Data extraction or abstraction refers to the process of reading each paper that is included in the review and identifying ("extracting") the study characteristics and findings that are important for addressing the overall review question.
Data is typically collected from each paper in a systematic way, using a data collection form and/or organizing the extracted data into an evidence matrix.
What information gets extracted from each study depends largely on the question(s) that the review is attempting to address - you should plan to extract the data that is relevant for answer the question(s) posed by your review.
Commonly extracted information may include:
For additional information about data extraction for qualitative studies, see:
For a template for a data collection / extraction form to be used in reviews of interventions, see:
Below you'll see examples of what data was extracted from studies in a few different examples of integrative reviews. Beyond the bibliographic information (e.g., author and year) notice how the extracted information relates to the review question.
For a summary of the common matrix formats found in recently published integrative reviews, see:
Younas, A., Shahzad, S., & Inayat, S. (2021). Data analysis and presentation in integrative reviews: A narrative review. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 01939459211030344. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459211030344
Summers, J. A. (2017). Developing competencies in the novice nurse educator: An integrative review. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 12(4), 263-276.
"The purpose of this integrative review is to report on research that addresses the development of teaching competencies in novice nurse educators." (p. 264)
| Study | Context | Aim of study | Mechanism to improve quality | How was success measured? | Detail on change process | Main findings |
|---|
Brown Tyo, M., & McCurry, M. K. (2019). An integrative review of clinical reasoning teaching strategies and outcome evaluation in nursing education. Nursing Education Perspectives, 40(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000375
"to explore the teaching strategies commonly used to promote clinical reasoning in nursing students and identify the outcomes or methods used to evaluate their effectiveness." (p. 12)
| Study and Country | Population and Setting | Educational Strategy | Methodology | Instruments and Outcome Measures | Results | Quality Score |
|---|
This template for an evidence matrix spreadsheet can be copied and modified to suit your specific review aims.
When reading studies that are included in your review, it may be helpful to extract the data from each paper using a form or a tool, and then compiling the results into a table, rather than writing information directly into a spreadsheet.