Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A living narrative review of generative-AI safety techniques, updated quarterly with a version log
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A one-off review published in 2019 without subsequent updates is not a living review
Editorial commentary
A living review is any review article — systematic or narrative — that is continuously or periodically updated as new evidence emerges, maintained as a single citable resource with a version history, rather than being superseded by an entirely separate, freshly-commissioned review each time an update is needed.
How this differs from a living systematic review
“Living review” is the general category; living systematic review is the specific case where the underlying review methodology is a full systematic review with a registered protocol and PRISMA reporting. A living review need not be systematic at all — a continuously updated narrative review of a fast-moving field is a living review but not a living systematic review, because it lacks the registered protocol and formal appraisal that “systematic” implies.
Example
A living narrative review of a rapidly-developing technical field, reissued on a quarterly cadence with an explicit version log documenting what changed at each update, functioning as a single ongoing reference rather than a series of disconnected one-off review articles.
Practical requirement
Like a living systematic review, sustaining the format requires a stable home, version control, and clear update triggers — infrastructure a conventional, one-off review article does not need.
Also known as
Continuously updated review · Dynamic review
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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