General guidelines for conducting literature reviews often do not address the question of literature searches and dealing with a potentially large number of identified sources. These issues are ...specifically addressed by so-called systematic literature reviews (SLRs) that propose a strict protocol for the search and appraisal of literature. Moreover, SLRs are claimed to be a ‘standardized method’ for literature reviews that is replicable, transparent, objective, unbiased and rigorous, and thus superior to other approaches for conducting literature reviews. These are significant and consequential claims that – despite increasing adoption of SLRs – remained largely unnoticed in the information systems (IS) literature. The objective of this debate is to draw attention of the IS community to SLR's claims, to question their justification and reveal potential risks of their adoption. This is achieved by first examining the origins of SLR and the prescribed SLR process and then by critically assessing their claims and implications. In this debate, we show that SLRs are applicable and useful for a very specific kind of literature review, a meta study that identifies and summarizes evidence from earlier research. We also demonstrate that the claims that SLRs provide superior quality are not justified. More importantly, we argue that SLR as a general approach to conducting literature reviews is highly questionable, concealing significant perils. The paper cautions that SLR could undermine critical engagement with literature and what it means to be scholarly in academic work.
Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in melanoma Weinstein, David; Leininger, Jennifer; Hamby, Carl ...
The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology,
06/2014, Letnik:
7, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Melanoma is a lethal melanocytic neoplasm. Unfortunately, the histological diagnosis can be difficult at times. Distinguishing ambiguous melanocytic neoplasms that are benign nevi from those that ...represent true melanoma is important both for treatment and prognosis. Diagnostic biomarkers currently used to assist in the diagnosis of melanoma are usually specific only for melanocytic neoplasms and not necessarily for their ability to metastasize. Traditional prognostic biomarkers include depth of invasion and mitotic count. Newer diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers utilize immunohistochemical staining as well as ribonucleic acid, micro-ribonucleic acid, and deoxyribonucleic acid assays and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Improved diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are of increasing importance in the treatment of melanoma with the development of newer and more targeted therapies. Herein, the authors review many of the common as well as newer diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers used in melanoma.
Systematic literature reviews are an increasingly used review methodology to synthesize the existing body of literature in a field. However, editors complain about a high number of desk rejections ...because of a lack in quality. Poorly developed review articles are not published because of a perceived lack of contribution to the field. Our article supports authors of standalone papers and graduate students in the Entrepreneurship domain to write contribution-focused systematic reviews e.g. by providing a concrete guideline. Our article analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of a systematic literature review and how they can be overcome. Furthermore, we provide a combined list of highly ranked journals in the Entrepreneurship domain as a basis for quality appraisal. Finally, this article builds a scenario for the future of the systematic literature review methodology and shows how technological improvements have changed this methodology and what can be achieved in the future.
Genital warts: a comprehensive review Yanofsky, Valerie R; Patel, Rita V; Goldenberg, Gary
The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology
5, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
External genital warts, also known as condylomata acuminata, are extremely common, with between 500,000 to one million new cases diagnosed each year in the United States alone. To date, more than 120 ...distinct subtypes of human papillomavirus have been identified. Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 rarely give rise to cervical cancers, but are responsible for 90 percent of the cases of genital warts. The current treatment options are largely centered upon removal of the warts rather than elimination of the underlying viral infection. A wide range of therapies are presently in use, which are highly variable and can differ dramatically with respect to cost, side-effect profiles, dosing schedules, duration of treatment, and overall effectiveness. As of yet, no definitive therapy has emerged as the ideal standard of care in the treatment of genital warts, and therapy selection generally occurs in a patient-specific manner.
Background:
Compression therapy is a safe, effective treatment for lower leg conditions such as lymphatic insufficiency and venous hypertension. The most common method of arterial assessment is the ...calculation of a patient's ankle–brachial pressure index (ABPI). The need for ABPI is highlighted in many best practice statement and local policies. ABPI compares the arterial flow of the arms and the legs, providing a ratio used to determine the presence and severity of peripheral artery disease and assess whether a patient is suitable for compression therapy.
