The generic structure of Spanish systematic reviews in Dentistry

Abstract

Despite their academic and clinical importance, to date, there are no studies on systematic reviews in dentistry to guide authors and teachers in the field of reading and writing education. This study analyses the rhetorical structure (sections and movements) of 100 systematic reviews published in Spanish-American dental journals, available online, over the last 10 years. With a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, following the gender analysis approach, we found that most of the texts follow the modified IMRyD format IMRDyC. Each of the sections is structured according to a clearly defined pattern. Because of their frequency of occurrence (more than 65%), the sections, the elements that make them up and their organization could be considered mandatory. These results have implications for the teaching of gender in the university environment.