How To Do A Mini Literature Review In Medicine | Quick Clear Steps

This approach borrows good habits from reporting standards like PRISMA 2020 while staying light enough for busy clinics, audits, or student projects.

Mini Review Versus Full Systematic Review

Before you start, it helps to set expectations. The table below shows how a mini review differs from a full systematic review on scope, effort, and deliverable.

Set A Clinical Question And Scope

Clarity at the start saves time later. Phrase a single answerable question and write down the boundaries: patient group, setting, study types, and date limits. Keep the record you write here; you will reuse it in the methods note.

Frame The Question With PICO

Map your question to PICO: Patient or Problem, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome. e.g., “In adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, does apixaban, compared with warfarin, reduce stroke with fewer major bleeds?” That single sentence anchors the search, screening, and synthesis.

Pick Study Designs And Time Window

Decide which designs count. For treatment questions, randomized trials and high-quality comparative cohorts are usually the core. For diagnosis, look for cross-sectional or cohort studies with a reference standard. Add a time window that fits your field, such as the last five to ten years or since a major drug approval.

Design A Fast, Reproducible Search

PubMed is the usual starting point, with the option to add one more source if the topic needs it. The aim is a precise query that balances Medical Subject Headings with natural-language keywords and catches recent terminology.

Start With PubMed, Then Add One More If Needed

Build your first query in the PubMed Search Builder. If you need a second source, choose one that brings a different lens, such as Cochrane CENTRAL for trials or a specialty index. Keep the list short so you can screen records the same day.

Blend MeSH Terms And Keywords

MeSH captures how articles are indexed; keywords capture how authors write. Use both. Start by checking the preferred subject headings in the MeSH Browser, then add common synonyms, drug names, and abbreviations in title/abstract fields.

Turn PICO Into A Search String

Write your query in concept blocks joined by AND. Inside each block, join synonyms with OR. Use field tags and truncation where it helps. A sample layout looks like this:

(atrial fibrillation[MeSH Terms] OR "atrial fibrillation"[tiab] OR "AF"[tiab])
AND
(apixaban[MeSH Terms] OR apixaban[tiab] OR "Eliquis"[tiab])
AND
(stroke[MeSH Terms] OR stroke*[tiab] OR "ischemic event*"[tiab])

Add filters that match your scope: humans, adults, English, and your date window. Avoid filters that hide useful designs unless you are sure they do not apply to your question.

Pilot And Refine The Query

Run the draft query and scan the first two result pages. If many hits miss the mark, tune the terms, add a missing synonym, or shift a keyword into a title/abstract field tag. Check one or two known landmark papers appear; if they do not, adjust until they do.

Save The Search And Note The Details

Save the exact query and the date you ran it. Record which database interface you used, which filters you applied, and how many records you exported. If you add a second source, write that down too. These small notes make your mini review easy to audit and repeat, and they align with best-practice reporting standards such as the PRISMA family.

Doing A Mini Literature Review In Medicine: Step-By-Step

With a plan and a search string ready, move through screening and extraction in two clean passes. Aim for speed with discipline: work from clear rules, keep a simple log, and resolve edge cases the same way each time.

Pass One: Screen Titles And Abstracts

Create inclusion and exclusion rules on one line each. Examples: include randomized trials and comparative cohorts; exclude case reports, editorials, and pediatric studies if your question is adult-only. Load your search results into a spreadsheet and add quick drop-down values for keep, maybe, or exclude, plus a short reason code.

Pass Two: Read Full Texts

Download the PDFs for items marked keep or maybe. Apply the same rules again and log reasons for each exclusion: wrong population, wrong comparator, wrong outcome, or duplicate. Track counts at each step so you can summarize the flow later.

Manage Duplicates

If you searched more than one source, remove duplicates before screening. Most reference managers can do this in minutes. Keep the total counts before and after de-duplication in your log.

Extract The Right Data Without Getting Lost

Open a fresh sheet and create columns for the items you will quote or compare. If a field does not inform the bottom line, skip it. The goal is a lean table that drives your summary.

Build A Lean Extraction Sheet

Use these core fields: citation, study design, sample size, setting, patient group, intervention, comparator, outcomes measured, effect size or main estimate, follow-up, main limitations, and any notes you will need when you write.

