{"id":951,"date":"2025-01-17T12:24:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T12:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/?p=951"},"modified":"2025-01-17T12:24:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T12:24:51","slug":"systematic-review-search-strategies-training-and-resources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/2025\/01\/17\/systematic-review-search-strategies-training-and-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"Systematic review search strategies – training and resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you developing a search strategy for a systematic review or other evidence synthesis? Here we have collated a list of useful training and guidance resources to help you.<\/p>\n

\"An

Image by Jos\u00e9 Miguel<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The Learn course LibSmart II: Advance Your Library Research <\/em>has a whole module on Literature Searching for Systematic Reviews.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>LibSmart II <\/em>can be found in Essentials<\/em> in Learn. If you don\u2019t see it there, contact your Academic Support Librarian<\/a> and we\u2019ll get you enrolled. You can work through LibSmart at your own pace, and return whenever you need.<\/p>\n

For self-paced training on the whole process of conducting a systematic review, Cochrane Interactive Learning<\/a> has modules created by methods experts<\/strong> so you build your knowledge one step at a time.<\/p>\n

If you are a student conducting a systematic review, we can highly recommend the book\u00a0Doing a Systematic Review<\/em> (2023)<\/a><\/strong>. With a friendly, accessible style, the book covers every step of the systematic review process, from planning to dissemination.<\/p>\n

We also have several recorded presentations on systematic reviews<\/strong> on our Media Hopper channel<\/a>, including\u00a0Building complex searches for systematic reviews <\/em><\/a>and How to test your systematic review searches for quality and relevance <\/em><\/a>as well as introductions to databases<\/a> like Medline and Web of Science.<\/p>\n

For even more advice about systematic review searching, see the library\u2019s subject guides on Systematic reviews<\/a><\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

What’s so different about a systematic review search strategy?<\/h1>\n
\"An

Image by Mug\u00e9<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

According to the Cochrane Collaboration<\/a>, a leading group in the production of evidence synthesis and systematic reviews;<\/p>\n

systematic reviews are large syntheses of evidence, which use rigorous and reproducible methods, with a view to minimise bias, to identify all known data on a specific research question.1<\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is done by a large, complex literature search in databases and other sources, using multiple search terms and search techniques. This might include Boolean operators, truncation, phrase searches, and database subject headings. Find out more about these search techniques on the Library subject guide to Literature Searching<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Traditional literature reviews, such as the literature review chapter in a dissertation, don\u2019t usually apply the same rigour in their methods because, unlike systematic reviews, they don’t aim to synthesise all known data on a topic. Literature reviews can provide context or background information for a new piece of research, or can stand alone as a general guide to what is already known about a particular topic2<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

You can contact your Academic Support Librarian<\/a> for advice on literature searching, using databases, and managing the literature you find.<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

References<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Higgins, J., et al., Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.4 (updated August 2023)<\/em>. 2023, Cochrane.<\/li>\n
  2. Mellor, L. The difference between a systematic review and a literature review<\/i>, Covidence<\/i>. 2021. Available at: https:\/\/www.covidence.org\/blog\/the-difference-between-a-systematic-review-and-a-literature-review\/<\/a>. (Accessed: 20 March 2024).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Are you developing a search strategy for a systematic review or other evidence synthesis? Here we have collated a list of useful training and guidance resources to help you. The Learn course LibSmart II: Advance Your Library Research has a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[168,48,66],"tags":[26,14,41,25,68,19,203],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcUES5-fl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":666,"url":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/2024\/03\/20\/systematic-reviews-five-frequently-asked-questions\/","url_meta":{"origin":951,"position":0},"title":"Systematic Reviews: five frequently asked questions","date":"March 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"When the Academic Support Librarians provide help for students and researchers who are conducting large-scale reviews, such as systematic and scoping reviews, we find that often the same questions will come up. 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Whether you are one of the many descending on campus or one of our online or distance learners logging in from across the globe, we hope you make full use of our library resources, services and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "5 things"","img":{"alt_text":"Photograph of the front of the Main Library building showing the Library sign and students outside.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/files\/2024\/09\/20240913_112015-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":367,"url":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/2022\/05\/06\/lilac-2022-student-transitions-in-information-literacy-from-school-to-he-from-learners-to-researchers\/","url_meta":{"origin":951,"position":2},"title":"LILAC 2022 : Student transitions in information literacy : \u00a0from school to HE, from learners to researchers","date":"May 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The LILAC 2022 conference in Manchester this April was a challenge and a pleasure to attend : \u00a0my first real life, in person conference for two years! I put aside my laptop with the distraction of its constant stream of email to concentrate on being present in the conference and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Conference reports"","img":{"alt_text":"Manchester Metropolitan University","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/files\/2022\/05\/MMU2-e1651485094503.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":51,"url":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/2021\/04\/30\/dissertation-festival-blog-so-what-is-a-systematic-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":951,"position":3},"title":"Dissertation Festival Blog: So\u2026 what is a systematic review?","date":"April 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction Welcome to the first of three blogs, where I document my Dissertation Festival Experience. For those who don\u2019t know, the Library\u2019s Dissertation Festival is a collaborative effort from the\u00a0Library, Digital Skills department and Institute of Academic Development (IAD). 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Ishbel Leggat attended the RLUK conference in Liverpool in March, where she learned\u00a0 \u201chow colleagues at other institutions are embedding AI skills into the curriculum, how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "ASL stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/files\/2025\/08\/Picture1-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=951"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":964,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951\/revisions\/964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/asl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}