Training package for systematic reviews

Systematics reviews are considered the most rigorous and transparent approach to synthesising literature on a given topic. This training package includes resources on how to undertake a systematic review as well as other synthesis methodologies. The supplementary materials at the end are for optional further reading, and also include links to networking opportunities.    

Key learning objectives include: 

recognizing the key features of different synthesis research designs, primarily systematic reviews and meta-analysis;

understanding the key components of a review question and how to prepare one:

describing the steps in undertaking a systematic review;

understanding the key principles guiding ethical evidence generation.

Basic

The online courses below provide an introduction to systematic reviews, how to conduct them and the ethical basis for undertaking different forms of evidence generation. Each of these courses has been designed for their specific context but the principles can readily be applied outside of these organizations.

Advanced

The text material below provides details on a range of different evidence synthesis methodologies and how they apply to health policy and systems research. The webinar focuses specifically on meta-analyses.

Supplementary materials

All supplementary materials are optional. The GRADE handbook is a widely used approach to assessing the quality of evidence and has been added here for your reference. The networking references invite you to engage with Cochrane and it will depend on your circumstances how much you would like to engage with these.