Questions and answers about conducting systematic reviews in sport and exercise psychology

Systematic reviews are used to gain insight into the state of research on a given topic, theory, or process; or to inform the development of guidelines, interventions, and policy or public health strategies. Challenges associated with conducting a systematic review include the rapid increase in the variety of systematic review methods and the number of decisions that researchers must make during the process. The purpose of this paper is to provide succinct responses to common questions researchers face when conducting a systematic review. The manuscript is structured around 13 questions that arise during the systematic review process. The questions span the development stage (e.g. why and where should systematic reviews be preregistered; how to decide on inclusion and exclusion criteria), methodological stage (e.g. how to develop and execute a search strategy), and publication stage (e.g. what should be placed in online supplements). Each question was answered with a concise response with recommendations based on the scientific literature and current advances in systematic review techniques. Researchers who have never conducted a systematic review or who are wishing to reflect on their knowledge and practice in conducting a systematic review will benefit from the up-to-date procedures outlined herein