Systematic reviews include an exhaustive search for all relevant studies on a topic, with a synthesis of the studies' findings to answer a question. Meta-analyses pool data from primary studies and come to a conclusion based on all the data. A meta-analysis often includes a systematic review, and vice versa. There are several other related methodologies such as scoping reviews, rapid reviews, and realist reviews. For more details on these, take a look at this research guide:
Reviews published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews are well known for their quality. Many reviews are open access at the Cochrane Library; however, to find the full text of some Cochrane reviews, you may need to use the link below to access UBC Library's Cochrane subscription via Ovid. You can also follow UBC eLinks from PubMed or Ovid Medline to the full text of Cochrane reviews.