Abstract
Consistent with a move towards evidence based practice, systematic review of research relating to effective health care practices is having an increasing influence on health care decision making at all levels.  This paper explains the systematic review as a specific type of literature review, one that contrasts with less rigorous approaches to assessing current best available research evidence.  The use of this process to achieve effective nursing practice is discussed in the context of systematic review in medicine and health services in general.  It is asserted that, in the ‘informational age’, understanding and being able to assess the quality of systematic reviews is an essential area of nursing research. 

Keywords
Evidence Based Nursing, Systematic Review, Clinical Effectiveness

Introduction
Rodgers, Smith, Chick and Crisp (1997) outlined the review article within the broader dimension of all literature reviews.  I would like to build on their work by taking this subset of literature reviews to a further level of specificity, the systematic review.  Systematic review is a method used to search, critically appraise and synthesise scientific evidence using explicit criteria.  It is an approach that results in a generalizable and valid summary of available evidence for health care professionals, policy makers, purchasers and consumers.