Introduction to Systematic Review module (GM52019)

This module will provide you with the transferable skills to design, carry out, interpret, and report a systematic review.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• formulate a systematic review, including describing the key steps, developing the research question
• prepare a protocol
• construct a search strategy
• select primary papers for inclusion
• assess the quality of included studies
• extract and analyse data
• interpret results
• write reports
• disseminating findings
• assess risk of bias in included studies with appropriate screening tools
• conduct a meta-analysis as part of a systematic review, including forest and funnel plots

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• complete a search strategy
• identify essential data items to be extracted from primary studies
• identify sources of heterogeneity among included studies, sensitivity analysis and publication bias
• differentiate between meta-analysis and systematic review and appropriate uses of each, narrative synthesis
• formulate the recommended steps provided in guidelines for reporting systematic reviews (eg. PRISMA, MOOSE)

Assignments/assessment

• written summative assessment (100%)

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods

• lectures (face to face)
• online resources
• practical classes
• tutorials