in a particular area - it can be critical or systematic (or neither!)

The following presentations outline the differences and the process and practicalities of undertaking systematic reviews

Systematic reviews: practicalities and realities - Alison Brettle

Systematic reviews: critical appraisal - Alison Brettle

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses - Alison Brettle

There are a number of organisations who specialise in systematic reviews and have provided indepth guides or handbooks in conducting them.  They also make databases of reviews available.

¡Cochrane Collaboration

http://www.cochrane.org/

http://www.cochrane.org/docs/irmg.htm

¡Centre for Reviews and Dissemination   http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/

handbook for conducting systematic reviews,

http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/methods.htm

Searching for systematic reviews http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/revs.htm

¡EPPI-Centre – Stages of a review

http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=89

¡SCIE - The conduct of systematic research reviews for SCIE knowledge reviews http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/details.asp?pubID=111