Making more of
Evidence Syntheses

This workshop will be held over four mornings and provides authors, at the beginning of the systematic review process, with an in-depth understanding of how reviews are planned and conducted. It offers an insight to the development of a protocol, introducing participants to methodology, search methods, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and meta-analysis.

Date: 2nd, 3rd, 9th & 10th October 2023

Time: 10.00 am – 1.00 /1:30 pm

Places: 25 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, decision makers and Evidence Synthesis Ireland fellows who have identified a review 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.

Teaching strategies: The workshop will consist of a mixture of short presentations, led by members of the Cochrane Ireland & ESI 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. This course will include blended learning with two months free access to Cochrane Interactive Learning self-directed modules, a number of which will be required study prior to the workshop.

Facilitators

Prof. Anne Matthews, Full Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing, Psychotherapy & Community Health, Dublin City University

Ciara Gleeson, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Respiratory Assessment Unit, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin

*If your type of ticket is sold out, please join the waitlist or contact us at esi@universityofgalway.ie

Date: 11, 12 & 13 October 2023

Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm (Irish time, UTC+1)

Location: Online

Fee: Free

Skill Level: Introductory

Target Audience: PhD and MSc students on the Island of Ireland. 

Places: 50

Background:

Evidence synthesis is a method of bringing together all the evidence on a particular topic in a systematic way and coming to a conclusion about what that evidence tells us. It is important for researchers, and those making health or healthcare decisions, whether clinicians, policymakers or patients, understand the evidence underpinning those decisions. A clinician, for example, might be deciding on the most effective type of medicine to prescribe or most accurate diagnostic test to order. In these situations, we need to know what, on balance, the totality of the evidence tells us.

Aim:

In this workshop we will introduce the basic steps for undertaking a systematic review. These steps include formatting a research question, searching for studies and deciding which of the studies we find are suitable for answering the research question. We will also outline methods of assessing how confident or certain we can be of our findings.

By the end of the workshop, participants should understand the steps of a systematic review and understand why systematic reviews matter. We hope that this will inform their future decision making in health and healthcare.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course, participants will understand the principles of  

• Formulating a research question 
• Developing and registering a protocol  
• Developing and running a comprehensive search strategy 
• Screening citations  
• Data extraction 
• Data synthesis 
• Critical appraisal 
• Certainty of evidence  
• Qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) 
• Report writing 

Teaching Strategies:

The workshop will consist of a mixture of short presentations and discussion.

Facilitators: 

Dr Linda Biesty, Senior lecturer at the School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Galway 

Dr K.M. Saif-Ur-Rahman, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, University of Galway 

Dr Paula Byrne, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, University of Galway 

To register, click here

Evidence Synthesis Ireland, which includes Cochrane Ireland, aims to build evidence synthesis knowledge, awareness and capacity among the public, health care institutions and policymakers, clinicians, and researchers on the island of Ireland. We do this through: 1) Training & Education; 2) Support & Network; and 3) Research & Innovation.

Join us in this webinar as we explore the training programs, webinars and Fellowships designed to equip our audience with the essential skills for evidence synthesis. Discover the enriching experience of our Fellowships, where participants gain hands-on exposure to cutting-edge methodologies and one-to-one mentorship. Whether you are a researcher, policymaker, or practitioner, we have courses that cater to all levels of expertise, enabling you to become proficient in navigating the world of evidence synthesis. We’ll also introduce our other initiatives, such as Communicating with the Public mentorship scheme or, the Study Within A Review (SWAR) Award that you can get involved in.

We want to hear from you – so we’ll have a live Q&A session to answer your questions or hear your suggestions.

Dr. Nikita Burke is the Programme Manager for Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Associate Director for Cochrane Ireland. She is passionate about building evidence synthesis knowledge, awareness and capacity, to support the impact of evidence synthesis on decision-making. With a profound understanding of the importance of reliable research, she drives the success and quality of a world class evidence synthesis centre at the University of Galway. Nikita’s journey in evidence synthesis began with a decade in preclinical research, earning her a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Galway. Her curiosity and commitment to knowledge translation inspired her to bridge the gap between lab-based inquiry and real-world applications of research. Beyond her managerial expertise, Nikita has experience in public involvement and engagement.