Good review practice: a researcher guide to systematic review methodology in the sciences of food and health

Purpose

This practical guidance document aims to address recent quality issues of systematic reviews reported from food related topics by encouraging: 

• Comprehensive searching
• Clear and unbiased reporting
• Following standard practices of the methodology
• Using necessary and appropriate tools and technologies

Review

The following members of the FSTA  Faculty and Librarian Advisory Boards kindly agreed to review this guide in draft form.  The authors gratefully acknowledge their suggestions and feedback. 

• Professor Marcelo Cristianini, Professor, Faculty of Food Engineering, State University of Campinas, Brazil
• Ria Derkx, Information Specialist Collection Development, Faculty Liaison Plant Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Library, The Netherlands
• Megan Frost, Life Sciences Librarian, Brigham Young University Library, USA
• Andrea C. Kepsel, Health Sciences Educational Technology Librarian, Liaison to the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University Libraries, USA 
• Professor Dong Sun Lee, Professor Emeritus, Kyungnam University, South Korea
• Professor Alejandro Marangoni, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Food, Health and Aging, University of Guelph, Canada
• Professor Matthew D. Moore, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
• Sally Nalbandian, Head of the Science & Agriculture Library, University Libraries, American University of Beirut, Lebanon 
• Professor Liu Shao Quan, Associate Professor, Food Science and Technology Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Dr Shamin Renwick, Senior Librarian, School of Education Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
• Professor Stefano Sforza, Full Professor, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Italy
• Jackie Skinner, Academic Liaison Librarian (Chemistry, Food & Nutritional Sciences, Pharmacy), University of Reading Library, UK 
• Vivian So, Electronic Resources Librarian, University of Hong Kong Libraries, Hong Kong
• Professor Fidel Toldrá, Research Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Biochemistry, Innovation and Technology of Meat and Meat Products, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (CSIC), Spain
• Professor Qixin Zhong, Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, USA

Declaring statement

This guidance document summarises main principles and practices of using the SR methodology, outlined in the reference guidelines across disciplines, to make a practical guide and help increase awareness of the methodology. This guide is not intended to be descriptive and by no means is a replacement for any of the reference guides.