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In:Digital and Internet-Based Research Methods in Applied Linguistics
Edited by Matt Kessler
[Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 15] 2026
► pp. 10–34

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Chapter 2
Research synthesis

 | University of St Andrews
Published online: 5 January 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.15.02cho
Abstract
Synthesis of research evidence drives an academic field forward through reviewing existing research, suggesting future research directions, and appraising methodological rigour of published research. Research synthesis refers to the use of a structured and principled approach to identifying and re-analysing/interpreting published evidence. In this chapter, I introduce research synthesis and its relationship with online/internet-based methodology in applied linguistics. I provide a list of research questions that can be answered by different types of research synthesis. Focusing on implementation, I introduce the Synthesis Methods and Reporting Tool (SMART) that outlines the key stages of conducting a research synthesis. I illustrate these methodological stages through five published research syntheses in applied linguistics. This is followed by a discussion of relevant ethical and methodological issues, as well as how future research syntheses can contribute to applied linguistics research as a whole.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Frequently asked research questions
  • 3.Implementation
    • Preparation
    • Method
    • Report
  • 4.Example studies
    • Marsden et al. (2018)
    • Çiftçi and Savaş (2018)
    • Aryadoust and Ang (2021)
    • Plonsky (2023b)
    • Siegel et al. (2024)
  • 5.Ethics and research integrity considerations
  • 6.Challenges and issues
  • 7.Future research directions
  • Notes
  • References
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