How Much Does a Systematic Review Cost?
Every research project is different, so we scope and price each one individually. Describe yours below and a named PhD methodologist will send a detailed quote within minutes. No signup, no card, no obligation.
Named PhD lead
Methodologist signs your quote
Hard delivery dates
Locked in your contract
Unlimited revisions
No cap, within your agreed scope
Confidential by default
Confidential by default either way
Every quote is built by a doctoral-level methodologist. See the standards behind your project
Get Your Personalized Quote
Tell us about your project. A named PhD methodologist will reply within a few hours with a detailed quote. No signup, no card, no obligation.
Describe Your Project
Just tell us what you need and we will send you a personalized quote.
Prefer to chat?
Message us on WhatsApp for a quick, no-obligation conversation.
How Your Quote Is Built
Every quote is line-itemed so you see exactly what you are paying for, and what you are not. Here are the factors that actually drive the number on your quote.
Scope and study volume
The two biggest cost drivers are how many databases you search and how many records you screen. Two databases is a different project from six. Screening 200 abstracts is a different job from screening 14,000. We estimate study volume from your inclusion criteria and your field's literature density before quoting, so the hours are accurate up front.
Example. A narrow clinical question across PubMed and Cochrane may yield 800 hits and 22 included studies. A broader public-health question across six databases plus grey literature may yield 14,000 hits and 80 included studies.
Statistical complexity
Pooling 12 effect sizes under a random-effects model is straightforward. Network meta-analysis, individual participant data synthesis, dose-response curves, Bayesian models, and prognostic-factor meta-analysis are not. We scope statistical work by method, not by hour.
Example. Standard pairwise meta-analysis with subgroup analyses is scoped differently from a network meta-analysis with 12 treatment comparisons and SUCRA rankings.
Quality assessment depth
RoB 2 for 15 RCTs is a standard scope. ROBINS-I V2 across observational studies, or QUADAS-2 for diagnostic accuracy reviews, adds detail. AMSTAR-2 across 40 reviews for an umbrella review is more work again. The tool, the number of studies, and dual-reviewer disagreement resolution all factor in.
Example. A standard review with 18 included RCTs uses RoB 2. An umbrella review of 35 systematic reviews uses AMSTAR-2 with dual independent appraisal.
Target journal quartile
Q1 journals demand additional rigor: GRADE certainty ratings, sensitivity analyses, prediction intervals, dual-checked data extraction, and strict PRISMA 2020 compliance. Q2 to Q4 journals have lighter reporting requirements. We match the work to where you are submitting.
Example. Targeting BMJ or Lancet means GRADE Summary of Findings tables and a more conservative meta-analytic model. A Q4 specialty journal may not require those.
Delivery speed
Same team, same methodology, different scheduling. Rush delivery blocks our senior team's week for your project. Standard delivery fits the normal production rotation. Extended delivery runs in our long-form schedule with the same PhD oversight. No delivery speed cuts methodology corners.
Example. A grant submission window closing in 10 days is a rush-delivery project. A thesis deliverable due in 8 weeks sits comfortably on extended delivery.
Disclosure-compliant support
Most projects are silent methodological and statistical support, disclosed under contributor statements in line with ICMJE guidance. We work the way your institution and target journal allow, and never present the work in a way that risks your standing with the editor.
Example. A clinical resident receiving silent statistical support discloses it in the acknowledgements. A faculty PI working with us on protocol development discloses methodological contribution per ICMJE rules.
