Secondary or Synthesis Research
From Health Facts
Latest Edit: Iva 2012-08-04 (EDT)
Secondary research, or synthesis research, is work that collects, analyzes, and synthesizes pre-existing original research. Secondary research may be systematic in its methods, such as a systematic review or meta analysis, or may not be systematic, for example, a narrative review in which information is included at the discretion of the author. The main strength of secondary research is that is provides a more comprehensive review of a given topic than a single original study.
Strengths
- Provides a synthesis of existing evidence in a concise manner
Limitations
- Does not contribute new data to the larger body of knowledge
