The challenges of conducting systematic evidence reviews: A case study of factors shaping children’s digital skills

Abstract

Systematic evidence reviews draw together findings from multiple studies, helping researchers and decision makers to understand patterns of research and findings across varying contexts and research methodologies. They have become more popular over the last twenty years, with various guides discussing the different ways in which they can be conducted and the issues arising in this process. This case study of a systematic review of the factors shaping children’s digital skills explores the challenges, risks and potential strategies in this process, as those involved in that review reflect upon the various judgements involved in choosing inclusion criteria, filtering and coding studies and synthesising the material collected.