Systematic Review Service
What is a systematic review?
Cochrane Reviews says that a systematic review "attempts to identify, appraise and synthesize all the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a specific research question. Researchers conducting systematic reviews use explicit, systematic methods that are selected with a view aimed at minimizing bias, to produce more reliable findings to inform decision-making."
What can librarians do to support systematic reviews?
- Advise research team on systematic review process
- Search for existing reviews on the same topic
- Select appropriate literature databases
- Design and execute search strategies
- Document search process
- Manage search results and collect citations
- Write methods section of resulting manuscript
Why include a librarian on a systematic review team?
Studies have shown that teams that include a librarian write more comprehensive and reproducible reviews than teams without a librarian. This research demonstrates that studies that included a librarian searched more widely and comprehensively and that reporting of the search strategy and other details of the search process are improved.
The participation of a librarian on a research team is recommended or required by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Cochrane, and Campbell Collaboration.