Always included in every quote
- PhD-level methodologist assigned as project lead for the full duration of the work
- Project manager you can reach directly during business hours
- Unlimited revisions within your agreed scope
- Reproducible analysis code (R or Stata) for any project with statistical work
- PRISMA 2020 flow diagram and full search documentation
- Risk of bias assessment (RoB 2, ROBINS-I V2, Newcastle-Ottawa, or QUADAS-2) and forest plots in publication format
- GRADE certainty of evidence rating on every systematic review and meta-analysis
- Your material is never shared or reused without your written permission
- First-round response-to-reviewers support if your manuscript is sent back
What is not included, and we will say so up front
- Journal submission fees and open-access article processing charges
- Language editing of drafts written in non-English source material
- Subscription costs for closed databases your institution does not provide
- Additional analyses requested after scope approval (quoted separately so you decide)
- Expedited revisions outside the agreed timeline (rare, quoted only if you ask)
- Premium statistical software licenses if your team requires a specific paid suite
If any of these turn out to be needed during your project, you receive a separate line-item quote first. You decide whether to add it. Nothing is billed after the fact.
From “describe your project” to a quote in your inbox within a few hours
No discovery call required. No follow-up sales pressure. You see the full itemized quote first, then decide on your own time.
Describe your project
Use the form, WhatsApp, or email. Five minutes. We need your research question, target journal if known, and rough timeline.
Scope is reviewed
Your scope is read and a methodologist is briefed, usually within a few hours on working days. We may reply with two or three clarifying questions if anything is ambiguous.
You receive an itemized quote
Scope, deliverables, timeline, named lead, line-itemed price, and exclusions. Read it on your own time. No call required.
Approve and pay
You sign the quote and pay through a secure card link. Nothing is invoiced after the fact.
Work begins
Production starts the next business day after payment clears. You receive milestone updates and a named project manager you can reach directly.
The real comparison is not “us versus a cheaper provider”
A full systematic review with meta-analysis represents several hundred to over a thousand hours of trained reviewer time across search, screening, data extraction, quality assessment, statistical analysis, and manuscript drafting. If a postdoc, PhD candidate, or junior researcher absorbs that work on top of their existing responsibilities, the cost is not really measured in money. It is measured in months added to a thesis, a delayed grant submission, or a journal window that closes before you could submit.
We will tell you this honestly. If your project is small, your timeline is generous, and you already have a co-author with the statistical skills, doing it yourself may be the right call. We are built for the projects where that is not true. Either way, the quote is free, and the methodologist who reads your scope will tell you which side of the line you are on.
Services We Offer
Select your service type and tell us about your project. We'll send a tailored quote based on your specific scope and timeline.
PRISMA 2020-compliant review with protocol, search strategy, dual-reviewer screening, risk of bias, and publish-ready manuscript formatted for your Q1-Q4 target journal.
JBI-compliant evidence mapping with PRISMA-ScR reporting. Ideal for grant proposals, emerging fields, and doctoral theses targeting Q2-Q4 journals.
Forest plots, heterogeneity assessment, subgroup analyses, and reproducible R/Stata code. Built by a PhD biostatistician with 60+ published papers for Q1-Q4 journals.
Complete evidence synthesis: PRISMA 2020 review + quantitative meta-analysis in one cohesive manuscript. The most comprehensive package for Q1 journal submissions.
Need Something Custom?
Network meta-analyses, individual components, or bespoke services. Describe your project and we'll send a personalized quote.
Research Support Services
Standalone services available across the same delivery speeds. Biostatistics, manuscript drafting, grant methodology, and reviewer responses.
Publish-ready manuscript (IMRAD) written from your data, formatted to your target journal's specifications, reporting guidelines, and citation style.
Standalone statistical analysis with reproducible R/Stata code and publication-ready figures. Meta-analysis, regression, survival analysis, and more.
SPSS, R, Stata, and Python analysis for theses, journal articles, and grants. Regression, ANOVA, mixed models, factor analysis, and APA-ready results sections.
Methodology sections for NIH, NIHR, and institutional grants, protocol development (PRISMA-P), statistical analysis plan, and preliminary evidence review.
Point-by-point response letter addressing every reviewer comment, revised manuscript with tracked changes, and additional analyses if requested.
Delivery Speeds Matched to Your Journal Target
Choose your delivery speed based on your timeline and target journal quartile. Faster speeds include additional rigor for Q1 journals. Every project includes unlimited revisions and the same PhD methodology.
