Revisão
Review

Below are the reviews considered more “descriptive” in nature, with their definitions. In the next chapter I´ll present the reviews with a more detailed structure and provide explanations about the statistical analysis, also called a meta-analysis. Figure 1 shows the summary of six reviews.

2.1 Literature Review

A literature review identifies the state of the art in a specific area, points out gaps in the subject, and provides the basis for new research. It serves as a basis for contextualizing and justifying the relevance of a study. The analysis can be chronological, conceptual, and/or thematic. This type of review was one of the first to emerge regarding the organization of ideas and has been improved over time. It also provides a theoretical basis for articles, dissertations, and theses, such as the Narrative Review. Often found or published in association with case reports.

2.2 Narrative Review

A narrative review is used to describe and discuss the development of a theme and allows a broad view of a given subject without the need for a rigorous methodology. It can be considered as or confused with a Literature Review. This type of review does not require exhaustive search strategies and may be targeted to the subjectivity of the authors. It has a theoretical basis for articles, dissertations, and theses.

2.3 Critical Review

A critical review aims to demonstrate the extensive literature and, to some extent, critically evaluate the published context. It goes beyond the mere description of identified studies and includes a degree of in-depth analysis and conceptual innovation. Furthermore, this type of review presents, analyzes, and synthesizes material from diverse sources. The result may more easily identify a hypothesis or model, but it does not test it or provide a definitive answer. It may be a completely new interpretation of existing data.

2.4 Integrative Review

An integrative review combines theoretical and empirical studies and provides a comprehensive overview of a specific topic. This approach supports a wide range of research, such as defining concepts, reviewing theories, or analyzing methodological issues. It uses a systematic process to identify, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize all selected studies, but does not include statistical methods. This type of review is common in the field of Nursing.

2.5 Rapid Review

Rapid reviews are increasingly used to support decisions on urgent and emerging public and private health policies. They can be described as a synthesis of knowledge that accelerates the process of conducting a traditional systematic review, by simplifying or omitting methodological steps, to produce results for stakeholders efficiently and in a short space of time. This type of review has a specific group within the Cochrane Collaboration: Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group (https://methods.cochrane.org/rapidreviews).

2.6 Mapping Review

As the name suggests, a mapping review maps and categorizes scientific production on a given topic. It also focuses on identifying updates, gaps, and patterns within a research field. This type of review is useful for exploring an emerging field and understanding its evolution, identifying understudied areas, and identifying opportunities for future research. It organizes and classifies the different approaches and methods used.

Figura 1. Resumo de seis revisões.
Figure 1. Summary of six reviews.

Vancouver Style

Cardoso JR. Types of reviews – Part 1 [Internet]. Londrina (BR): Prática Baseada em Ciências; 2025 [cited 2025 Oct 13]. Available from: https://pbciencias.com/revisao/tipos-revisoes1/


ABNT Style

CARDOSO, Jefferson R. Types of reviews – Part 1. Prática Baseada em Ciências, 2025. Available at:
< https://pbciencias.com/revisao/tipos-revisoes1/ >. Accessed on Oct 13, 2025.