Quality Signals You Can Check Quickly

For trials, note randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, and follow-up completeness. For observational work, look for clear eligibility, a sensible control group, adjustment for confounding, and a plan to handle missing data. If your topic demands depth, use established resources such as the Cochrane Handbook for structured risk-of-bias criteria.

Capture Effect Sizes Consistently

Write effect sizes in the form they were reported: risk ratio, odds ratio, hazard ratio, mean difference, or median with interquartile range. Copy the numbers, the 95% confidence interval, and the outcome definition as given. If studies measure the same outcome in different ways, add a note so you do not mix apples and oranges later.

Mini Literature Review In Medical Research: Quality Checks

Your mini review stays credible when readers can retrace your steps. That means consistent screening rules, a tidy extraction sheet, and a short methods note that explains where you looked and what you kept.

Keep A Small Methods Note

Write a paragraph that names the databases, interfaces, and dates searched; the exact query for at least your primary source; the main limits used; and the inclusion and exclusion rules. Add the numbers screened, read in full, and included. This single block is your audit trail.

Flag Common Bias Risks

Briefly flag issues that could tilt results: small study size, early stopping, outcome switching, unblinded assessment, loss to follow-up, or confounding by indication. State how you handled them in your synthesis, such as rating such evidence as lower weight.

State When You Did Not Pool Results

Mini reviews rarely run formal meta-analysis. If designs, outcomes, or follow-up differ, say that results were not pooled and summarize direction and magnitude by narrative instead.

Write A Tight Synthesis That People Can Use

Now turn your sheet into clear prose. Start with the bottom line, then show how you got there. Keep sentences short, define terms once, and move study by study only when it adds value.

Lead With The Bottom Line

Open with a one-paragraph answer that names the intervention, the outcome, the size of benefit or harm where available, and the confidence you have in that signal. Include numbers.

Group Studies Logically

Group by design, by dose, or by outcome. Within each group, move from the strongest study to the weakest and explain why you rank them that way. Point out where findings align and where they split, and suggest the most plausible reasons for any split based on design or population.

Use One Small Figure Or Table If It Helps

A compact table of core studies, outcomes, and effect sizes can anchor your narrative. Keep it on one screen for readability in clinic or at the bedside.

Lean Extraction Sheet — Fields And Examples

Use this table as a template for your sheet. Keep the set tight so you can extract fast and write fast.

Style, Citations, And Delivery

Pick one reference style and stick to it, such as Vancouver with numbered citations. Use a manager to insert citations as you write and to export the list at the end. Check journal or institutional rules if you plan to submit the review later.

Make Your Write-Up Easy To Scan

Use short headings, short paragraphs, and bullets only when they help comprehension. Keep the main text on one clear path: question, methods, findings, and practical takeaways. Move technical detail to a short appendix.

Add A Compact Methods Appendix

Place the saved search string, database names, interfaces, search dates, and screening flow counts in a small appendix. If you drew on reporting standards, you can cite PRISMA 2020 here without building a full flow diagram.

Share Reusable Files

Attach the spreadsheet template and the exact search string so teammates can repeat or extend the work when new data lands.

Common Pitfalls And Easy Fixes

Mini reviews fail when the question drifts, the search is vague, or the write-up buries the answer. These quick fixes help keep you on track.

Too Many Questions

Split combined questions into separate runs. One question per mini review keeps searches sharp and screening fast.

Vague Search Strings

Rewrite using concept blocks and check the MeSH terms. Scan the first two pages of results; if half are off topic, tighten the keywords or add a missing synonym.

No Audit Trail

Always save the query, export the results, and log counts at each step. A one-paragraph methods note makes your work credible and easy to update later.

Checklist: One-Hour Kickoff

When time is tight, this checklist gets you moving with speed and structure.

• Write a single PICO question and a one-line scope note.
• Build a PubMed query with MeSH and keywords; save it.
• Run the search with date and human limits; export results.
• Screen titles and abstracts with clear include and exclude rules.
• Read full texts for the short list; extract into a lean sheet.
• Draft a one-page synthesis with a compact methods note.

If you need detailed methods for risk of bias or complex designs, dip into the Cochrane Handbook for deeper standards while keeping your mini review trim.