Systematic Literature Review Methodologies in Management Studies
Summary
Systematic literature reviews (SLRs) in management studies represent a structured approach to collating, evaluating and synthesising prior research to advance theory and inform practice. Distinguished from narrative or traditional reviews by their explicit protocols, SLRs follow a predefined sequence of steps—formulating research questions, defining inclusion and exclusion criteria, conducting exhaustive searches, appraising study quality, extracting data, and synthesising findings. This rigour enhances transparency and reproducibility, addressing longstanding concerns about bias and selective reporting. Over the past decade, methodological refinements have emphasised decision points such as boundary setting, selection of diverse evidence sources and integration of quantitative bibliometric and qualitative thematic techniques. Emerging innovations include iterative multilayer mapping of research domains, the systematic inclusion of practitioner‐oriented “grey literature” to bridge the academy–practice divide, and the use of AI-assisted tools for screening and coding. These developments not only strengthen the theoretical contributions of SLRs but also respond to growing demands for evidence-based management across global contexts, enabling policymakers and leaders to make informed decisions grounded in comprehensive, replicable syntheses of the literature.
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Systematic Literature Review Methodologies in Management Studies publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in systematic literature review methodologies in management studies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Systematic literature review (SLR): A structured, protocol-driven method for identifying, selecting, appraising and synthesising all relevant studies on a defined topic.
Grey literature: Non-commercially published materials (reports, theses, white papers) that augment peer-reviewed sources and improve the practical relevance of reviews.
Bibliometric analysis: Quantitative mapping of research output and citation patterns to visualise thematic clusters and influence within a field.
Meta-analysis: Statistical technique for combining quantitative results from multiple studies to estimate overall effect sizes and assess heterogeneity.
Content boundary: Deliberate definition of conceptual and methodological limits that determine which studies are eligible for inclusion in an SLR.
References
- How to conduct systematic literature reviews in management research: a guide in 6 steps and 14 decisions. Review of Managerial Science (2023).
- Shades of Grey: Guidelines for Working with the Grey Literature in Systematic Reviews for Management and Organizational Studies. International Journal of Management Reviews (2016).
- The burgeoning role of literature review articles in management research: an introduction and outlook. Review of Managerial Science (2024).
- SIMILAR – Systematic iterative multilayer literature review method. Journal of Informetrics (2021).
- How do we Determine Content Boundaries in Systematic Review Studies of Management Research?. Journal of Scientometric Research (2023).
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