In times of ever-increasing numbers of publications and easier accessibility, e.g. through Open Access publishing, the overview of existing research and secured knowledge can be lost (Brooth et al., 2016). Systematic reviews are a suitable method to synthesize research knowledge in a criterion-guided and transparent way and to provide a structured overview of the research field under investigation. Thus, with systematic reviews reliable findings can be bundled and at the same time the need for further research can be identified. The transfer of synthesized knowledge takes place in the course of evidence-based policy advice (Pawson, 2006) as well as by reflecting the results back to the research community (Gough et al., 2017). As a part of the Open Science movement, systematic reviews objectively select and combine available studies and thus promote the accessibility of scientific knowledge to the interested public.

Originally invented in the field of medicine (see evidence-based medicine; Sackett et al., 1996; Thoma & Eaves, 2015), systematic reviews are increasingly being implemented in educational research (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2020). However, there is the challenge of transferring the methodological approach to the studies conducted in educational research. Whereas in medicine most studies are based on randomised control group trials with a similar research design, the strength of educational research lies in its plurality of empirical approaches, both from a qualitative or quantitative paradigm. But how can a structured and criteria based synthesis based on such a heterogeneous background of studies be achieved? The symposium addresses the challenges to this transfer of the method in the preparation of a systematic review. Furthermore we will discuss how methodological guidelines and quality standards for systematic reviews in the field of educational research can be implemented.

The four papers in the symposium show how a systematic aggregation of studies in a research field can succeed and focus on challenges to the respective methodological steps. They stem from different disciplinary fields of educational research (sociology, psychology, and educational sciences) and contribute to an international perspective, covering literature from various countries and publication languages. The first presentation concentrates on the challenges in the process of the literature search and identification of relevant studies for a systematic review. Examining the case of Germany, the paper deals with the question how educational inequality can be reduced and addresses educational barriers in formal, non-formal and informal learning contexts. The second paper covers the theme of digitalisation in cultural education – based on a literature search at an international level. The authors take a look at the support of selection and categorization of literature using text mining methods. The third paper presents a systematic review of social inequality in educational attainment from preschool to higher education that covers the state of research from the German-speaking area (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). The presentation focusses on the collection of relevant information (coding) as well as the synthesis of evidence by means of research maps (gap maps). The fourth paper deals with the language bias in international systematic reviews in the field of educational technology. The trilingual team of authors presents a mapping review based on existing systematic reviews including the languages of English, Spanish and German.

Booth, A., Sutton, A., & Papaioannou, D. (2016). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review (2. Edition). Sage. Gough, D., Oliver, S., & Thomas, J. (2017). An introduction to systematic reviews (2. Edition). Sage. Pawson, R. (2006). Evidence-based policy: A realist perspective. Sage. Sackett, D. L., Rosenberg, W. M., Gray, J. A., Haynes, R. B. & Richardson, W. S. (1996). Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 312(7023), 71–72. Thoma, A. & Eaves, F. F., III (2015). A Brief History of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and the Contributions of Dr David Sackett. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 35(8), 261-263. Zawacki-Richter, O., Kerres, M., Bedenlier, S., Bond, M., & Buntins, K. (Eds). (2020). Systematic Reviews in Educational Research: Methodology, Perspectives and Application. Springer Fachmedien.