Aim:
This study critically reviews and analyses findings from contemporary literature with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of the ABPI screening tool.
Method:
A structured literature review using a narrative approach was carried out.
Results:
Four studies were identified for inclusion, which involved medical, nursing and allied health professional staff in primary and secondary care, with a total of 51 patients. Analysis generated eight themes: appropriateness of the ABPI tool; clinician education; referral process; access to appropriate equipment; lack of time to conduct the assessment; competence; associated costs; and role definition.
Conclusion:
It is important to undertake a holistic assessment of the patient, incorporating ABPI assessment where not contraindicated. Further research to explore patient experience and safety when assessing a patient's suitability for lower limb compression therapy is required.
Notwithstanding the proliferation of servant leadership studies with over 100 articles published in the last four years alone, a lack of coherence and clarity around the construct has impeded its ...theory development. We provide an integrative and comprehensive review of the 285 articles on servant leadership spanning 20 years (1998–2018), and in so doing extend the field in four different ways. First, we provide a conceptual clarity of servant leadership vis-à-vis other value-based leadership approaches and offer a new definition of servant leadership. Second, we evaluate 16 existing measures of servant leadership in light of their respective rigor of scale construction and validation. Third, we map the theoretical and nomological network of servant leadership in relation to its antecedents, outcomes, moderators, mediators. We finally conclude by presenting a detailed future research agenda to bring the field forward encompassing both theoretical and empirical advancement. All in all, our review paints a holistic picture of where the literature has been and where it should go into the future.
Literature reviews establish the foundation of academic inquires. However, in the planning field, we lack rigorous systematic reviews. In this article, through a systematic search on the methodology ...of literature review, we categorize a typology of literature reviews, discuss steps in conducting a systematic literature review, and provide suggestions on how to enhance rigor in literature reviews in planning education and research.
Oral second-generation antihistamines (sgAH) constitute the first-line treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), a debilitating dermatological condition. However, many patients respond ...incompletely, and up-dosing sgAHs up to four-fold their conventional dose is recommended for disease control. Many physicians refrain from up-dosing due to a paucity of efficacy and safety data, instead adding a second antihistamine or an immunomodulator.
With the aim of addressing this knowledge gap, we conducted a literature review to highlight efficacy and safety data on up-dosed sgAHs.
We conducted a comprehensive search of the literature across multiple databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Google scholar) using the keywords (alone and in combination) and MeSH items as well as non-MeSH terms such as "chronic spontaneous urticaria", "chronic idiopathic urticaria", AND "updosing", "second-generation anti-histamines", "cetirizine", "fexofenadine", "levocetirizine", "desloratadine", "ebastine", "bilastine", and "rupatadine".
Our review suggests bilastine, fexofenadine, levocetirizine, and cetirizine are recommended for up-dosing in non-responsive patients with CSU (Grade A recommendation), while desloratadine and ebastine can be recommended (Grade B recommendation). Among those with Grade A recommendation, bilastine and levocetirizine may be up-dosed safely to four times, while fexofenadine has been studied at three times the conventional dose. None of the drugs showed any dose-dependent increase of adverse effects; however, cetirizine up-dosing may increase the risk of dose-related sedation. There were no reports of systemic complications, including cardiotoxicity, at higher than licensed doses of these drugs. Only cetirizine and rupatadine up-dosing have been documented to be effective and safe in children, while there is lack of data on geriatric patients and pregnant or lactating females.
Systematic review techniques are about to become the “new normal” in reviews of management research. However, there is not yet much advice on how to organize the sample selection process as part of ...such reviews. This article addresses this void and analyzes this vital part of systematic reviews in more detail. In particular, it offers a critical review of systematic literature reviews published in the Academy of Management Annals and the International Journal of Management Reviews between 2004 and 2018. Based on this methodological literature review, the article presents issues to consider in the most critical choices during the sample selection process. Furthermore, this review identifies several descriptive features such as the mean number of research items included in systematic reviews, the mean number of databases used, and the mean coverage period of such reviews. These numbers may be used as benchmark figures in future reviews.
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