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Systematic Reviews and Other Evidence Synthesis Types Guide

Systematic Reviews and Other Evidence Synthesis Types Guide

UT Southwestern Evidence Synthesis Services

A critical element in conducting a systematic review and other evidence synthesis types is the identification of studies. As noted in Standard 3.1 in the Institute of Medicine's Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews and documented in the literature, including a librarian on the Systematic Review (SR) Team improves the search quality and reporting. (Campbell, Umapathysivam, Xue, & Lockwood, 2015; Dudden & Protzko, 2011; Institute of Medicine Committee on Standards for Systematic Reviews of Comparative Effectiveness, 2011; McGowan & Sampson, 2005; Meert, Torabi, & Costella, 2016; Rethlefsen, Farrell, Osterhaus Trzasko, & Brigham, 2015; Rethlefsen, Murad, & Livingston, 2014; Spencer & Eldredge, 2018)

UT Southwestern Evidence Synthesis Services are only available to UT Southwestern affiliates and is differentiated by the two levels of support as noted below.

  • Level 1 – Education: Provides training about the evidence synthesis/systematic review (ES/SR) process and how the Library can help at no cost . To request, use the Training Request Form.  Level I is only available to faculty, fellows, residents, postdocs, students, clinicians, and staff of UT Southwestern Medical Center and University Hospitals.
  • Level 2 – ES/SR Team Member and Co-Author: As part of this fee-based service ($1,250 per PICO or equivalent question), the Librarian is an active contributor and meets the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors criteria for authorship.  Level 2 is only available to faculty, fellows, residents, postdocs, clinicians, and staff of UT Southwestern Medical Center and University Hospitals.  Students are not eligible.

Note: In addition to evidence synthesis/systematic reviews, this fee-based service also applies to complex projects, which can include – but not be limited to – consensus statements, practice guidelines, position papers, writing group publications or equivalent.

The Librarian follows applicable guidelines, standards and best practices when developing the ES/SR literature search strategy with the ES/SR Team and performing the searches in multiple databases. It is recommended that ES/SR Team members review the applicable protocol and reporting guidelines throughout the project. For more information on the scope of the fee-based service, see the UT Southwestern Librarian ES/SR Team Member and Co-Author tab.

The following table summarizes the Librarian's involvement by level.

UT Southwestern Systematic Review/Evidence Synthesis Services
TASKS LEVEL 1 – EDUCATION (NO COST) LEVEL 2 – ES/SR TEAM MEMBER/ CO-AUTHOR (FEE-BASED)
Overview of ES/SR Process ✔ ✔
Educate how to perform preliminary keyword search for any ES/SR on topic published within last 5 years ✔  
Perform preliminary keyword search for any ES/SRS on topic published within last 5 years   ✔
Educate how to identify PICO or applicable concepts. See templates in What is the Question and Search Worksheets in the Responsible Literature Searching Guide. ✔ ✔
Review and/or provide feedback on the research question   ✔
Contribute to the search section of the protocol design   ✔
Provide guidance on protocol registration ✔ ✔
Educate how to identify databases for searches ✔  
Identify databases for searches   ✔
Educate how to translate PICO or equivalent concepts in a basic search. See templates in What is the Question and Search Worksheets and search tips in Appendices in the Responsible Literature Searching Guide. ✔  
Collaborate with ES/SR team to develop search strategy for their review and approval   ✔
Translate approved initial strategy and search across multiple databases   ✔
Document search methods   ✔
Organize search documentation, i.e., list of databases searched, results per database, dates searched and search strategies   ✔
Train how to use EndNote citation management software ✔  
Deliver citations in citation management software importable files (EndNote)   ✔
Train how to use different search techniques ✔  
Provide basic guidance on screening process ✔ ✔
Perform update(s) of searches prior to publication   ✔
Suggest journals to target for publication ✔ ✔
Assist in writing the search portion of the Methods section for publication   ✔
Provide basic guidance about the PRISMA diagram ✔ ✔
Review other manuscript sections and final draft   ✔

As a member of the ES/SR Team, UT Southwestern Librarians adhere to the ES/SR's applicable guidelines/standards/best practices. The cost of a single Librarian contribution to a ES/SR is $1,250.00 per PICO or equivalent question. (Higgins JPT, 2020; IOM (Institute of Medicine), 2011; Liberati et al., 2009; Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, & Altman, 2009; Moher et al., 2015)

Note: In addition to evidence synthesis/systematic reviews, this fee-based service also applies to complex projects, which can include – but not be limited to – consensus statements, practice guidelines, position papers, writing group publications or equivalent.

Librarian contributions include:

  • Determine if a ES/SR review has recently been published on the topic
  • Review and/or provide feedback on the research question
  • Contribute to the search section of the protocol design
  • Identify databases for the literature searches and other applicable information sources
  • In collaboration with the ES/SR Team primary contact, develop initial search strategy for SR/ES Team review and approval
  • Translate the search across multiple databases
  • Conduct comprehensive searches in multiple databases
  • Conduct searches in other applicable sources
  • Document search methods
  • Deliver citations in citation management software importable files (EndNote)
  • Organize search documentation, i.e., list of databases searched, results per database, dates searched and search strategies
  • For searches conducted by the Librarian, provide required data for completing the first step in the Identification Step, “Records identified from” of the PRISMA flow diagram
  • Provide basic guidance on screening process
  • Assist in writing the search portion of the Methods section for publication
  • Perform update(s) of database searches prior to publication (as required by standards)

The Librarian’s contributions meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors criteria for authorship. (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, 2019)

  • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work – The systematic review search strategies developed by the Librarian contribute to the design of the systematic review and the retrieved articles/information are necessary for the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data.
  • Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content – The Librarian writes the search portion of the Methods section (including search documentation, i.e., list of databases searched, results per database, dates searched and search strategies) and performs search update(s) prior to publication.
  • Final approval of the version to be published – The Librarian provides feedback and approves the final version.
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved – The Librarian agrees to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of contributions to the project.

