Nowadays the burgeoning number of studies and research works published in scientific journals make it harder and harder to navigate this type of literature and make decisions based on robust evidence. Moreover, not all scientific studies produce the same level of evidence.

The aim of systematic literature reviews is to collect, analyse, and summarise all scientific evidence available on a particular topic. In a nutshell, they seek to establish the status of the knowledge collectively produced by the scientific community on that subject.

These studies serve to inform the health choices and policies of the various decision-makers, particularly in relation to situations of risk and uncertainty. They also help the scientific community to decide on the direction research development should take.

Find out more about the purpose of scientific literature reviews in this video produced by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), an Italian health authority and research organization in the fields of animal health, food safety and zoonoses.