Evidence Synthesis Review Service

Calder Librarians will work on systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and meta-analyses with students, faculty, researchers, residents, or staff members affiliated with the Miller School of Medicine, UHealth, or Jackson Health System.  

Collaboration Track:
As a member of an evidence synthesis review team, we can write full search strategies for multiple databases, assist with using Covidence software for screening, provide methodological guidance, and write the search methods of the manuscript. Due to high demand, there is typically a waitlist for these services.

Consultation Track:
We provide education, training, and advice on evidence synthesis review searching, methods, and software for researchers who prefer to complete these steps at their own pace. There is typically only a short wait time for this service track.

If you would like help with your systematic review, scoping review, or meta-analysis, please take the steps below:

1. Work through our subscription to the Cochrane Interactive Learning tutorials on systematic review and meta-analysis methods
2. Become familiar with the MECIR checklist for conducting a review and the PRISMA checklist(s) for reporting a review. For scoping reviews see the JBI Handbook and the PRISMA-ScR.
3. Draft a protocol for your project.
4. Contact the Evidence Synthesis Coordinator, John Reynolds, at jxr1327@med.miami.edu.

Questions? Contact John Reynolds at jxr1327@med.miami.edu.

• Email: reference@miami.edu
• Phone: 305-243-6648
• Ask a Librarian: https://www.library.miami.edu/calder/ask-a-librarian.html

Collaborate with a librarian on your evidence synthesis review.

Librarian(s) will:

• Assist with the refinement of the research question, as appropriate.
• Provide resources and advice on following publication-quality review standards.
• Develop the search strategy with input from the review team’s subject experts. The search strategy includes search term selection and application as well as database identification.
• Search research databases and keep records of the search terms used as well as the number of results for reporting purposes.
• Send the search results to the review team in an agreed-upon format (e.g., EndNote file, Covidence site, etc.).
• Write the methods section of the abstract, manuscript, or other publication type.
• Review the full abstract, manuscript, or other publication type prior to submission.

Publications will include the librarian(s) as a full coauthor with all associated rights and responsibilities.

Consult with a librarian throughout the research process.

Librarian(s) will:

• Advise on the refinement of the research question.
• Provide resources and advice on following publication-quality review standards.
• Hold at least one consultation with the team to provide guidance on the creation and refinement of a search strategy as well as the selection of suitable databases.
• Answer follow-up questions on the search strategy and database searches, via email or in additional meetings, as appropriate.
• Provide resources on the use of citation managers and screening software.
• Offer an attribution template to be used in the acknowledgements section of the review.

Publications will name the librarian consultant(s) in the acknowledgements.