Systematic Reviews for Librarians

Training and Reading for Systematic Reviews

• Bernard Becker Medical Library Designing Search Strategies for Systematic Reviews Librarian Workshop
• Campbell Collaboration Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
• Cochrane Training
• GRADE Training
• JBI Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program
• Johns Hopkins University Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Medical Library Association SRSS Level 1 Learning Pathway – offerings rotate, check MEDLIB-ED
• Ryerson University Advanced research skills: Conducting literature and systematic reviews on Pressbooks
• Temple University’s Systematic Review & Other Review Types Guide
• Systematic Review Librarian
• University of Michigan Library Systematic Reviews Workshop
• University of Minnesota Libraries Evidence Synthesis Institute
  • Evidence Synthesis Institute on Pressbooks
• University of York YHEC
• The University of Sheffield Systematic Approaches to Searching for Evidence

A Bibliography

This bibliography was assembled by Carrie Price, MLS, David Farris, MSIS, and Rachael Lebo, MLS.

Authorship

• COPE. (2022). Authorship and contributorship. Committee on Publication Ethics. https://publicationethics.org/authorship
• ICMJE. (2022). Defining the roles of authors and contributors. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html

Competencies

• Townsend, W. A., Anderson, P. F., Ginier, E. C., MacEachern, M. P., Saylor, K. M., Shipman, B. L., & Smith, J. E. (2017). A competency framework for librarians involved in systematic reviews. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 105(3), 268–275. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2017.189

Recall and Precision

• Buckland, M., & Gey, F. (1994). The relationship between recall and precision. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 45(1), 12–19. https://asistdl.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(199401)45:1%3C12::AID-ASI2%3E3.0.CO;2-L
• Sampson, M., Tetzlaff, J., & Urquhart, C. (2011). Precision of healthcare systematic review searches in a cross-sectional sample. Research Synthesis Methods, 2(2), 119–125. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.42
• Stevinson, C., & Lawlor, D. A. (2004). Searching multiple databases for systematic reviews: added value or diminishing returns? Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 12(4), 228-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2004.09.003

Searching

• Booth A. (2010). How much searching is enough? Comprehensive versus optimal retrieval for technology assessments. International journal of technology assessment in health care, 26(4), 431–435. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266462310000966
• Cochrane. (2020). Low and middle income country (LMIC) filter. Cochrane CIS Support Digest, 61. https://mailchi.mp/ebb18ffeece7/cochrane-information-specialist-support-team-digest-2864754#EPOC%20LMICs%20Filter
• European Network for Health Technology Assessment. (2019 Dec). Process of information retrieval for systematic reviews and health technology assessments on clinical effectiveness. https://www.eunethta.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/EUnetHTA_Guideline_Information_Retrieval_v2-0.pdf
• Glanville, J. M., Duffy, S., McCool, R., & Varley, D. (2014). Searching ClinicalTrials.gov and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to inform systematic reviews: what are the optimal search approaches? Journal of the Medical Library Association 102(3), 177–183. https://doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.102.3.007
• Glanville, J., Kotas, E., Featherstone, R., & Dooley, G. (2020). Which are the most sensitive search filters to identify randomized controlled trials in MEDLINE?. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 108(4), 556–563. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2020.912
• McGowan, J., & Sampson, M. (2005). Systematic reviews need systematic searchers. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 93(1), 74–80. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC545125/pdf/i0025-7338-093-01-0074.pdf
• Ross-White A. (2021). Search is a verb: systematic review searching as invisible labor. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 109(3), 505–506. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2021.1226

