This paper examines how and to what extent Systematic Literature Reviews (SLRs) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol have been endorsed by researchers conducting research in economics, business and management, and what implications it bears for academic debates unfolding in respective areas of research. The findings reveal an increase (14.415%) SLR adoption over the period 2005–2024 in the body of Web of Science (WoS) indexed publications. Management and business emerge as leading areas of SLR adoption, with economics lagging behind. A comparison with other areas of research reveals that economics, business and management fall behind as regards PRISMA/SLR adoption overall. The variability of SLR and PRISMA adoption suggests that different approaches to specific aspects of methodology across disciplines exist, which in turn raises questions about the prospects of inter- and multi-disciplinary research as well as about comparability of research output, also in context of quality assurance. From a different angle, while management and business have embraced SLRs as a tool for enhancing research quality, economics presents opportunities for improvement. The study concludes that a more structured approach to SLRs, such as the application of PRISMA in business and management, could further enhance the reliability and impact of research in these fields.