Evidence Synthesis Ireland (ESI), which hosts Cochrane Ireland, aims to make evidence syntheses more usable in every sense of the word – better designed, conducted and reported, more useable for decision-makers and more usable within health care policy and clinical practice decision making across the island of Ireland and beyond.
We provide education for researchers, clinicians, the public and policymakers who conduct or use evidence syntheses.
We build capacity in planning, doing and sharing evidence syntheses through Fellowships, workshops and scholarships.
We advance the way we plan, do and share the results of evidence synthesis by finding out how to do these steps better.
january 2025
Date: 15th January 2025 Time: 14.00 – 16:30pm Location: Function Room, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, 274 Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA Fee: Free Skill Level: Introductory Target Audience: Healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, decision makers,
Date: 15th January 2025
Time: 14.00 – 16:30pm
Location: Function Room, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, 274 Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA
Fee: Free
Skill Level: Introductory
Target Audience:
Healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, decision makers, librarians, information specialists, Evidence Synthesis Ireland fellows and teaching faculty who would like to learn more about systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses.
Background:
Health care policy and practice decisions should be based on a synthesis of the global body of evidence rather than relying on individual studies. High quality, relevant systematic reviews and other synthesised research evidence are fundamental to evidence-based healthcare policy and practice.
Aim:
This workshop provides an overview of the goals of ESI, the value of systematic reviews, and an introduction to searching for evidence using the Cochrane Library.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this workshop, participants will:
Teaching Strategies:
The workshop will consist of short presentations and opportunities to search the Cochrane Library. Please bring a mobile, iPad or laptop.
Facilitators:
Prof. Bronagh Blackwood
Chair in Critical Care and NI lead for Evidence Synthesis Ireland
Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine
Queen’s University Belfast
Dr Jennifer McGaughey
Queens University Belfast
Affiliate to ESI
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(Wednesday) 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, 274 Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA, United Kingdom
Background: This series of workshops will provide reviewers, at the beginning of their journey in conducting a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES) with a comprehensive overview of the methodology and
Background:
This series of workshops will provide reviewers, at the beginning of their journey in conducting a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES) with a comprehensive overview of the methodology and methods including a Cochrane QES reviews. The series will offer insights into the development of a protocol, introducing participants to the methods of question generation, identification of included studies, data extraction and synthesis, the GRADECERQual assessment of confidence in the findings, and presentation the review for dissemination.
Aim:
The purpose of these workshops is to familarise all participants with the steps involved in conducting a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.
We have designed these workshops as a companion series to allow attendees to apply what they have learned, enabling them to gain practical experience before progressing to the next stage of the process.
Objective:
The objectives of the workshops are intended to provide participants with an understanding of the methods of QES and equip them with the practical skills needed to conduct such a syntheses effectively.
Workshop 1: will provide an Introduction to QES, including overview. We will explore how you can focus your review question and search for qualitative evidence.
Workshop 2: will highlight the methods of screening and inclusion processes including selecting studies. We will demonstrate how data are extracted for a QES and a Quality Assessment is conducted.
Workshop 3: will delve into choosing a method of synthesis, and demonstrate how to synthesisinse qualitative data and present the findings
Workshop 4: we will illustrate the process of conducting an assessment of confidence in the findings of the QES using the GRADECERQual approach, and explore methods of writing up a review for dissemination.
Learning outcomes:
The learning outcomes for participants in this series should support them to:
Teaching strategies:
The workshops will consist of a mixture of short presentations and discussions led by members of the ESI Teaching Faculty, covering each of the methods of a QES. Breakout rooms will be used for small group activities based around worked examples and exercises. These activities will provide participants with the opportunity to discuss and develop their own skills and understanding. Participants will also be provided with a reading list and additional resources.
Places: 30 places available for individuals who are resident on the island of Ireland
Overall fee: General €120; Student €60
Skill level: Introductory
Prerequisites: Knowledge of qualitative research methodologies and methods
Target Audience:
Facilitators
Prof. Pauline Meskell, Head of Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick
Dr Linda Biesty, Associate Professor (Midwifery), University of Galway
*If your type of ticket is sold out, please join the waitlist or contact us at esi@universityofgalway.ie
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(Tuesday) 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
ONLINE
To Register – click here Aim Our mission is to make evidence syntheses more usable in every sense of the word – better designed, conducted and reported, more
To Register – click here
Aim
Our mission is to make evidence syntheses more usable in every sense of the word – better designed, conducted and reported, more useable for decision makers and more usable within health care policy and clinical practice decision making across the Island of Ireland and beyond.
Learning Outcomes
Join us in this virtual meeting to:
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(Thursday) 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
ONLINE
30jan10:00 amIntroduction to Systematic Reviews (Online)10:00 am ONLINE
This workshop will be held over four mornings and provides authors, at the beginning of the systematic review process, with a clear understanding of how systematic reviews of the effects
This workshop will be held over four mornings and provides authors, at the beginning of the systematic review process, with a clear understanding of how systematic reviews of the effects of interventions are planned and conducted. It offers an insight into the development of a protocol, introducing participants to methodology, search methods, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and meta-analysis. While the focus is on systematic reviews of the effects of interventions, the principles discussed are likely to be useful to inform steps and approaches in other types of reviews.
Date: 30th & 31st January, 4th & 5th February 2025
Time: 10.00 am – 1.00/1:30 pm
Places: 30 available for individuals who are resident on the island of Ireland
Fee: General €150; Student €80
Skill level: Introductory
Target Audience: Healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, policy makers and other decision makers, and Evidence Synthesis Ireland fellows who have identified a systematic review of effects of interventions topic and are ready to begin working on their protocol.
Prerequisites: A basic knowledge of health research. Interested in learning more on the methods of a systematic review of effects of interventions.
Teaching strategies: The workshop will consist of a mixture of short presentations led by members of the Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland teaching faculty, covering each of the stages of developing a systematic review protocol, small group activities and plenary discussions, providing participants with the opportunity to develop and refine their protocol. Although focusing on systematic reviews of the effects of interventions, the principles are likely to apply to other review types. This course will include blended learning with two months free access to Cochrane Interactive Learning self-directed learning modules, a number of which will be required study prior to the workshop.
Facilitators
Prof. Declan Devane, Professor of Health Research Methodology, University of Galway. Director, Evidence Synthesis Ireland, & Cochrane Ireland.
Ciara Gleeson, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Respiratory Assessment Unit, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin.
Dr. KM Saif-Ur-Rahman, Research Fellow, University of Galway. Senior Research Methodologist, Evidence Synthesis Ireland.
Dr Dominic Agyei Dankwah, Senior Assistant Librarian and ESI Fellow, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
*If your type of ticket is sold out, please join the waitlist or contact us at esi@universityofgalway.ie
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(Thursday) 10:00 am
ONLINE
The innovative ESI Fellowships give Fellows the opportunity to learn about evidence synthesis, with hands-on experience of how to plan, design, conduct and report an evidence synthesis. Fellows are placed virtually with world-class evidence synthesis centres and review teams in Ireland and internationally, on policy and practice relevant reviews.
We’re committed to improving how we gather, interpret, and share vast amounts of information, a process known as evidence synthesis. Our approach isn’t just about conducting research; it’s about improving the very methods we use to plan, conduct, and share the results of this process.
We work in many different research areas relevant to evidence synthesis and have a particularly strong focus on rapid reviews, knowledge translation and “studies within a review” (SWARs).
“ Reporting on health care topics can rely too much on asking experts or reporting the results of a single study…what would be much more useful to members of the public, especially when it comes to making decisions about their own health, is for people to understand how to situate health claims in the global body of evidence. “