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Systematic Reviews & Evidence Synthesis Methods

This is a guide to understanding systematic reviews and other evidence synthesis methods. Links to resources and information about the Libraries' Systematic Review Service is included.

A Good Place to Start

It is considered best practice when conducting a systematic review or evidence synthesis project to have a librarian on your review team. Our Systematic Review Service Librarians are experienced at creating search strategies and manipulating databases, which is where you will be gathering data for your study. We can assist you in several ways.

Library Support for your Review

Educational Capacity
In the educational capacity, a librarian 

  • Provides evidence synthesis Research Commons Workshops, departmental presentations, and other instruction related to evidence synthesis
  • Presents on evidences synthesis methods and best practices

This level of support is available to the WVU community. 

Consultation Capacity

In the consultant capacity, a librarian can help you

  • Focus your research question
  • Recommend an appropriate type of review for your question
  • Recommend places to search (databases or grey literature)
  • Provide training on how to search a specific database
  • Identify search concepts
  • Suggest appropriate protocol registries

This level of assistance is available for WVU faculty, staff, and graduate students. 

Review of Preliminary Search and Protocol Capacity

In the review capacity, a librarian will 

  • Provide feedback on your protocol draft using the current established methods guidelines and best practices for your review type and discipline
  • Provide feedback on your preliminary search strategy using expert searching tools and best practices

This level of assistance is available to WVU faculty, staff, and graduate students

Coauthor Capacity

In the coauthor capacity, a librarian can help you

  • Assist with protocol development and registry
  • Develop the search strategy and translate the search across databases
  • Deliver deduplicated citation information from the search
  • Assist with the writing process as requested
  • This level of assistance is available for WVU faculty. 

*Coauthor level assistance requires a signed Memorandum of Understanding. 

*We are not accepting new Coauthor Level requests at this time. Please check back later if this level of assistance still interests you. 

Schedule a Consultation

If you are interested in learning more about how a librarian can collaborate on your review project or have questions about how to conduct a systematic review in general, please fill out this form. Once submitted, a librarian will reach out to you about your review project within several business days.