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Gerstein Science Information Centre

Systematic & Scoping Reviews : Methodology Behind the Search Strategies

This guide is primarily for students and other researchers conducting systematic reviews and scoping reviews for coursework, thesis/dissertation requirements, or for other research purposes.

Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS - JUNE 2018 GPS workshop:

Strategies for Systematic, Scoping, or Other Comprehensive Searches of Literature

Jun 5, 7, 12  @ 2-4:30pm

Are you struggling to start your systematic or scoping review? Want to improve your research process by searching more effectively and efficiently?  Take your research to the next level with our popular 3-part workshop series, Strategies for Systematic, Scoping, or Other Comprehensive Searches of Literature.  You are welcome to take one or all three workshops*:

  • PART 1: Structured Approach to Searching the Medical Literature for Knowledge Syntheses (June 5, 2-4:30pm)
  • PART 2:  Beyond MEDLINE: Translating Search Strategies for Knowledge Syntheses (June 7, 2-4:30pm)
  • PART 3:  Going Grey and Supplementary Search Techniques (June 12, 2-4:30pm)

Open to all current U of T graduate students and faculty engaged in health science research.

REGISTRATION & MORE INFO: http://uoft.me/gersteinworkshop  

*Note:  Attendees of all three sessions will receive GPS (Graduate Professional Skills) credit from the School of Graduate Studies.

Services offered for systematic, scoping, and other types of reviews

This guide is primarily for students and other researchers conducting systematic reviews and scoping reviews for coursework, thesis/dissertation requirements, or for other research purposes. 

There are two services offered by librarians of the Gerstein Science information Centre regarding systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other types of knowledge syntheses:

Systematic or scoping reviews for course-work & thesis/dissertation Systematic or scoping reviews for research & publication (i.e. not for coursework or thesis/dissertation)

1. Consultation Service

  • A librarian will provide a consultation on how to conduct a comprehensive search strategy. 
  • The librarian will not be a team member nor create the search strategies.
  • Submit a request for a consultation by filling out this form: Consultation Service Request

 

Use this guide to understand the methodology behind the search strategy.

To learn how to effectively construct comprehensive search strategies, please consult Searching the Literature: Guide to Comprehensive Searching in the Health Sciences

1. Systematic & scoping review service

A librarian will join your team and:

  • Create, validate and translate the search strategies
  • Advise on databases to search
  • Document the search strategies
  • Write the search methodology section
  • Suggest keywords when submitting manuscript)s) for publication
  • Respond to peer reviewers' comment as appropriate
  • Be included as a coauthor on publication(s)

Submit a request for this service here:

Systematic & scoping review service request 

or

2. Consultation Service

  • A librarian will provide a consultation on how to conduct a comprehensive search strategy. 
  • The librarian will not be a team member nor create the search strategies.
  • Submit a request for a consultation by filling out this form: Consultation Service Request

Content & Objectives of this guide

Objectives of this guide:

  1. What is a systematic review and a scoping review
  2. Understand the methodologies related to searching for evidence in systematic & scoping reviews
  3. Understand how systematic & scoping reviews differ from literature reviews
  4. How to document and report your search methodology