Narrative Reviews

As opposed to systematic reviews, which zero-in on a narrow question with a specific search strategy, narrative reviews allow for broader questions, particularly in areas that are under-researched or rapidly advancing.

While less rigorous than systematic reviews, a true narrative review requires some inclusion and exclusion criteria.

For more details on how to write a narrative review, take a look here

For non-peer reviewed publications or for more educational material such as textbook chapters or blog posts, the question may be even broader with the goal of providing an overview of a topic.

For residents who are planning to practice primarily in the community, we recommend this form of scholarship as it most closely mimics the kind of practical day-to-day engagement community physicians often have with evidence-based medicine, particularly when looking up information on shift or formulating local protocols and workflows. 

It is also a project that can be done on your own time, without having to necessarily rely on other people for things like data collection, or institutions like the IRB.

If you think you have a good topic for a narrative review, reach out to residency leadership or a faculty member who you think would be interested and available in mentoring you in that field.