Systematic Reviews in Political Science: What Can the Approach Contribute to Political Research?
| Date | 01 May 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929916680641 |
| Published date | 01 May 2018 |
| Author | Rod Dacombe |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1478929916680641
Political Studies Review
2018, Vol. 16(2) 148 –157
© The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/1478929916680641
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Systematic Reviews in
Political Science: What Can
the Approach Contribute to
Political Research?
Rod Dacombe
Abstract
Recent years have seen the growing use of systematic literature reviews within the social
sciences. Despite some reservations over the adoption of an approach originally popularised
within clinical and health sciences, the literature in the area has contributed some clear benefits
to accounts of existing research. It is surprising, therefore, that political scientists have tended
to ignore, or at best marginalise, reviews of this kind. This article outlines a number of features
of systematic reviews which might be suitable for the kinds of questions political scientists ask
of their data. Throughout, it highlights both the value and the potential complications of the
approach, raising a number of questions which should be considered if systematic reviews are
to be adopted more widely.
Keywords
systematic reviews, political science
Accepted: 18 August 2016
For a number of years, systematic literature reviews have been an accepted (perhaps the
accepted) method of research synthesis in the clinical and health sciences. Clinicians and
researchers have relied on a pool of good quality systematic reviews to identify emerg-
ing trends in research and intervention, reinforce their practice, and inform areas of
future work. In recent years, systematic reviews have also become prominent in the
social sciences and researchers interested in education, social work, policy studies and
criminology have adopted the approach, with considerable success (Davies, 2000;
Gough and Elbourne, 2002; Petticrew and Roberts, 2006; Wallace et al., 2004). It is
surprising, therefore, that political scientists have tended to ignore, or at best marginalise
reviews of this kind.
Department of Political Economy, King’s College London, London, UK
Corresponding author:
Rod Dacombe, Department of Political Economy, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
Email: rod.dacombe@kcl.ac.uk
680641PSW0010.1177/1478929916680641Political Studies ReviewDacombe
research-article2017
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