What is a systematic review

This Special Edition of Counselling Psychology Review is focused on systematic reviews. Whilst considering the topic for the editorial to begin this Special Edition, we considered one overarching question to be of fundamental importance to attempt to tackle: What is a systematic review? We decided to have this as the focus of the editorial in part as a result of discussions with colleagues (both trainee and qualified psychologists) whose awareness of the answers to the following questions proved limited: What is a systematic review?; Why are they conducted?; and What does one look like? Following a brief introduction focused on the history and context surrounding the systematic review, we have, therefore, aimed to address each of these questions in turn. To end this initial section of the editorial, we provide readers with a check list of possible sections contained within a systematic review. The aim of this is to hopefully elaborate on the definitions and the discussions already considered, in order to help the reader more clearly understand what a systematic review really is. Following this we provide an overview of the seven papers incorporated into this Special Edition. Five of these provide very practical examples of the factors noted below in action while two provide further methodological reflections around the use of such research designs.