Systematic Review Guidance

• Borah, R., Brown, A. W., Capers, P. L., & Kaiser, K. A. (2017). Analysis of the time and workers needed to conduct systematic reviews of medical interventions using data from the PROSPERO registry. BMJ Open, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012545
• Glanville, J. Isojarvi, J. et al. (Last updated 2020 March 7). Summarized research in information retrieval for HTA. https://sites.google.com/york.ac.uk/sureinfo/home?authuser=0
• Lefebvre, C. et al. (2019). Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies. In Higgins, J. P., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J., & Welch, V. A. (Eds.). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. John Wiley & Sons. https://training.cochrane.org/handbook/current/chapter-04
• Lefebvre, C. et al. (2019). 4.S1 Technical supplement to Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies. In Higgins, J. P., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J., & Welch, V. A. (Eds.). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. John Wiley & Sons. https://training.cochrane.org/handbook/current/chapter-04-technical-supplement-searching-and-selecting-studies
• National Academy of Sciences. (2011). Chapter 3: Standards for finding and assessing individual studies. In Finding what works in health care: Standards for systematic reviews. Committee on Standards for Systematic Reviews of Comparative Effectiveness Research, Eden, J., Levit, L., Berg, A., Morton, S., (Eds.) Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209517/
• Tufanaru, C., Munn, Z., Aromataris, E., Campbell, J., Hopp, L. (2020). Chapter 3: Systematic reviews of effectiveness. In Aromataris, E., Munn, Z. (Eds.) JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. https://jbi-global-wiki.refined.site/space/MANUAL/4688621/Chapter+3%3A+Systematic+reviews+of+effectiveness

Search Peer Review

• Franco, J. V. A., Garrote, V. L., Escobar Liquitay, C. M., & Vietto, V. (2018). Identification of problems in search strategies in Cochrane Reviews. Research Synthesis Methods, 9(3), 408-416. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1302
• Lefebvre, C., & Duffy, S. (2021). Peer review of searches for studies for health technology assessments, systematic reviews, and other evidence syntheses. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 37(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266462321000210
• McGowan J., Sampson M., Salwedel D.M., Cogo E., Foerster V., Lefebvre C. (2016). PRESS – Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies: 2015 Guideline Explanation and Elaboration. https://www.cadth.ca/press-peer-review-electronic-search-strategies-0
• McGowan, J., Sampson, M., Salzwedel, D. M., Cogo, E., Foerster, V., & Lefebvre, C. (2016). PRESS peer review of electronic search strategies: 2015 guideline statement. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 75, 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2016.01.021
• Relevo, R., Paynter, R. (2012). Peer review of search strategies: Methods research report. AHRQ Publication No. 12-EHC068-EF. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK98353/
• Sampson, M., McGowan, J., Cogo, E., Grimshaw, J., Moher, D., & Lefebvre, C. (2009). An evidence-based practice guideline for the peer review of electronic search strategies. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 62(9), 944-952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.10.012
• Sampson, M., & McGowan, J. (2006). Errors in search strategies were identified by type and frequency. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 59(10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2006.01.007
• Shema, H. (2014, Apr). The birth of modern peer review. Scientific American. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/information-culture/the-birth-of-modern-peer-review/

Search Reporting

• Booth, A. (2006). “Brimful of STARLITE”: toward standards for reporting literature searches. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 94(4), 421. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17082834/
• Moher, D., Cook, D. J., Eastwood, S., Olkin, I., Rennie, D., & Stroup, D. F. (1999). Improving the quality of reports of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials: the QUOROM statement. Lancet, 354(9193), 1896–1900. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(99)04149-5
• Rethlefsen, M. L., Kirtley, S., Waffenschmidt, S., Ayala, A. P., Moher, D., Page, M. J., Koffel, J. B., & PRISMA-S Group (2021). PRISMA-S: an extension to the PRISMA statement for reporting literature searches in systematic reviews. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 109(2), 174–200. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2021.962
• Sacks, H. S., Berrier, J., Reitman, D., Ancona-Berk, V. A., & Chalmers, T. C. (1987). Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. New England Journal of Medicine, 316(8), 450-455. https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM198702193160806
• Sampson, M., McGowan, J., Tetzlaff, J., Cogo, E., & Moher, D. (2008). No consensus exists on search reporting methods for systematic reviews. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 61(8), 748–754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.10.009
• Stroup, D. F., Berlin, J. A., Morton, S. C., Olkin, I., Williamson, G. D., Rennie, D., … & Thacker, S. B. (2000). Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology: a proposal for reporting. JAMA, 283(15), 2008-2012. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.283.15.2008