Define the term of research synthesis and describe the two major types

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A research synthesis is a systematic study of multiple prior research projects that address the same research question or topic and summarize the results in a manner that can be used by practitioners. There are two major types of research syntheses. A meta-analysis uses statistical methods to combine the results of similar studies quantitatively in order to allow general conclusions to be made. A systematic review is a research synthesis approach that focuses on a specific question or issue and uses specific preplanned methods to identify, select, assess, and summarize the findings of multiple research studies. It may or may not include a meta-analysis (a quantitative synthesis of results). Often, a systematic review involves a panel of experts who discuss the research literature and reach conclusions about how well a discovery works to address a problem or issue. So, while a meta-analysis is always a quantitative synthesis, a systematic review may be a judgmental expert-driven synthesis, a meta-analysis, or both.