You probably do not need rush delivery.
Standard delivery is the most common pick because the methodology and the team are identical. Choose rush only when a tight grant deadline or a competitive Q1 submission window makes a single week genuinely matter.
Ideal for Q1 journal submissions
Maximum velocity for high-impact Q1 journal targets. Dedicated team, same-day communication, and GRADE assessment included.
Includes
- 1-week delivery
- Optimized for Q1 journal standards
- GRADE assessment included
- Dedicated project manager
- Priority support & same-day comms
- Unlimited revisions
- PhD-level methodologist as project lead
Popular for Q1-Q2 journal targets
Priority scheduling with a senior reviewer. The most popular choice for researchers targeting Q1 and Q2 indexed journals.
Includes
- 2-3 week delivery
- Formatted for Q1-Q2 journals
- Priority support
- Dedicated project manager
- PRISMA flow diagram
- Unlimited revisions
- PhD-level methodologist as project lead
Great for Q2-Q4 journals & thesis work
Same PhD-led methodology and quality guarantee at the most accessible price. Ideal for Q2-Q4 journal targets, doctoral theses, and grant deliverables.
Includes
- 4-5 week delivery
- Publication-ready for Q2-Q4 journals
- Dedicated support
- Unlimited revisions
- PRISMA flow diagram
- PhD-level methodologist as project lead
Why Researchers Choose Us Over Alternatives
See how Research Gold compares to other options for your systematic review or meta-analysis.
| Research Gold | Independent freelancer | In-house DIY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD-level methodologists | Varies | You | |
| PRISMA 2020 compliant | Varies | If trained | |
| Cochrane Handbook methodology | Rare | If skilled | |
| Unlimited revisions | 1-2 rounds | N/A | |
| Hard delivery dates in writing | |||
| Reproducible R or Stata code | Rare | If skilled | |
| Dedicated project manager | |||
| Confidential by default | Varies | N/A |
Researchers Who Got the Quote and Said Yes
4.9 / 5 across 1,194+ delivered projects
The process went very smooth, the work was delivered on time and it was very perfectly done, and the changes were also made on time and as guided. Thank you so much for your work done on time and with good efforts.
Vidhi
New Zealand
The quote came back within 40 minutes with itemized scope, a payment plan, and a named methodologist. No fishing for budget, no upsell. The manuscript was accepted by my target Q1 cardiology journal on the second submission with only minor methodological queries.
Dr. S. Ahmed
Cardiology Fellow, Karachi
I sent them 27 trials worth of extracted data on a Sunday night. By Tuesday I had a price, a timeline, and a clear list of deliverables. Network meta-analysis ran in R with SUCRA rankings and a GRADE Summary of Findings table, all reproducible code shipped with the manuscript.
Dr. M. Al-Rashidi
Oncology Consultant, Riyadh
Umbrella review on bariatric surgery outcomes. They scoped it across six databases for a fixed price, no hourly billing creep. AMSTAR-2 ratings on 31 included reviews, PRISMA flow built from scratch, dual-checked extraction. The pricing transparency is unusual in this space.
Prof. L. Henrik
Epidemiology, Copenhagen
Network meta-analysis on neonatal sepsis interventions. The quote broke out every component, including sensitivity analyses I didn't even know to ask for. Forest plots, league tables, inconsistency testing, and the full R script were delivered together with the manuscript draft.
Dr. A. Patel
Paediatric Intensivist, India
Quote was clear, work began the day after payment, and the scoping review shipped in under five weeks for a major international grant deliverable. A PROSPERO-ready protocol document was included with no extra invoicing, ready for me to submit.
Dr. R. Okonkwo
Public Health, Nigeria
Pricing Questions
Common questions about quotes, payment, and what is included.
Ready to Request a Quote?
Describe your project and a PhD-level methodologist will reply with an itemized quote within a few hours. No signup, no card, no obligation.