10.3.7.4 Analysis and Presentation of results

The authors should clearly articulate the method(s) used to present the results of the review. These may be a map of the data extracted from the included papers in a diagrammatic or tabular form, and/or in a descriptive format that responds to the questions of the review.

The tables and charts may also show results as: distribution of sources of evidence by year or period of publication (depends on each case), countries of origin, area of intervention (clinical, policy, educational, etc.) and research methods. A descriptive summary should accompany the tabulated and/or charted results and should describe how the results relate to the review objective/s and question/s.

The results can also be classified under main conceptual categories, such as: “intervention type”, “population” (and sample size, if it is the case), “duration of intervention”, “aims”, “methodology adopted”, “key findings” (evidence established), and “gaps in the research”. For each category reported, a clear explanation should be provided.