The cost of a single Librarian contribution to an ES/SR is $1,250.00 per PICO or equivalent question.

The ES/SR Team begins the process by completing Evidence Synthesis/Systematic Review Request Form. The required information in the form is the foundation to a successful collaboration.

The Librarian will perform a preliminary keyword search and/or review the ES/SR Team's preliminary search to determine if a review has been recently published. The ES/SR Team will review the preliminary search results and decide next steps as noted in the flowchart.

If the ES/SR Team determines that the preliminary search did not retrieve a current systematic review, the ES/SR Team can either ask a Librarian to join the ES/SR Team (fee-based) or the ES/SR Team can handle their own searches.

If a Librarian joins the ES/SR Team, the ES/SR Team will complete the Evidence Synthesis/Systematic Review Library Services Agreement. Upon receipt of the signed agreement and related fee, the Librarian will contact the ES/SR primary contact to start the collaboration process, which can include but not be limited to:

  • Initial Meeting to review the ES/SR process and completion timeline, discuss research question, answer questions, identify EndNote training needs, and outline next steps and required ES/SR team involvement.
  • Subsequent Meetings:
    • Review/approve search terms and initial search strategy
    • Review/approve databases. Discuss grey literature and hand searching responsibilities.
  • Search performed by the Librarian in the agreed-upon databases and other information sources.

The timeline to complete the above activities is a minimum of 6 - 12 weeks.

Note: Eligible UT Southwestern users interested in Librarian fee-based assistance in performing an Evidence Synthesis/ Systematic Review or complex search must complete the Evidence Synthesis/Systematic Review Request Form. Complex projects can include – but not be limited to – consensus statements, practice guidelines, position papers, writing group publications or equivalent.

Murphy, C. C., Sen, A., Watson, B., Gupta, S., Mayo, H., & Singal, A. G. (2020). A Systematic Review of Repeat Fecal Occult Blood Tests for Colorectal Cancer Screening. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention: a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 29(2), 278–287. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0775

Rao, S., Pandey, A., Garg, S., Park, B., Mayo, H., Després, J. P., Kumbhani, D., de Lemos, J. A., & Neeland, I. J. (2019). Effect of Exercise and Pharmacological Interventions on Visceral Adiposity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Long-term Randomized Controlled Trials. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 94(2), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.09.019

Rich, N. E., Oji, S., Mufti, A. R., Browning, J. D., Parikh, N. D., Odewole, M., Mayo, H., & Singal, A. G. (2018). Racial and ethnic disparities in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence, severity, and outcomes in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology: the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, 16(2), 198–210.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2017.09.041

Kern, A., Grimsby, G., Mayo, H., & Baker, L. A. (2017). Medical and dietary interventions for preventing recurrent urinary stones in children. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 11(11), CD011252. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011252.pub2

Inzucchi, S. E., Lipska, K. J., Mayo, H., Bailey, C. J., & McGuire, D. K. (2014). Metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease: a systematic review. JAMA, 312(24), 2668–2675. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.15298

References

  • Campbell, J. M., Umapathysivam, K., Xue, Y., & Lockwood, C. (2015). Evidence-based practice point-of-care resources: a quantitative evaluation of quality, rigor, and content. Worldviews on evidence-based nursing, 12(6), 313–327. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12114
  • Dudden, R. F., & Protzko, S. L. (2011). The systematic review team: contributions of the health sciences librarian. Medical reference services quarterly, 30(3), 301–315. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2011.590425
  • Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P., … Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: explanation and elaboration. PLoS medicine, 6(7), e1000100. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000100
  • McGowan, J., & Sampson, M. (2005). Systematic reviews need systematic searchers. Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA, 93(1), 74–80.
  • Meert, D., Torabi, N., & Costella, J. (2016). Impact of librarians on reporting of the literature searching component of pediatric systematic reviews. Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA, 104(4), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.104.4.004
  • Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
  • Moher, D., Shamseer, L., Clarke, M., Ghersi, D., Liberati, A., Petticrew, M., … PRISMA-P Group (2015). Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Systematic reviews, 4(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-4053-4-1
  • Muka, T., Glisic, M., Milic, J., Verhoog, S., Bohlius, J., Bramer, W., Chowdhury, R., & Franco, O. H. (2020). A 24-step guide on how to design, conduct, and successfully publish a systematic review and meta-analysis in medical research. European journal of epidemiology, 35(1), 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-019-00576-5
  • Rethlefsen, M. L., Farrell, A. M., Osterhaus Trzasko, L. C., & Brigham, T. J. (2015). Librarian co-authors correlated with higher quality reported search strategies in general internal medicine systematic reviews. Journal of clinical epidemiology, 68(6), 617–626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.11.025
  • Rethlefsen, M. L., Murad, M. H., & Livingston, E. H. (2014). Engaging medical librarians to improve the quality of review articles. JAMA, 312(10), 999–1000. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.9263
  • Spencer, A. J., & Eldredge, J. D. (2018). Roles for librarians in systematic reviews: a scoping review. Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA, 106(1), 46–56. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2018.82
  • Tsafnat, G., Glasziou, P., Choong, M. K., Dunn, A., Galgani, F., & Coiera, E. (2014). Systematic review automation technologies. Systematic reviews, 3, 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-4053-3-74