Systematic review of literature in education: Characteristics, structure and possibilities for qualitative research

Abstract

The growth in the number of graduate programs and the rapid diffusion of knowledge driven by technology have resulted in an increase in scientific production and stimulated the demand for the search, organization and synthesis of the knowledge already produced. In this context, the systematic literature review is distinguished as an important type of research, since it proposes to summarize in a standardized and judicious way the published evidence on a given issue, in order to favor the production of new studies that can advance from the knowledge previously built. Specifically with regard to qualitative research in education, the epistemological and methodological aspects of the systematic literature review and the scientific contributions to educational research that may emerge from these studies are rarely addressed in depth. Thus, through bibliographical research of a qualitative nature, this theoretical article aims to present the concept, characteristics, structure and execution stages of the systematic review applied to qualitative research in the educational field. The text sets out the steps for its implementation, from the delimitation of the research question, elaboration of search strategies, selection of studies and data extraction, to the systematization of the results, dissemination and publication of the systematic literature review. Some precautions, contributions, possibilities and limits of the systematic literature review to qualitative research in the educational sciences are also indicated. The study emphasizes that good quality systematic reviews are characterized by the transparency and reproducibility of the methodological process, and recognized for their credibility and high level of evidence.