14- SPECIAL ARTICLE Systematic review of animal research1 Revisão sistemática da pesquisa em animais

Systematic review is a review that has been prepared using a systematic approach to minimising biases and random errors which is documented in a methods section, thus providing more reliable findings from which conclusions can be drawn.1,2 The characteristics of a systematic review are: a. A set of objectives with eligibility criteria for studies; b. A reproducible methodology; c. A systematic search that attempts to identify all studies that would meet the eligibility criteria; d. An assessment of the validity of the results of the included studies; and e. A systematic presentation, and synthesis, of the characteristics and findings of the included studies.2 A systematic review may, or may not, include a meta-analysis: the use of statistical methods to summarize the results of independent studies, so providing more precise estimates of the effects of health care than those derived from the individual studies.2 Systematic reviews should be viewed as observational studies of the evidence. There are several steps in conducting a systematic review: 1. Formulate review question; 2. Define inclusion and exclusion criteria; 3. Locate studies; 4. Selec