3.7.5 Inclusion criteria

This section of the review details the basis on which studies were considered for inclusion in the systematic review and should be as clear and unambiguous as possible.

Types of participants

The types of participants should be appropriate for the review objective(s) and question(s). The reasons for the inclusion or exclusion of participants should be explained in the background.

Phenomena of interest

There should be congruence between the review objective(s) and question(s) and the phenomena of interest. How the phenomena relate to the topic under review should be clear and detailed in the background section.

Context

In a qualitative review, context will vary depending on the objective of the review. Context may include, but is not limited to, consideration of cultural factors such as geographic location, specific racial or gender based interests, or detail about the specific setting (such as acute care, primary health care, or the community).

Types of studies

There should be a match in this section between the methodology of the primary research studies that were included in the review.